Reports that the Indian Air Force (IAF) is evaluating the Russian Su-57 as a "stopgap" fifth-generation fighter should ring alarm bells. On paper, the idea of plugging operational gaps with a ready platform may sound pragmatic. In reality, the Su-57 would be a costly strategic mistake.
Here is why:
1. A Fighter the IAF Already Rejected
The Su-57 is not new to India. The IAF had partnered in its development through the PAK-FA programme, investing nearly $290 million before walking away. At the time, the assessment was clear: the aircraft lacked true fifth-generation qualities. Its stealth fell well short of American benchmarks like the F-22 or F-35. It did not supercruise. And Russia refused to share design control, technology, or production responsibilities to India's satisfaction. Nothing has changed since then - if anything, the platform's limitations have been further exposed.
2. A Fighter Russia Barely Trusts
Moscow itself has inducted only around 24 Su-57s, a minuscule number for what it claims is its most advanced fighter. Even more telling, it has refrained from deploying the aircraft decisively in Ukraine. If Russia does not trust its own flagship to establish air superiority in combat, why should India?
3. A Security and Reliability Risk
The web of sanctions choking Russia's defense industry means the Su-57 is increasingly dependent on foreign components. In practice, that means Chinese electronics and subsystems. For India, this introduces an unacceptable security risk: no country should compromise its sovereignty in the air with platforms potentially reliant on an adversary's supply chain.
4. Seven Squadrons Is No Stopgap
Reports suggest India may acquire up to seven squadrons - two directly from Russia and the rest assembled in India. Let's be clear: seven squadrons is not a stopgap, it is a strategic choice. It is, in fact, the exact number the IAF has earmarked for the AMCA, India's indigenous fifth-generation fighter under development. To commit to the Su-57 at this scale would not just fill a gap - it would pre-empt and undermine India's own future fighter fleet.
5. The Timeline Myth
Even if India were to sign a contract today, the first Su-57s are unlikely to arrive before three to four years. Inducting two squadrons in flyaway condition would take another three years. This is the best case scenario. Russia is struggling to make half a dozen a year for itself, when it's fighting a war and is dependent on its war economy. In other words, the so-called "stopgap" would not arrive until the mid 2030s. By then, the AMCA - already at the prototyping stage - could be nearing induction, even allowing for delays, by around 2035. The Su-57 therefore does nothing to close the immediate gap; instead, it overlaps with India's own fighter development timeline.
6. The Cost to India's Aerospace Ambition
Buying the Su-57 in bulk risks repeating a familiar mistake: importing "short-term fixes" that lock India into decades of dependency. Such a move would directly undercut the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme and the AMCA. Instead of strengthening domestic aerospace capabilities, it would consign India once again to the role of license-producer, while draining resources from indigenous innovation.
7. Even a "5 Minus" AMCA Is Better Than Importing
Critics sometimes argue that India's AMCA may not match the F-22 or F-35 in stealth and supercruise. That may be true in its early iterations. But even a "5 minus" indigenous fighter is vastly preferable to importing the Su-57. An Indian-built platform can evolve over time, drawing on operational feedback, iterative upgrades, and technology infusion. More importantly, it ensures control over design, supply chains, and future capability development. A foreign import, by contrast, freezes India's options and perpetuates dependence.
8. Lessons From the Past, Choices for the Future
The IAF's earlier judgment on the Su-57 was sound. The aircraft has not matured into the capable stealth fighter its marketing promised. Russia's inability to employ it in Ukraine underscores its flaws. And the geopolitical environment - Russian dependence on China, Western sanctions - makes it an even less reliable partner.
India faces genuine gaps in fighter strength. But the answer cannot be to mortgage the future of its airpower for a platform already proven inadequate. The answer must be accelerating Tejas production, backing AMCA with real urgency, and bridging gaps with proven fourth - plus generation fighters only where absolutely necessary.
The Su-57 is neither a stopgap nor a solution. It is a detour that India cannot afford.
(Yusuf T. Unjhawala is an Adjunct Scholar at the Takshashila Institution.)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
