SOURCE: AFI
In a bold assertion that could reshape the global fighter jet market, officials from Russia’s state-owned Rostec corporation have claimed that a “Made in India” variant of the Su-57 Felon, Russia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter, will be significantly cheaper than the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II procured from the United States. Speaking to idrw.org at an unspecified defence event in early 2025, Rostec officials highlighted that the Indian-produced Su-57 would beat the F-35A’s current price tag of approximately $80 million per unit. While no official figure for the Su-57’s cost was disclosed, the claim has sparked speculation about India’s potential role in co-producing an advanced stealth platform at a fraction of Western costs.
The F-35A, a cornerstone of U.S. and allied air forces, has seen its flyaway cost drop to around $78-80 million per unit in recent years (as of FY 2024), thanks to economies of scale from large-scale production and ongoing optimizations by Lockheed Martin. However, this price excludes additional expenses like sustainment, training, and weapons integration, which can push the total lifecycle cost per jet well above $100 million. Rostec’s assertion suggests that a localized Su-57, leveraging India’s cost-competitive manufacturing ecosystem, could come in below this $80 million benchmark—potentially by a significant margin.
Though Rostec withheld an exact figure, the AFI Team has speculated on the potential cost based on India’s track record with licensed production of Russian aircraft, such as the Su-30MKI. For context, the Indian Air Force (IAF) recently procured 12 Su-30MKI fighter jets from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in December 2024 for ?13,500 crore (approximately $1.6 billion USD at current exchange rates of ?84.5 to $1). This translates to a per-unit cost of roughly $133 million, including taxes, duties, and indigenous content exceeding 62.6%. However, this figure reflects a small batch order with high customization, not the economies of scale a larger Su-57 production run might achieve.
Adjusting for a hypothetical larger production run and lower overheads, analysts estimate that a Made-in-India Su-57 could range between $60-75 million per unit. This estimate factors in India’s lower labor and material costs, technology transfer fees, and lessons from HAL’s Su-30MKI program, where per-unit costs have historically ranged from $62-70 million for larger orders, though earlier Russian-supplied units were as low as $40 million.
This cost advantage hinges on India’s ability to replicate its Su-30MKI success—balancing imported components (e.g., engines and radar) with local manufacturing. Russia’s willingness to share Su-57 tech, unlike the tightly controlled F-35 program, could further reduce costs by avoiding the premiums tied to U.S. export restrictions and intellectual property.
A sub-$80 million Su-57 would be a game-changer for India and export markets. For the IAF, facing a squadron strength decline to 30 against a sanctioned 42, an affordable fifth-generation jet could bridge the gap left by delays in the indigenous AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) program, slated for 2032. It would also complement the IAF’s 259 Su-30MKIs, 36 Rafale jets, and forthcoming LCA Tejas Mk1A and Mk2 fleets, offering stealth capabilities absent in fourth-generation platforms.
Globally, a competitively priced Su-57 could challenge the F-35’s dominance in cost-sensitive markets like Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where nations balk at the F-35’s lifecycle costs (estimated at $1.3 trillion for the U.S. over 66 years). Countries like Vietnam, Algeria, and Indonesia—existing Su-30 operators—might find a Made-in-India Su-57 an attractive upgrade, especially if paired with flexible financing from Russia and India.
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