Russia Offers India Full Access Source Code of Su-57E: Russia is putting the Su-57 on the international market and is offering India a significant deal to forge a new partnership and move India away from the US.
Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation made a bold proposal to India on June 4. Moscow offered India the Su-57E stealth fighter and full access to its source code.
Su-57 Felon and Su-75 Fighters From Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Providing India with this access would enable it to integrate home-grown avionics and weapons under its ‘Make in India’ initiative. Indian officials note this latitude eclipses anything previously granted by Western suppliers. The offer collides head-on with Washington’s rival F-35A pitch, sharpening Indo-Pacific rivalry.
Meet Russia’s Su-57E
Russia’s Su-57 Felon, its first fifth-generation fighter, blends stealth features with traditional Russian emphasis on supermaneuverability for close-quarters combat.
The Felon incorporates design elements such as internal weapons bays and radar-absorbent materials to reduce its frontal radar cross-section; however, its overall stealth, particularly from the rear, is considered significantly inferior to that of US counterparts like the F-22 and F-35.
The Su-57 has been used sparingly in the war against Ukrainian defenses, primarily as a long-range strike aircraft rather than a dogfighter, which would have subjected it to Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses.
Production has been a significant issue for Russia’s manufacturing industry. Thus far, they have only been able to manufacture about 20 Su-57s for the Russian Aerospace Forces. The question remains: how could they supply India with the means to deploy enough aircraft to provide their air force with the necessary number of aircraft?
Russia’s Bold Pitch To India
Russia’s offer, considered a game-changer by many experts, would allow India to customize the aircraft entirely, adding its own weapons and systems. Such deep access is rarely granted and extends far beyond what countries like the US or France typically allow when selling their fighters.
Indian defense sources indicate that the Su-57E fighter jet being offered to India will feature advanced technology that matches the planned upgrades for its Su-30 MKI aircraft.
The proposed version for India includes an AESA radar utilizing Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology and an Indian-developed mission computer.
Moreover, the Su-57E would be capable of operating Indian-designed munitions such as the Astra Mk1 and Mk2 beyond-visual-range missiles, Rudram anti-radiation missiles, and indigenous precision-guided air-to-ground weapons, reducing India’s dependency on foreign-supplied weaponry.
Russia has offered the Su-57E to a few countries with close military and strategic ties, such as Algeria, Myanmar, and Vietnam. However, thus far, no country has initiated a deal with Russia.
US Urges India to Cut Ties To Russian Aircraft Deal
The US is exerting pressure on New Delhi to curb its continued procurement of Russian defense equipment, a point of contention between India and the US that has been a leading issue since the first Donald Trump administration.
Su-57. Image Credit – Creative Commons.
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on June 4 stated, while addressing the eighth U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, that President Trump had explicitly raised the issue, saying:
“There were certain things that the Indian government did that generally rubbed the United States the wrong way. For instance, you generally buy your military gear from Russia. That’s a way to get under the skin of America if you’re going to buy your armaments from Russia.”
He added that India’s participation in the BRICS group, which challenged the US dollar’s status in the global economy, was “not really the way to make friends and influence people in America.”
When President Trump welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House in February, he announced that the United States would make the F-35 fighter jet available to India. However, to date, India has not expressed interest in purchasing the American fighter.
It is expected that India will finalize a deal with Russia very shortly. India’s small air force is reeling from losses of French-supplied Rafale fighters in early May during engagements with Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied combat aircraft. It is expected to add urgency to consider Russia’s Su-57 if production can be worked out for India’s Air Force.
That is an issue that must be resolved as soon as possible. Russia, thus far, has only been able to supply a handful of aircraft to its own Air Force.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
