13:23 25-11-2025

India’s Su-57 or F-35 Dilemma: A Defining Airpower Choice

India weighs Su-57 vs F-35 as experts warn the decision will shape its strategic ties for decades. Analysis of AMCA limits and long-term defense implications.

India’s choice between Russia’s Su-57 and America’s F-35 is shaping up to be one of its most consequential defense decisions in decades. That is the assessment of The National Interest columnist Brandon Weichert, who explored how the rivalry between Moscow and Washington may define New Delhi’s long-term strategic alignment.

According to Weichert, India aims to produce its own fifth-generation fighter within the framework of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program, targeting a ten-year development cycle. To make that possible, New Delhi intends to bring in foreign partners — either the United States or Russia. Yet, as he noted, meeting that timeline appears extremely difficult: India still lacks several foundational technologies, including advanced engines and key composite materials.

In his analysis, Weichert argued that the real competition is no longer about AMCA itself — a project he believes is unlikely to materialize soon. Instead, he framed it as a direct contest between Russia and the United States, between the Su-57 and the F-35. Whichever option India ultimately chooses, he suggested, will bind the country to that partner for roughly half a century.

Military analyst and National Defense editor-in-chief Igor Korotchenko previously stressed that purchasing F-35 aircraft places foreign buyers in a position of dependence on Washington. In contrast, he said, states opting for the Russian Su-57 do not face similar risks.