There are three countries currently that claim to have produced 5th Generation stealth fighters: the United States ( the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II), the People’s Republic of China (the Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon and Shenyang J-35), and Russia (the Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name Felon).
As of early 2026, Russia’s entire fleet of fifth-generation stealth fighters, the Su-57 Felon, is estimated at 20-25 operational aircraft, including prototypes and test airframes.
Su-57 Felon Fighter from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Su-57 Felon from Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
This total is significantly smaller than the aircraft inventory of a single standard United States Navy aircraft carrier wing.
The F-35 Is In Full-Rate Production. The Su-57? Not So Much:
In comparison, Lockheed Martin, which produces the US fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter, has produced more than 1,310 F-35s as of early March 2026. Last year, Lockheed Martin produced 191 F-35s.
The 191 F-35 deliveries in 2025 far surpassed the previous record of 142 jets set in 2021. This increase was largely due to Lockheed Martin clearing a backlog of aircraft held pending the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) software upgrade.
Lockheed Martin currently produces approximately 156 aircraft annually. The F-35 celebrated a million flight hours earlier this year and secured a new $24.3 billion contract for 296 fighters in Lots 18 and 19.
Meanwhile, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), a subsidiary of the state-owned military-industrial conglomerate Rostec, didn’t make any announcements about the production of Su-57s, because many believe they produced very few, if any at all.
Western economic sanctions and a weakened economy, compounded by a meat grinder of a war in Ukraine, have affected Russia’s aerospace supply chains.
The Su-57: Is It Even A Stealth Fighter?
The Felon is officially classified by Russia as a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter. However, its status remains a subject of intense debate among aviation experts, with some labeling it a “4.5 generation” or “4++” fighter due to perceived shortcomings in its stealth characteristics and delayed technology.
While it has many fifth-generation characteristics, such as 3D thrust-vectoring engines, supercruise capability, internal weapons bays, and radar-absorbent materials (RAM), the aircraft falls far short of what is considered stealth.
Su-57 Weapons Bay Social Media Screenshot
The Russian Sukhoi Su-57 is widely considered by many experts to be the worst-performing stealth fighter, particularly compared to its American and Chinese counterparts like the F-22 Raptor and J-20, due to significantly inferior stealth capabilities, limited production, and issues with technology and workmanship.
And now, a recent compelling article on aviationgeekclub.com explains that the Su-57 may not be a stealth aircraft at all, despite being marketed as such by the Russians.
The Su-57 Has the Radar Cross-Section 1,000 Times That Of An F-35
Dario Leone, a respected aviation analyst, cites evidence of the Felon’s enormous radar cross-section, according to Abhirup Sengupta, an aviation expert, on Quora.
“Sukhoi’s own patent describes the Su-57 having a frontal RCS between 0.1 to 1 m^2 (-10 to 1 dBsm), which is comparable to that of a clean F-18E Super Hornet or Tomahawk cruise missile. Do you see anyone referring to either as Stealth?” Sengupta asked.
‘“Imagine if Boeing were to market F/A-18 Super Hornets or F-15 Silent Eagles with Enclosed Weapons pod and weapon bays as a ‘Stealth aircraft’ along the lines of 5th gen. aircraft, how do you think they would compare to F-35?” he added.
The Su-57 has a 1,000 times greater RCS than an F-35, he said, adding that the F-35 will be able to detect the Felon at six times the range of the Su-57.
Russia Moved Most Of Its Su-57 Fleet To The Chinese Border
Russia has relocated nearly all of its fleet of Felon aircraft to the Dzyomgi air base in the Khabarovsk region—this, according to satellite images published by the AviVector project and reported by the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi. This facility is about 280 kilometers from the border of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
This location is close to the Gargarin manufacturing facility, where the Su-57 is produced, so this move may signal that additional testing of the aircraft is ongoing. The move is also strategic in nature, not because Moscow fears China, but to keep the few Su-57s out of range of Ukrainian drones.
The satellite imagery showed 15 Su-57s parked out in the open at the airbase.
Russia Claims The Su-57 Will Be 6th-Generation Soon
Leave it to Moscow. They love to make outlandish claims about their weapons and equipment, long on bluster and short on delivery.
In the latest eye-rolling claim, Tass, the government-controlled news service, reported that an upgraded and even more advanced model of the Su-57 could be in development, and that it would be the world’s first in-service “sixth-generation” aircraft.
Tass quoted Russian Aerospace Force ex-commander and Chairman of the Federation Council Defense and Security Committee Viktor Bondarev, who made an outlandish claim.
“This is actually a splendid plane, and it can embrace both fifth-and sixth-generation features. It has huge modernization potential. Importantly, it is the best among existing versions in terms of its stealth characteristics. It incorporates all the best that is available in modern aviation science, both in Russia and in the world.”
The Russians love to tout the Su-57 Felon as the “tip of the spear” for Moscow’s Aerospace Forces (VKS), but how sharp is that spear? Possessing only 20 to 25 operational Su-57s, and even if they produce enough to get to 75 Felons, what would they really threaten?
The US has at least 165 operational F-22 Raptors, which are a far better stealth aircraft than the Su-57. And couple that with 1,310+ US and Allied F-35s, each with a radar cross-section 1000x more stealthy.
Moscow should keep those Felons on the Chinese border. Because they wouldn’t last very long in a fight with the West.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
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.
