The Zhuhai Airshow, currently being held in China and running until November 17, continues to stand out for its intriguing developments. In addition to serving as a showcase for China’s aerospace industry, other countries have taken the opportunity to exhibit the finest examples of their industries. Such is the case for Russia, which, through its export organizations and companies, has sent two fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jets—the main stealth aircraft of its Aerospace Forces—to the Asian Giant.
Among the latest updates, executives from Rosoboronexport, Russia’s leading agency for military equipment exports, announced that the first contract with an international partner for the sale of the Su-57E, the export version of the fifth-generation fighter jet, has been finalized.
On this matter, according to Russian media, senior executives from the agency stated: “The system of military-technical cooperation must introduce new weapons and military equipment to the market. We already have the first contracts signed for the Su-57,” although no further details were provided.
Currently, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), through the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, is making significant efforts to ramp up Su-57 production to equip the Russian Aerospace Forces. Coinciding with the display of two units in China—one in a static exhibition and another performing demonstration flights—UAC and Rostec recently confirmed the delivery of a new batch of these stealth fighters.
Regarding the presence of these aircraft and the contract signed with a foreign partner for the sale of the fifth-generation fighter, Rosoboronexport and Rostec have launched various promotional campaigns for the export variant, designated as the Sukhoi Su-57E, in recent months.
The international market in this segment shows that the only stealth fighter currently in service and available for export is the F-35 Lightning II, produced by the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, offered exclusively to U.S. allies. Meanwhile, China has made significant strides in developing a competitor to the F-35, such as the future J-35 and its variants currently under development.
Finally, given the promotional efforts undertaken—such as those observed in Egypt and now in China—Russia aims to position the Su-57 as an option in this segment, offering the aircraft to the country’s historic partners. While no specific details have been disclosed, several countries are considered potential first buyers of the Felon. Among them are Algeria and Iran, both with unique characteristics but urgent needs to modernize their aging combat fleets.
The other, more complex possibility is Iran, currently in negotiations to acquire Su-35S fighters. Although the sale has been announced, deliveries of these combat aircraft have yet to take place. However, the Iranian regime has made progress in incorporating other modern Russian models, such as the advanced Yakovlev Yak-130 trainers.
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