Algeria has become Russia’s first export customer for the Su-57 stealth fighter jet, Janes reported, citing the North African country’s state media.
It further reported that Algerian pilots are undergoing training in Russia while the aircraft is anticipated to be delivered this year, without disclosing the deal’s specific details.
This revelation follows Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheev’s comment at the Aero India 2025 exhibition: “The first foreign customer of the promising fifth-generation multirole fighter Su-57E will begin operating this aircraft, which will be supplied by Rosoboronexport, in 2025.”
The defense company first announced in November last year that a deal for the fighter jet was closed. In both cases, the buyer was not identified.
Moscow has been Algeria’s largest military supplier since the 1960s, with their partnership further strengthened by their 2023 mutual agreement to bolster their military partnership.
The Su-57
Designated by NATO as the “Felon,” the Su-57 was designed to neutralize aerial and surface targets.
Its export variant, the Su-57E, can fly at a top speed of 1,350 kilometers (838 miles) per hour at low altitudes.
The Russian fifth-generation stealth fighter has an 18,800-meter (61,680-foot) service ceiling and a 1,250-kilometer (776-mile) combat radius.
It was reportedly developed to rival the US F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II aircraft, with its prototype first flown in January 2010.
However, the program has been plagued by slow production and export progress, further affected by India’s withdrawal from the project in 2018 due to various disagreements, including Moscow’s reported reluctance to share technology and cost-sharing plans.
In addition, a 2019 crash and subsequent sanctions following the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine contributed to the delays.
