India has been granted partner status in the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which the UK, Italy, and Japan are pursuing to create a sixth-generation fighter. Against this backdrop, the estimated potential cost of the future aircraft – up to $600 million per aircraft – has become particularly notable: this is approximately 9.2 times more than the estimated cost of the Su-57.
This is not yet an offer for India to buy GCAP for $600 million. This is a third-party estimate of the possible price of a production fighter, published amid growing requirements for its range, combat load, fuel capacity, and flight duration.
The official cost of one aircraft has not yet been determined, and India at this stage has only received partner and observer status, which grants access to discussions about the program and information about it, but not to key technologies.
One reason for the high cost of the aircraft is that Japan's requirements are aimed at developing a large fighter with a long range. This aircraft must have significant internal volume to accommodate fuel, weaponry, and onboard systems. It is expected to appear in the 2030s. In July 2026, the Edgewing consortium was allocated £4.6 billion to continue the design of GCAP.
Against this backdrop, the Russian Su-57 appears significantly more affordable. According to data published in February 2026, the cost of the Russian fighter is estimated at up to $65 million, while the potential price of one GCAP could reach half a billion dollars. Even with such a comparison, the difference is about 9.2 times in favor of the real Russian aircraft, albeit a fifth-generation one.