A Russian delegation comprising representatives from the Sukhoi Design Bureau and other defence agencies has submitted a comprehensive technical assessment to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, concluding that the state-owned aerospace company possesses approximately 50 per cent of the manufacturing capacity required for the co-production of Russia's Su-57E, the export variant of its fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft.

This evaluation marks a potentially transformative moment in India's defence industrial and strategic posture, demonstrating that the nation stands at the threshold of joining an extraordinarily exclusive cohort of countries capable of manufacturing advanced stealth combat aircraft.​

The Russian assessment, conducted in September 2025 ahead of President Vladimir Putin's scheduled December visit to India, represents the culmination of detailed visits to three critical HAL facilities that collectively form the backbone of India's emerging aerospace ecosystem.

The Nashik division, which currently manufactures the Sukhoi Su-30MKI for the Indian Air Force, was evaluated as particularly suitable for Su-57E airframe production due to its extensive heavy manufacturing infrastructure, sophisticated computer numerically controlled machining centres, comprehensive quality assurance laboratories, and expansive assembly hangars.

The Russian engineers noted that minimal retrofitting would be required at Nashik to commence Su-57E structural manufacturing operations.

Beyond Nashik, the delegation examined the Koraput division in Odisha, responsible for producing the AL-31FP aero engines that power the existing Su-30MKI fleet, and the Strategic Electronics Factory in Kerala's Kasaragod, which specialises in assembly, testing, repair, and manufacturing of advanced airborne computer systems essential for modern fighter aircraft integration.​

The 50 per cent capacity finding underscores HAL's existing technological readiness in several critical domains that constitute the foundation of fifth-generation aircraft manufacturing. The Russian technical report specifically highlighted that HAL possesses functional expertise in airframe manufacturing, engine assembly operations, advanced avionics integration capabilities, and materials processing techniques aligned with stealth-oriented fabrication requirements.

The assessment simultaneously reveals substantial gaps that must be addressed through targeted investment and capability development to achieve full production capability.​ The remaining 50 per cent of requisite capacity encompasses several interconnected domains requiring significant investment, research and development expenditure, and workforce expansion.

HAL is currently preparing its own detailed assessment, which the company is expected to submit to the Defence Ministry, outlining the precise capital investments required for infrastructure modernisation, the expansion and specialisation of research and development facilities, acquisition of advanced manufacturing equipment, and the recruitment and training of additional skilled personnel.

The Russian report identified specific areas requiring attention, including the development of dedicated facilities for low-observable composite fabrication, the establishment of secure coding environments for fifth-generation avionics software systems, the creation of sophisticated sensor fusion laboratories, and the development of multi-band active electronically scanned array radar calibration capabilities.​

Russia's offer to India for Su-57E co-production represents a qualitatively different proposition from previous joint defence projects between the two nations, particularly in light of failed negotiations over the Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft program that collapsed in 2018.

Whereas India's previous engagement with Russia on fifth-generation fighter development foundered over disagreements concerning technology transfer, intellectual property rights, stealth performance specifications, and cost-sharing arrangements, Russia's current proposal includes comprehensive provisions addressing these long-standing impediments.

Moscow has explicitly committed to unrestricted technology transfer of critical fifth-generation technologies, including engines, advanced optics systems, active phased-array radar architectures, artificial intelligence algorithms integrated into weapons systems, low-signature stealth technologies, and modern air weapons platforms.

Furthermore, Russia is offering to provide source code access and joint intellectual property rights arrangements, permitting India to integrate indigenous weapons systems such as the Astra air-to-air missile family, the BrahMos cruise missile variants, and the Rudram anti-radiation missile family into the aircraft.​​

The Su-57E itself constitutes a formidable multi-role combat platform incorporating several advanced technological features that distinguish fifth-generation fighter aircraft from preceding generations.

India's defence strategy has simultaneously committed to the development of its indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft program, which represents India's long-term aspiration to achieve complete self-reliance in fifth-generation fighter development and manufacturing. IAF has confirmed that the AMCA program, under development by ADA and HAL, remains on schedule for first flight in 2028 and operational induction by 2035, marking India's anticipated entry into fifth-generation combat capability through indigenous development.

This timeline creates a strategic dilemma wherein India's immediate operational requirements for fifth-generation aircraft substantially predate the availability of the indigenous AMCA platform, generating a gap of several years during which India possesses no domestically developed fifth-generation fighter capability.​

The strategic calculus governing India's decision regarding the Su-57E proposal encompasses multiple competing considerations extending beyond narrowly defined defence industrial metrics. Proponents of the Su-57E acquisition argue that the fighter's immediate availability addresses urgent operational gaps within the Indian Air Force, prevents further deterioration of the fighter squadron strength, and provides India with proven fifth-generation combat capability whilst the AMCA program matures.

The prospect of unrestricted technology transfer in critical domains including engines, stealth technologies, radar systems, and artificial intelligence elements represents an unprecedented opportunity for India to accelerate its technological self-reliance and develop a robust indigenous fifth-generation fighter industrial ecosystem capable of supporting not only the AMCA program but also successor platforms extending into the sixth-generation fighter domain.​

The Russian delegation's assessment of HAL's 50 per cent readiness for Su-57E production, whilst encouraging, simultaneously establishes the significant infrastructural and investment requirements that would accompany any decision to proceed with local manufacturing.

The broader implications of any decision regarding Su-57E production extend significantly beyond narrow defence considerations, encompassing industrial policy dimensions, technology absorption mechanisms, supply chain development, and the long-term trajectory of India's aerospace sector.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)