Key Points and Summary – Russia’s Su-57E “export” stealth fighter has made its Middle East debut at the Dubai Air Show, one of the few venues where Moscow can still court defense buyers despite Western sanctions.
-Sukhoi is pitching the jet to Gulf states already locked into U.S. and European fleets, as the UAE takes delivery of 80 Rafales and Saudi Arabia moves toward the F-35.
Su-57. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Su-75 Checkmate and Su-57. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-On paper, the Su-57E offers supermaneuverability, internal weapons bays, and an AESA radar, but the aircraft on display is a pre-production prototype built in tiny numbers.
-With Russia’s industrial base under strain and big orders highly unlikely, the Su-57’s presence is more symbolic than real competition.
Sukhoi Su-57E Makes Dubai Air Show Debut
Russia is displaying what it is calling the export version of its Sukhoi 5th-generation fighter jet at this year’s Dubai Air Show.
This version of the fighter, which the planemaker has designated “Su-57E,” is being exhibited for the first time at an expo in the Middle East.
The Middle East is one of the few areas of the world where Russia can still export its military products without being prevented from doing so by US and EU sanctions.
Dubai marks the third time the Su-57 has been shown at a major international event, following Air Show China in November 2024 and this past February’s AeroIndia. Again, those are nations not troubled by sanctions that have been imposed on Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian defense officials say they hope to attract buyers for the Su-57 from among the Gulf nations. Available evidence suggests Moscow may be facing an uphill battle in this regard.
Most air forces in the region had long ago decided to operate a mix of US-made and European-produced fighter aircraft.
The host nation for the Dubai show, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is a case in point.
Su-57 Felon Fighter with Trail. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Su-57 Felon from Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The small, but economically influential nation originally operated the advanced US F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon and a specialized Mirage 2000-9 model of this famous French fighter.
The Mirage 2000-9s are going to be replaced by the Rafale, an aircraft design that followed the Mirage and was purchased in the UAE.
The Emirates has signed a contract for 80 twin-engine Rafales, the first of which were delivered earlier this year. There is no place in their air force for a Russian-designed fighter.
Lost Chance at Partnerships
Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia had considered partnering with Russia to develop a single-engine, lightweight fighter.
The Russian Su-75 Checkmate was initially developed with the idea that one or both of those two nations would provide funding for the program’s development.
However, in 2022, the UAE stopped participating in the effort – mainly due to not wishing to be sanctioned by the US for continuing to deal with Moscow following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. More importantly, both Arab nations were anxious not to get on the wrong side of Washington, as they were interested in being permitted to procure the F-35 for their air forces.
In the case of Saudi Arabia, that strategy has paid off. Just recently, it was announced that the Desert Kingdom will be offered the opportunity to purchase the US stealthy jet fighter, although the deal must pass through several hurdles before all necessary approvals are in place.
In short, there would be little to no chances for the Su-57 to make a sale in the Middle East, unless it were to be to Iran or to one of its allies.
Algeria supposedly has a contract to acquire a small number of Su-57 aircraft to replace its Su-30MKA fleet, but it is the only exception so far.
Iran has expressed interest in the Su-57, but according to leaked documents, Tehran has its hands full with the acquisition of 48 Su-35 fighters that preceded the Su-57’s development, as well as 14 Su-34 fighter-bombers.
The “Su-57E”
On paper, the Su-57 is an impressive weapons platform.
The aircraft has the traditional supermaneuverability that has always been a goal of the Sukhoi design team.
During the aircraft’s flight display, it shows the ability to complete high-angle-of-attack turns, low-speed yaw rolls, and sustained post-stall flight.
The engines’ 3D thrust-vectoring nozzles enhance these capabilities.
Su-57 Felon Stealth Fighter Taking Off. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The aircraft is also supposedly equipped with all of the on-board systems and characteristics that 5th-generation fighters are known for: an internal weapons bay, a blended wing-body planform, and the use of radar absorbing coatings.
The aircraft is also the first Russian fighter to be equipped with an Active Electronically Scanning Array (AESA) radar, the NIIP N036 Byelka.
But the reality is that the Russians are calling the Su-57E the same pre-production aircraft that was displayed at the Chinese and Indian air shows.
Specifically, the aircraft performing at Dubai is the T-50-9 prototype and lacks the sleek exterior of a truly stealthy fighter. It is produced in minimal numbers and is unlikely ever to be deployed extensively.
“If some country actually stepped forward with a big order for the Su-57 – like the 80 Rafales that the UAE are buying from France – Sukhoi would never be able to produce and deliver them,” said one long-time Moscow-based analyst of Russia’s defense sector.
“The capacity to build them in any serious numbers just does not exist anymore, and with the war in Ukraine going on endlessly that industry becomes weaker by the day.”
Some pro-Russian media say the Su-57’s appearance at Dubai is a real challenge to the dominance of the US and Europeans in the Middle East defense market.
It is hardly possible that any of them are losing sleep over the possibility of losing sales to the Su-57 and the industry it represents.
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson has thirty-six years of experience analyzing and reporting on foreign weapons systems, defense technologies, and international arms export policy. Johnson is the Director of the Asia Research Centre at the Casimir Pulaski Foundation. He is also a survivor of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He worked for years in the American defense industry as a foreign technology analyst and later as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense, the Departments of the Navy and Air Force, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. In 2022-2023, he won two awards in a row for his defense reporting. He holds a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University and a master’s degree from Miami University in Ohio, specializing in Soviet and Russian studies. He lives in Warsaw.
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