One of the most significant developments so far this year is the confirmation of the first sale of the export version of the Sukhoi Su-57 stealth fighter—currently operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces—to an international customer. As previously reported, both Rosoboronexport and the United Aircraft Corporation have made major promotional efforts in recent months, which now appear to be bearing fruit. According to Russian officials, this first customer—presumably Algeria—is expected to begin operating the fifth-generation aircraft in 2025.
According to recent reports, military cooperation between Russia and Algeria is reaching new levels through the sale of several advanced combat aircraft developed by Russia’s aerospace industry. For instance, these reports indicate that the Algerian Air Force is in the process of incorporating new Su-35S fighters—originally manufactured for Egypt—as well as Su-34 fighter-bombers. This latter point is supported by viral videos showing a Su-34 aircraft flying with a distinctive desert camouflage pattern.
However, the centerpiece of Algeria’s Air Force modernization efforts would be the confirmed future delivery of the first Sukhoi Su-57E stealth fighters—the export version of the fifth-generation aircraft operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces. Nonetheless, neither Algiers nor Moscow has issued an official statement definitively confirming these reports. So far, only statements from officials representing various Russian agencies and consortiums are available.
In this regard, at the end of May, in statements reported by the TASS news agency, the press office of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation stated: “The first foreign customer of the Su-57E will begin operating the aircraft as early as 2025,” without providing further details on the current status of the delivery process.
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Except it’s only stealth when they aren’t in combat Those engines aren’t stealth. Neither is the material.
SU-57 fly with SU-35 engines AL-41 and that’s why Russian MOD take just 1-2 aircraft per year because they don’t want SU-57 with those engines but with new AL-51 which should be finally ready later this year, how ever they already have new air to air missiles with 400km range, Chinese have those with 360km range while “superior” west with 180km