Against the backdrop of the Zhuhai Airshow, to be held in China from November 12 to 17, executives from United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) have announced that the company is ready to produce and offer the export version of the Su-57 stealth fighter, which currently equips the Russian Aerospace Forces, to foreign partners. It’s no surprise that, in recent months, as part of various initiatives, Rostec has been promoting the aircraft in multiple markets, as evidenced in the recent exhibition held in Egypt.
In this regard, in official statements made by UAC, the corporation indicated the following: “UAC is constantly increasing the production volumes of the Su-57, and the Corporation is ready to offer this aircraft to its foreign partners. The presence of a fifth-generation fighter in Russia is an indicator of technological sovereignty and the country’s high level of science and technology. It’s symbolic that exactly 10 years ago, the Su-35 was showcased at this same exhibition [Airshow China in Zhuhai]. Since then, the aircraft has found customers in many countries around the world.”
Another Su-57 stealth fighter from the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived in China for a static display at the Zhuhai AirshowThe announcements at the Zhuhai Airshow have been accompanied by significant efforts, such as the dispatch of two Sukhoi Su-57 stealth aircraft to China. One of them will be performing a series of aerial demonstrations, images and videos of which have already begun to go viral, while the second arrived days ago to take part in static displays.
Regarding these two aircraft, it has been confirmed that they are two prototypes of the Su-57 program (originally known as “T-50 PAK-FA”), specifically the T-50-4 “054 Blue” and the T-50-7 “057 Blue.”
However, beyond official statements and efforts, the reality, when compared to its Western and Chinese counterparts, shows that the production rate of the new Su-57 to equip the Russian Aerospace Forces remains low. Various reports indicate that, including both prototypes and pre-production units, UAC’s deliveries would reach around thirty units.
To put this into context, if we compare it to the U.S. F-35 and China’s J-20, in the former’s case, Lockheed Martin surpassed 1,000 units produced in 2024, across its three versions (A, B, and C), while for the stealth aircraft of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, production has reached 300 units.
This reality contrasts with the statements made by UAC executives, who, without directly mentioning the situation, have implicitly acknowledged it. Recently, the Russian company confirmed efforts to increase the production of its combat aircraft. In the specific case of the Su-57, new facilities have been inaugurated at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation plant, including new “buildings for fuel system testing, as well as the completion of the first phase of construction of a hangar for testing onboard radio-electronic equipment (BREO), in order to scale up the serial production of aircraft,” according to a statement from late August.
Although there is no further information, the low production rate of the Su-57 may be due to a lack of critical components, a situation that could result from sanctions imposed by the West. This hypothesis, suggested by several analysts, may have exacerbated issues on the production line, which has not advanced according to the milestones previously reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
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