Russia plans to deliver Su-57E fighters to customers in 2025

Russia will deliver Su-57E fighters to customers in 2025, improving air defense capabilities and modernizing the partner's air force.

In a major development for the global aerospace and defense industry, Russia has announced that its advanced Su-57E stealth fighter will have its first operational deployment with an unnamed foreign customer in 2025. The announcement was made by the press service of the Russian Federal Service for Military -Technical Cooperation during the MILEX 2025 arms exhibition in Minsk, Belarus. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

The press service of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation quoted the information directly as follows: “The first foreign customer of the Su-57E will begin operating this aircraft in 2025." This move is noteworthy, as it helps Russia expand its influence through advanced military technology, even if there are still many doubts about the stealth capabilities and production capacity of this aircraft. Photo: @Air Data News.

This information was also reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, which said that this move emphasizes the Su-57E's entry into the international arms market as a competitor to Western fifth-generation fighters such as the US F-35 and F-22. Photo: @Air Data News.

While Russia has not officially revealed the identity of this foreign buyer, there has been much speculation that Algeria is the likely recipient of this aircraft, due to many leaked reports in recent times saying that Algerian pilots are being trained to fly this Su-57E and that they have a long-standing military relationship with Russia. Photo: @National Security Journal.

In the short term, the move signals a potential shift in the regional balance of power in North Africa, and it raises questions about the Su-57E’s capabilities, as well as its strategic value and the broader geopolitical implications of exporting the aircraft. Photo: @Army Recognition.

The Su-57E, the export version of the Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name: Felon), is designed to enhance air superiority, conduct precision strikes, and counter modern air defense systems, making it a desirable weapon for countries looking to boost their military capabilities. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

Reports of Algerian interest in the Su-57E emerged as early as November 2024, when Russian officials confirmed the signing of an export contract for the aircraft without naming the buyer. According to a February 2025 report by Bulgarian news outlet Focus News, citing Algerian broadcaster APS, Algerian air force pilots were being trained in Russia to operate the Su-57E, with deliveries expected by the end of 2025. Photo: @National Security Journal.

This is consistent with previous speculation, as Algeria has been a major buyer of Russian military hardware for decades, purchasing systems such as the Su-30MKA fighter jet, the S-300 air defense system, and the T-90 tank. The training of Algerian pilots in Russia suggests a deliberate move to integrate the Su-57E into the country’s air force, potentially replacing or supplementing older Soviet-era aircraft. Photo: @Air Data News.

Algeria’s interest in the Su-57E stems from its strategic needs, and its regional ambitions. As a major military power in North Africa, Algeria faces security challenges, including border tensions with Morocco, and the need to counter modern air threats in a volatile region. The Su-57E, of course, offers advanced capabilities that could enhance Algeria’s deterrence posture. Stealth features allow the Su-57E to evade advanced air defense systems. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

The Su-57E's super-maneuverability is aided by thrust-vectoring engines, and its ability to carry a wide range of munitions makes it versatile for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. For Algeria, the purchase of the Su-57E would signal a quantum leap in military technology, positioning its air force as a regional leader and a counterweight to neighbors like Morocco, which operates Western-supplied F-16s. Photo: @Air Data News.

The Su-57E is a twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft developed by Sukhoi under the Russian PAK FA program, initiated in 1999 to compete with the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. With a length of about 20.4 meters and a wingspan of 14.1 meters, the aircraft has a maximum speed of Mach 2 (equivalent to 2,468 km/h) and a range of about 3,500 km. Photo: @RuAviation.

Its key features include advanced avionics, an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Its internal weapons bay can carry up to 12 types of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, including Kh-69 stealth cruise missiles, GROM glide bombs, and R-77M long-range air-to-air missiles. Photo: @RuAviation.

Russian sources claim that the Su-57E's stealth capabilities are enhanced by specialized materials that can evade radar extremely well, although some international military experts have criticized that the engine nozzles and airframe design do not have good stealth capabilities compared to Western or even Chinese rival vehicles. Photo: @Army Recognition.

The Su-57E's sensor suite includes infrared search and track (IRST) systems and electronic countermeasures to detect and jam enemy radars. Despite its advanced design, the Su-57E has faced numerous challenges, raising questions about its reliability and true capabilities. Production delays, engine development issues, and the crash of a prototype in 2019 have cast doubt on Russia's ability to deliver the Su-57E in large numbers. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

Additionally, Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine has strained the country’s defense industry, which prioritizes domestic needs over exports. These challenges suggest that large-scale operational deployment of the Su-57E could face logistical hurdles, even as Algeria prepares to receive and integrate it into its air force. Photo: @National Security Journal.

Algeria’s possible purchase of the Su-57E should be viewed in the context of its deepening military ties with Russia. Over the years, Algeria has become one of Russia’s largest arms markets, with purchases including 44 Su-30MKA fighters, 58 MiG-29s and 14 Yak-130 trainers for its air force. Its ground forces operate more than 400 T-90 tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, while its navy operates Kilo-class submarines and Steregushchy-class corvettes. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

These systems reflect Algeria’s reliance on Russian technology to maintain a strong defense posture. The Su-57E will further cement this partnership, providing Algeria with a platform to project power and deter potential adversaries in a region marked by competition. Geopolitically, the Su-57E’s deployment to Algeria could reshape the military and defense balance of power in North Africa. Photo: @ National Security Journal.

Morocco, Algeria’s main regional rival, has been looking to modernize its air force with US-supplied F-16s, and may now face pressure to buy more advanced platforms like the F-35. This could prompt Morocco to deepen its defense ties with the US, potentially accelerating negotiations for the F-35. In 2020, the US approved Morocco to consider purchasing the F-35, prompting Algeria to also look towards the Su-57E to compete. Photo: @Defense Mirror.

France has supplied Morocco with Dassault Rafale fighters, which, while advanced, are not fifth-generation platforms. A February 2025 Focus News report noted that at the Aero India 2025 air show, US representatives refused to participate in demonstration flights with the Su-57E, which Russian experts interpreted as an acknowledgement of the Su-57E’s superiority over the F-16 and F-35. However, this claim may be exaggerated, as France and the US remain confident in their platforms. France could respond by increasing defense cooperation with Morocco, perhaps offering upgrades to the Rafale, or pushing for joint exercises to counter Algeria’s new military capabilities. Photo: @Army Recognition.

The technological competition between the Su-57E and Western fighters like the F-35 is also a focus worth paying attention to. The F-35, with its advanced sensor fusion capabilities and network-centric combat capabilities, is widely considered the standard, the leading benchmark for fifth-generation fighters. The Su-57E, while equipped with a modern AESA radar and long-range munitions, lacks the level of data integration and stealth optimization. The Su-57E's internal weapons bay can carry less munitions than the F-35, and the Su-57E's radar cross section is estimated to be larger, making it easier to detect. Photo: @RuAviation.

However, the lower cost of the Su-57E — estimated at $40-50 million per unit compared to $80-110 million for the F-35 — makes it attractive to countries like Algeria that may find Western platforms too expensive, or are politically constrained by export restrictions. Algeria’s choice of the Su-57E over Western options also reflects both practical and geopolitical considerations. The US and its allies often impose strict conditions on arms sales, including end-use oversight and alignment with Western foreign policy. But Algeria, with its history of being out of step with Western foreign policy and heavily dependent on Russian weapons, would face more difficult constraints in accessing Western weapons. Photo: @National Security Journal.

Additionally, the Su-57E’s compatibility with Algeria’s existing Russian-supplied systems simplifies logistics and training. While the F-35 or Rafale may offer superior stealth and interoperability, their acquisition would require a change in Algeria’s defense strategy, which has prioritized its partnership with Russia since the Soviet era. Photo: @National Security Journal.

Importantly, the Su-57E’s capabilities must be viewed beyond Russia’s own claims. Moscow has a history of exaggerating the performance of its military hardware to boost exports, and the Su-57’s limited production—fewer than 20 aircraft will be delivered to the Russian air force by 2025—raises questions about the Su-57E’s scalability. The Su-57’s reliance on the older AL-41F1 engine, rather than the planned AL-51F1, suggests a performance limitation. Photo: @Army Recognition.

These factors suggest that, while the Su-57E is a formidable platform, it may not fully live up to Russia’s promises, especially in a fiercely competitive environment with advanced Western systems. So, for Algeria, the Su-57E is a strategic gamble, an opportunity to gain a technological advantage in military and defense, but it could also be a major risk, as the performance and effectiveness of this aircraft have not been clearly and fully proven, while Russia’s defense industrial capacity is under great strain. Photo: @Army Recognition.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/nga-du-kien-ban-giao-tiem-kich-su-57e-cho-khach-hang-trong-nam-2025-post1544494.html