Putin proposes joint Su-57 production and $11 bn Su-30MKI upgrade during India visit
During his three-day trip to New Delhi, President Vladimir Putin offered India a joint-production deal for Su-57 fighters and an $11 billion upgrade programme for its Su-30MKI fleet.
President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for a three-day visit that included extensive defence discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Russia put forward a suite of proposals: a joint-production programme for the Su-57 stealth fighter, and an $11 billion “Super Sukhoi” upgrade for India’s fleet of about 260 Su-30MKI jets, starting with an initial batch of 84 aircraft equipped with new AESA radars, avionics, electronic-warfare suites and engines.
Additional offers feature extra S-400 air-defence batteries, the newer S-500 system capable of striking targets up to 600 km, Pantsir-S1M point-defence units, radars and strategic submarines, plus a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility for the S-400 in partnership with an Indian firm. Russia also seeks to sell roughly 300 R-37M missiles, either through direct purchase or future domestic production. India, having ruled out the U.S. F-35, sees the Su-57 as its only near-term fifth-generation option while its indigenous AMCA program remains years away.
Why it matters
The deal could reshape India's air-defence capabilities and deepen Russia-India military ties.
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