Russia’s Rosoboronexport has revealed its first export contracts for the Sukhoi Su-57 supersonic aircraft for foreign military customers.
The state-run company verified the sales at an aerospace exhibit in China, where the aircraft was also displayed for the first time outside the federation’s territory.
“The system of military-technical cooperation should bring new types of weapons and military equipment to the market,” Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheye commented during the event.
“The economic effect is the presence of Russia in foreign markets. Our partners, friendly countries, want to buy reliable, proven Russian weapons.”
In 2021, Rosoboronexport said that several countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa are planning to adopt the Su-57 aircraft into their respective militaries.
Russian news agency TASS then reported in November 2023 that Moscow offered to localize production in countries showing interest in the jets, including the UAE and India.
Russian ‘Felon’ Aircraft
The Su-57, designated “Felon” by NATO, is a 20-meter (66-foot) stealth aircraft with a wingspan of 14 meters (46 feet).
It is powered by twin Saturn AL-41 afterburning turbofan engines and is armed with a Gryazev-Shipunov autocannon, guided and cluster bombs, as well as air-to-air, air-to-surface, anti-ship, and anti-radiation missiles.
Su-57 has a service ceiling of 20,000 meters (65,617 feet), a range of 4,500 kilometers (2,796 miles), and a top speed of Mach 2 (2,470 kilometers/1,535 miles per hour).
