Russia plans to offer India a two-seat Su-57D fighter. Its prototype first took to the air on May 19, 2026, after which flight tests began.
The main difference of the machine is a double cockpit. The Su-57D was originally created as a combat control aircraft capable of operating with unmanned aerial vehicles.
It is interesting that the parties discussed joint work on a two-seat fighter of the FGFA project back in 2018. At that time, India withdrew from the project, disagreeing with the parameters of stealth, onboard avionics, radar and sensors. Also, the cost of the program and technology transfer remained separate issues.
At the same time, India is still refusing the basic version of the Su-57 and wants to invest 8 billion dollars in the modernization of 84 Su-30MKI.
Indian media, meanwhile, reported on the Russian Federation's offer to transfer a small batch of 5th generation fighters to assess their flight characteristics, but no information about the response was received.