By admin 
Moscow: Russia is continuously pushing to sell its fifth generation stealth fighter Sukhoi-57 (Su-57) to India. Meanwhile, Moscow is presenting such an offer that even the American F-35A may fail in front of it. Russia is ready to give its fighter jet to India as well as transfer technology. Meanwhile, an official of Russia’s state-owned company Rostec Corporation has claimed that the Indian-made version of the fifth generation Russian stealth fighter will be much cheaper than the American F-35A.
It will be cheaper than F-35
Speaking to defense media outlet IDRW, a Rostec official stressed that the Indian-made Su-57 will be cheaper than the current price of the US Lockheed Martin F-35A of $80 million (roughly Rs. 69,36,36,000). While no official figures have been revealed about the cost of the Su-57, the claim has fueled speculation about India’s possible role in the co-production and attraction of the advanced stealth platform.
The price of the F-35 has dropped
The F-35A Vs in service with the US and its allies have seen their flight costs drop in recent years to around $80 million per unit, thanks to mass production. There are also additional costs such as continued training and weapons integration, which can push the total cost per jet above $100 million. Rostec’s assessment suggests a locally built Su-57 could be had for below $80 million.
What will be the price after manufacturing in India?
Although Rostec has not given any figures, this can be understood from the production of Russian aircraft like Sukhoi-30MKI. The Indian Air Force purchased 12 Su-MKI jets from HAL in December 2024 for Rs 13,500 crore (about $1.6 billion). Thus its unit price comes to about $133 million. It has to be kept in mind here that this price is for a small batch order. Analysts believe that a unit of India-made Su-57 can cost $6 to $75 million if produced in large quantities. This estimate is also based on cheap labor and material prices in India. This cost advantage will impact India’s ability to replicate the success of the Su 30 MKI, balancing critical components with local manufacturing. Russia’s willingness to share Su-57 technology to replace the US’ tightly controlled F-35 could reduce its cost.
Gill Bikram Singh