Its Russian Su-57 Felon & U.S.-Made F-35 Stealth Fighter Steal Show At The Aero India 2025

Russian Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter share the tarmac with a U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter is a truly unusual sight, and it has quickly become a signature image of the Aero India 2025 international airshow. With the Indian Air Force looking for new fighters, and with a complex path toward fielding its own fifth-generation combat aircraft, the rival jets have both been pitched, to some degree or another, toward emerging Indian requirements. However, it’s far from clear whether either of these advanced combat aircraft will be suitable, for varied reasons.

The first-ever such meeting on the ground between Su-57 and F-35A (two of which were sent to the airshow) occurred at Aero India over the weekend. The airshow is taking place at Air Force Station Yelahanka in Bengaluru and is open to the public between Feb. 10-14.

A Russian Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter aircraft is pictured after it lands during the inaugural day of the 15th edition of 'Aero India 2025', a military aviation exhibition at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru on February 10, 2025. 

The U.S. government has still not technically cleared the F-35 for offer to India, although, as in the case of the United Arab Emirates, where the same was true, this didn’t stop the previous Trump administration from pitching the aircraft to the Gulf country.

It’s notable, too, that in the past Lockheed Martin hinted that India choosing its F-21 (essentially an advanced F-16, rebranded) might pave the way for the country to eventually join the F-35 program, as per official sources.

At the opening of the show, the Indian Ministry of Defense published a statement that made a fairly direct reference to the presence of the rival fighters. “Aero India 2025 will provide a rare side-by-side comparison of Eastern and Western fifth-generation fighter technology, offering defense analysts, military personnel, and aviation enthusiasts valuable insights into their respective capabilities,” the sourcen added.