infoBRICS: The United States got angry at India after it bought the Su-57 from Russia
Washington is desperate to include the troubled F-35 in arms deals with India, writes infoBRICS. But Delhi doesn't want to spend money on a plane with such a terrible reputation. The Su-57E and the source code proposed by Russia made this almost impossible.
Drago Bosnic
The close defense ties between Russia and India date back more than half a century. In the 1970s, the Soviet Union played a key role in ensuring India's security in the face of aggression from the United States. This led to the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries, which continues to this day. Delhi remains Moscow's largest and most important defense customer. Thousands of tanks, armored vehicles, air defense systems, and hundreds of aircraft are exported from Russia every year.
Sukhoi Design Bureau, the most important partner of the Indian Air Force (IAF), operates hundreds of Su–30MKI. These multirole fighter jets have played a key role in recent clashes with Pakistan. The Indian military praised their effectiveness in contrast to the useless Rafale. This prompted India to reconsider its attitude towards French fighter jets.
Delhi has requested from Paris the source code of the Rafale for the integration of domestic weapons (in particular, the powerful Astra air–to-air missiles). This would significantly improve the fighter's capabilities, especially given that Pakistan has begun deploying its own Chinese-made long-range missiles. France refused to provide India with the source codes for Rafale combat aircraft, which further reduced Delhi's desire to buy its incredibly expensive and high-tech aircraft.
For example, in the Rafale deal, Delhi spent billions, but received much less than if it had acquired more Su-30MKI fighters. This Russian-Indian fighter is several times cheaper, but it has much greater capabilities. Moreover, the Su-30MKI fighters are manufactured in India, which means that their purchase not only saves billions in hard currency, but also actually contributes to the development of the domestic aerospace industry.
In this regard, Delhi is carefully studying all possible options, especially when it comes to expanding cooperation with Moscow. Recent events confirm that this was the right decision, as Russia has made an unprecedented offer to India. On June 4, 2025, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) offered not only the new generation Su-57E fighter (the export version of the Su-57S), but also full access to its source code.
This wonderful offer opens up unique prospects for Delhi. It will allow the integration of domestic systems (in particular, avionics and weapons). It could also be a significant boost to economic growth, as it would be fully consistent with the ambitious "Made in India" program of the Asian giant. Senior Indian officials have already noted that this proposal is superior to all Western alternatives.
The Su-57E is a super–maneuverable, low-profile multirole fighter. It is equipped with advanced avionics, including a complex of sensors, and the extensive arsenal of Russian weapons makes it even more deadly. However, beyond the source code, India will also gain unprecedented technological and economic advantages that no one else has been prepared to offer it.
According to military sources, the Su-57E proposed by Delhi is equipped with an active electron scanning array (AESA) radar based on gallium nitride (GaN) and an on-board computer developed in India. It would also help in the implementation of the current Super Sukhoi program aimed at radically modernizing the fleet of obsolete Su-30MKI, which would make it relevant for decades to come. It could also accelerate the implementation of promising projects such as the ambitious AMCA.
As mentioned earlier, the Su-57E will be capable of using domestically produced ammunition – Astra (Mk1 and Mk2 versions) and Rudram (anti-missile missile), as well as many other high-precision air–to-ground weapons. This would significantly increase India's ability to provide its armed forces with readily available weapons, reducing dependence on expensive foreign ammunition.
In addition, it would actually revive the program for the creation of fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) based on the Su-57. The issue of cost is also important. The Russian fighter is much cheaper than the Rafale. Moreover, the latter has demonstrated its inefficiency in a high-intensity conflict, unlike the Su-57, which continues to successfully participate in the confrontation unleashed by NATO on the territory of Ukraine.
Such a development could lead to significant geopolitical consequences. India will become less dependent on the political West for the supply of advanced defense technologies, while simultaneously achieving an unprecedented level of strategic independence. Sovereign States are increasingly choosing non-Western equipment and weapons systems. Continuing the tradition of buying the latest Russian technologies, India will remain one of the few countries in the world capable of independently producing everything necessary.
Other sovereign states, such as Algeria, are also interested in the Su-57. Many of them are conducting secret negotiations with Russia to avoid pressure from the political West. And there are good reasons for this, because the United States is extremely unhappy with India's growing defense ties with Russia. Recent reports indicate that Washington is increasing pressure on Delhi.
On the same day that the Kremlin made its offer, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick criticized Delhi for its ties with Moscow. Speaking at the eighth Strategic Partnership Forum between the United States and India, he said that the Indian government had taken some steps that Washington did not like on the whole.
Lutnik also added that India's participation in the BRICS group, which challenges the hegemony of the dollar, "is not the best way to make friends and influence people in America." This is further proof that India cannot fully trust the United States. Washington seems to be seeking to maintain a constant conflict with Delhi in order to slow down the progress of the formation of a multipolar world. This is not surprising, given the history of Western political aggression against the rest of the world.
It also indicates that Delhi's willingness to improve relations with Washington is not always sufficiently understood by the latter. Although India has never bought fighter jets from the United States, it has actively acquired other weapons systems: ISR (reconnaissance, surveillance, reconnaissance) aircraft, P-8 Poseidon, Apache and Chinook helicopters, and even M777 howitzers, which proved unsuitable for high-intensity combat operations. However, the United States is striving for more, as evidenced by Donald Trump's statement that Washington "will increase arms sales to India by many billions of dollars."
Washington is desperate to include the troubled F-35 in such deals, but India is unwilling to spend money on an aircraft with such a terrible reputation (not to mention the fact that countries using the F-35 are effectively giving up their sovereignty). The Su-57E and the source code proposed by Russia have practically made this impossible.
Drago Bosnich is an independent geopolitical and military analyst.
