Game Over For F-35? How India Could Turn Su-57 Into World's Deadliest 5th-Gen Fighter

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 15:27 IST

India is developing the AMCA fighter, considering Su-57 and F-35, with experts favouring Indian avionics for better performance against China and Pakistan

While the concept of an "Indianised" Su-57 remains theoretical, it reflects a broader shift in India's defence procurement philosophy. (PTI)

In an era where air superiority increasingly defines military power, fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft have become a strategic necessity rather than a luxury. Countries seeking to assert dominance in 21st-century warfare are investing heavily in cutting-edge combat aviation, and India is no exception.

India has launched the ambitious Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme to develop an indigenous fifth-generation fighter, allocating around Rs 15,000 crore for the prototype design phase. While several domestic and international players are showing interest in the project, defence planners acknowledge that the aircraft is unlikely to enter Indian Air Force (IAF) service for another 10-15 years.

During this interim period, the regional security environment is evolving rapidly. China has already inducted a fifth-generation fighter and is reportedly working towards sixth-generation capabilities. Pakistan, according to media reports, is also seeking access to fifth-generation aircraft through its strategic partnership with China. Should Pakistan succeed, analysts warn that the military balance in Asia could tilt further in favour of China and Pakistan, directly impacting India’s security calculus.

With borders shared with both rivals, India’s requirement for a fifth-generation stealth fighter has become increasingly urgent. As a stop-gap measure, India is evaluating two foreign platforms; the American F-35 Lightning II and the Russian Su-57, with growing interest reportedly centred on the Russian option.

According to defence analysts, the Su-57 could potentially outperform the F-35 if paired with Indian avionics and mission software. This view has been articulated by Group Captain (Retd) Dr MJ Augustine Vinod, a former IAF fighter pilot and military analyst. Speaking to RT India, Dr Vinod described the idea as a powerful fusion of Russian airframe engineering and India’s rapidly advancing digital warfare capabilities.

He argues that integrating Indian mission computers, sensor-fusion systems and electronic warfare suites into the Su-57 could give the aircraft a decisive edge, not only in air combat but also in network-centric and multi-domain operations. While the F-35 is widely regarded as a leader in stealth and data sharing, critics point to its relatively limited speed and manoeuvrability when compared to the Russian platform.

The F-35 is a single-engine, multirole stealth fighter designed primarily for network-centric warfare, featuring low radar observability, internal weapons bays and advanced sensor fusion. The Su-57, by contrast, is a twin-engine aircraft that prioritises super-manoeuvrability and kinetic performance, with higher speeds, thrust-vectoring engines and the ability to supercruise at supersonic speeds without afterburners.

Dr Vinod believes that India’s strength lies in its indigenous avionics ecosystem. Over the past two decades, defence laboratories and private industry have developed advanced mission computers, electronic warfare systems and software-defined avionics for platforms such as the Su-30MKI, the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft and the Rafale. These systems, he notes, allow greater flexibility in upgrades and weapon integration than many Western platforms, which often come with tightly controlled and “locked" architectures.

Replacing standard Russian avionics with Indian systems, he argues, could transform the Su-57 into a more versatile and digitally dominant fighter, capable of real-time data sharing and enhanced battlefield awareness. Such a configuration would also be better suited to India’s unique operational environment, ranging from high-altitude Himalayan airbases to long-range maritime missions in the Indian Ocean.

While the concept of an “Indianised" Su-57 remains theoretical, it reflects a broader shift in India’s defence procurement philosophy. After lessons learned from exiting the FGFA programme, India is increasingly prioritising co-development, technology transfer and domestic capability building over outright purchases.

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