Russia has made its first export of the Su-57, the country’s domestically developed fifth-generation fighter jet.
Russia’s state-owned aerospace and defense company, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), CEO Vadim Badekha, on Tuesday told state broadcaster Pyerviy Kanal that a foreign buyer has taken delivery of two Su‑57 aircraft.
“Our foreign customer and partner has already taken delivery of the first two aircraft. They have begun combat duty and are demonstrating their best qualities. The customer is satisfied,” Badeha said.
He did not disclose which country made the purchase, but Russian media indicated that Algeria may be the potential buyer.
The development comes after Russia’s arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, announced in November 2024 that it had secured the first export deal for the Su‑57, without revealing the buyer.
Algeria maintains long-standing defense relations with Russia and operates several Russian aircraft, including the Su-30MKA.
The disclosure aligns with the public presentation of the Su‑57’s export version, the Su‑57E, at the 2025 Dubai Airshow. This represents Moscow’s latest effort to promote its fifth-generation fighter to buyers in the Middle East and Asia, positioning the Su-57 as a competitor to U.S. and Chinese aircraft such as the F-35 and J-20.
The Su‑57 is a stealth multirole fighter developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau and manufactured at the Komsomolsk‑on‑Amur Aircraft Plant. The jet made its maiden flight in 2010 and entered limited service in 2020.
The development of the aircraft has experienced several delays. The first serial-production model crashed during a 2019 test flight, and in June 2024, satellite images revealed damage to at least one aircraft after a Ukrainian drone strike targeted the Akhtubinsk airbase in southern Russia.
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