Key Points and Summary – Russia says its Su-57E stealth fighter has finally been delivered to a foreign customer, a milestone Moscow is hyping as proof the Felon is ready for the world market.
-But the announcement came with no buyer named, no serial numbers, and no independent confirmation.
Su-57 Felon Fighter Stealth. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter in the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-With perhaps fewer than two dozen Su-57s built for Russia itself, sanctions biting into high-end components, and a new plant already struggling to boost output, big questions remain about whether Moscow can actually sustain exports.
-For any buyer, the Su-57E is a gamble: a fifth-gen jet on paper, tied to a supply chain under siege in reality.
Russia Announces First Foreign Su-57 Foreign Delivery – But We Have Questions
Russia’s aviation industry celebrated a victory this month, announcing on November 18 that the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 had been delivered to a foreign customer for the first time.
It marks what Russian officials have described as a significant milestone in the jet’s export drive.
Speaking on Russian television, the CEO of United Aircraft Corporation said that a “foreign partner” had received the aircraft.
“They have begun combat duty and are demonstrating their best qualities,” Vadim Badekha said. “Our customer is satisfied.”
But there’s more to this story – and while there’s no reason to believe the story isn’t true, no names, dates, or serial numbers were disclosed in the announcement.
Russia has long offered an export version of the aircraft, designated the Su-57E, which is derived from the domestic Felon fighter but tailored for foreign customers (for example, cockpit displays may be set to English units, or aircraft may be fitted with non-Russian weapons integration).
While Russia had previously announced that the Su-57E was available for export, showing it in brochures and air shows, there was no indication that any aircraft had ever actually been delivered abroad.
The latest announcement from the United Aircraft Corporation, therefore, is the first time that Moscow has publicly claimed a completed export delivery of the Su-57E. And although neither Russia nor any foreign government has formally confirmed the identity of the purchaser, there are reports that Algeria may be the country in question. It’s likely, too, given earlier reports of Algerian pilot training taking place in Russia.
Russia PAK-FA or Su-57 Felon. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The announcement arrived alongside a recent display of the Su-57 at the Dubai Airshow 2025 – a deliberate attempt to showcase the new technology with the enthusiastic backing of Russian state defense industry firms. A pre-production prototype of the export variant was on display, featuring a wide-area cockpit display and an export-oriented two-dimensional thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzle.
Speaking on the news, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov also said that the jet’s development had benefited from real-world combat feedback from the Ukraine war and that foreign customers appreciate the Su-57’s continuous upgrade path.
“I will not confirm any contract number or any of our partners, but I can definitely highlight that we have a very huge demand from many countries for this particular aircraft, and we’re hoping to even expand this demand,” Chemezov said.
And while Chemezov sounds positive, the reality is this: Rostec has confirmed that its overall defense exports have fallen by roughly 50 percent since 2022.
Production and Export Realities
If the delivery claim is accurate, it certainly is big news for the Su-57 program – but big questions remain about Russia’s ability to build the aircraft at scale.
Open-source reports suggest that as of the end of 2024, only around 18 serial Su-57 aircraft (including prototypes) were believed to have been delivered to the Russian Aerospace Forces, despite a contract for 76 units by 2028. What’s more, Russia’s production of modern fighter aircraft is still massively constrained by Western sanctions and supply-chain vulnerabilities.
So while Rostec asserts that export demand remains strong, the export rollout for the Su-57E is both largely unverified and extremely limited.
There’s a small production base, a limited domestic fleet, and maintenance and logistics challenges that Russia hasn’t yet overcome.
For example, how will buyers access spare parts? How will maintenance work when Russia can’t even build enough of them? And how many can realistically be built before the platform simply becomes redundant? At this rate, it could take years – or more.
Russia opened a new production facility in 2024 to accelerate output. Still, even that measure failed – and in the process, effectively admitted that the program was struggling to begin with.
So, the export announcement should be weighed against these facts: the buyer remains unnamed and unverified, only two aircraft have been claimed so far, Russia’s delivery track to its own forces is already minimal, and Western sanctions make the procurement of key components extremely difficult.
There is obviously a lot at stake for Russia. Showcasing the Su-57E as an export product serves multiple aims and proves that Moscow knows it can’t afford to let the project die.
The Kremlin and its aerospace industry are looking to project confidence to the world, back up its narrative of high-tech capabilities and resilience, and attempt to capture market share in regions where Western stealth fighters are off-limits.
But advertising these jets and delivering them are two very different things.
For a prospective customer, an export deal with Russia brings some opportunities and risks.
If all goes well, they’ll receive a fifth-generation fighter jet at a lower cost – but on the flipside, they’ll be dependent on a manufacturer under sanctions, with no guarantee they’ll be able to deliver on basic sustainment – let alone a continuous upgrade path.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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