At China’s Zhuhai air show, Russia signs deals to export Su-57 fighter jet

Moscow agrees to deliver the stealth warplanes to other countries for first time, while Russian security chief visits aviation event

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A Russian Su-57 stealth fighter jet flies during the Zhuhai air show on Thursday in southern China. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 14 Nov 2024Updated: 9:44pm, 14 Nov 2024

Russia has agreed to sell its Su-57 fighter jet to foreign customers, marking a first for the fifth-generation fighter jet, Russian media reported as Moscow’s top security official stopped by the Zhuhai air show in southern China this week.

Russian news agency Tass said on Wednesday that state arms seller Rosoboronexport signed its first contracts to deliver the export version of the Su-57 fighter jet to overseas customers at the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province this week, citing the company’s CEO Alexander Mikheyev.

The report did not specify which countries bought the stealth warplane.

“The system of military-technical cooperation should bring new armaments and military hardware to the market. We have already signed the first contracts for the Su-57,” Mikheyev said.

He added that “partners from friendly countries” wanted to buy “reliable and proven” weapons from Russia and support the country’s industry so it could develop and “create new products for the next 10 – 20 years”.

The Su-57 is a twin-engined multirole fighter jet developed by Russian aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi. First flown in 2010, the aircraft is known to be capable of aerial combat and both land and maritime strikes.

It combines stealth, supermanoeuvrability and supersonic cruise technology with integrated avionics and large payload capacity.