According to various military sources in India, as well as according to the Chinese publication Sohu, there is a high probability that India will abandon the acquisition of the Russian Su-57 Super Sukhoi and move to the American F-35, EDNews.net reports citing Bulgarian Military News.
The high cost of the upgraded version of the Russian Su-57 Super Sukhoi fighter, and the purchase of the basic version of the Indian Air Force is not considered due to the “dampness” of this version.
The Su-57 purchase could be unbearable for India, betting that the first deliveries of this combat aircraft are planned only in five years, in this connection, India began to consider the possibility of acquiring the American F-35A.
According to some reports, the cost of the upgraded version of the Su-57 will vary from 150 to 200 million dollars, and given the fact that India plans to acquire several hundred fifth-generation fighters, it is obvious that we are talking about billions of dollars.
Given that the export value of American F-35s is about 120-140 million dollars, and this combat aircraft was seen performing military operations, India is likely to really abandon Russian fighters.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Su-57 of the second stage, which is planned to be released in 2024, is the“ real Su-57. At the current stage, the Su-57 can only be considered a pre-production Su-57, and its degree of completion is relatively low. Even the Russian Air Force does not want to receive them in large quantities” experts said.
“At this stage, the Su-57 with a very low degree of readiness will obviously not be accepted by the Indian Air Force, so even if India wants to buy a Su-57 fighter, it will have to wait at least until the second stage fighter appears around 2025. If India wants to buy a fifth-generation car in five years, the F-35A/B is the most ideal choice. The likelihood of buying a Su-57 is very small. As for the value of the Russian export fighter for India, it is inexpedient for the Russians not to demand more than 150 million US dollars.” Sohu reports.
Earlier, India abandoned the joint development of a fifth-generation fighter with Russia, declaring its low efficiency and overpriced.
