India is waiting for an "exciting" flight of the Su-57: is the purchase of a fighter still relevant?

India is currently evaluating the capabilities of the Russian fifth-generation fighter Su-57 and expects an "exciting" performance during its demonstration flight at the Aero India 2025 aerospace exhibition. This was stated to TASS by Deputy Defense Minister of the South Asian republic Sanjeev Kumar.

"We are evaluating [the fighter's capabilities]," Kumar said.

According to him, in the end, "the Indian armed forces will decide" whether India will become a buyer of the Russian combat aircraft.

"We are expecting an exciting performance of the Su-57 at the air show [Aero India 2025]," Kumar stressed.

The Su-57E (export version) had previously arrived in Bangalore at the Indian Air Force base Elahanka. The fighter is controlled by a Russian pilot, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan. The combat aircraft will make demonstration flights during the international air show, which will be held from February 10 to 14 in Bangalore.

Previously in Rostec was informed that Russia is ready to offer India full cooperation on the fifth-generation Su-57E fighter project, including joint production. As Rosoboronexport Director General Alexander Mikheev noted, among the proposals are the supply of finished aircraft, the organization of their joint production in India, as well as assistance in the development of the fifth—generation Indian fighter.

The Su-57 is the only fifth—generation fighter in the world that has proven the effectiveness of countering Western air defense systems in real combat conditions. The aircraft is capable of using a wide range of controlled high-precision weapons and is characterized by low visibility for enemy locators.