India is still hesitating whether to buy Su-57 fighters, so russians are actively promising more and more bonuses, including a new engine and even a just-patented aircraft variant.
russians are not abandoning attempts to sell their analogovnet fighter Su-57 to India. Now besides insane localization volumes and technology transfer, they are even offering a two-seat variant that does not yet exist in metal at all.
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As Indian Defense News reports, corresponding negotiations have been ongoing since the Wings of India 2026 exhibition. It is stated that the second pilot will control various unmanned systems, such as the same S-70 Okhotnik.
Currently, the fuselage for the two-seat variant is allegedly already being assembled at Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant, where Su-57 production takes place. The first flight is planned for late 2026 or early 2027.
Besides this, the proposal also includes a package organizing production in India and transferring critical technologies. This includes among other things new AL-51F1 engines, also known as Izdeliye 30, which only recently began testing. Should not be confused with the new russian Izdeliye 30 missile.
Defense Express notes this is a good demonstration of russian desire to somehow sell their own fighter to Indians. The latter already refused the deal once, but with desire to expand air forces and obtain technologies for their own fifth generation, the position may change.
An important nuance of this story it currently relies only on media reports. Thus, at minimum the indicated production state and potential aircraft testing should be perceived somewhat skeptically until additional information appears.
Two-seat Su-57 has been actively discussed since at least 2020, and in 2023 a corresponding patent was registered, so perhaps the prototype is indeed already being assembled, but we have no precise information yet. Either way, some time will be needed before the first such aircraft can arrive in India.
On Western fifth-generation fighters like the same F-22, there is space for only one pilot. However, even so they managed to implement loyal wingman drone control without need for an additional crew member, which turns out even more practical.
Whether russians will succeed in selling Su-57E to India still remains a hanging question being discussed. In favor of project success is the fact that russian Sukhoi Superjet plans to be localized by Indian industry. However, given partnership with the same France in aviation matters, the result is still undetermined.
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