India Considering Purchase of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 as Desperate Move to Counter Pakistan Air Force

India’s military aviation program finds itself at a crossroads and is desperate to consider Su-57. The Indian Air Force (IAF), long regarded as one of the largest and most capable in Asia, is now grappling with urgent challenges in replenishing its fighter fleet. Following the setbacks suffered during Operation Sindoor and the retirement of legacy aircraft, India is reportedly exploring the purchase of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet. Analysts describe this as a desperate measure to regain balance, particularly as Pakistan prepares to induct China’s cutting-edge J-35 stealth fighter.

1) The Aftermath of Operation Sindoor

Operation Sindoor proved costly for the Indian Air Force. Despite India’s claims of executing precision strikes, the conflict exposed vulnerabilities in its aerial capabilities. During the operation, India lost multiple frontline jets, including Rafales and Su-30 MKIs, to both combat attrition and advanced Pakistani air defences. These losses of latest fighter jets including multiple Rafales, not only dented India’s operational capacity but also shook confidence in platforms once believed to give the IAF a technological edge.

The perception that Pakistan was able to challenge and neutralize some of India’s most prized assets has created pressure within New Delhi’s security establishment to move rapidly on force modernization.

2) Retirement of the MiG-21 and Shrinking Squadron Strength

India’s decision to finally retire the aging MiG-21 fleet in 2025 further reduced its available squadron numbers. For decades, the MiG-21 served as the backbone of the IAF despite its obsolescence. With their removal, the IAF’s strength has dropped to well below the sanctioned 42 squadrons, leaving gaps that cannot be easily filled. The situation has heightened urgency for New Delhi to seek new aircraft to maintain deterrence. MiG-21 have been under scrutiny as now the fighter jets were crashing frequently giving it the name of flying coffins.

3) Tejas Program Delays Causing Panic

India’s ambitious HAL Tejas program, envisioned as a domestically produced multi-role fighter, has been plagued by development delays, production bottlenecks, and performance concerns. While the Tejas has entered service in limited numbers, its scaled-up induction has failed to keep pace with requirements. The much-anticipated Tejas Mk2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) remain years away from mass deployment.

This delay has triggered panic within the Indian Air Force, which cannot rely on indigenous platforms to address immediate operational gaps.

4) Pakistan’s Leap with the J-35

On the other side of the border, Pakistan is moving quickly to secure its air superiority. Islamabad, leveraging its close defence ties with Beijing, has already signaled plans to induct the fifth-generation J-35 stealth fighter into the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) which is a competitor to American F-35 Fighter Jet. The J-35, with stealth features, advanced avionics, and long-range strike capabilities, would represent a generational leap over India’s current fleet.

For New Delhi, the prospect of Pakistan acquiring a true fifth-generation platform has been a wake-up call. The possibility of Pakistan fielding J-35s before India deploys its own comparable aircraft has intensified pressure on India’s military planners.

5) Why the Su-57 Now?

The Sukhoi Su-57, Russia’s flagship fifth-generation stealth fighter, has long been a subject of Indian debate. India was once a partner in the FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft) project based on the Su-57, but withdrew in 2018 due to cost concerns and doubts about the aircraft’s maturity.

Now, circumstances are forcing India to revisit that decision:

Desperate Need for Numbers: With squadron strength dangerously low, India needs a stopgap solution.
Countering Pakistan’s J-35: To avoid a technological disadvantage, India wants access to stealth fighters of its own.
Existing Ties with Russia: India’s long-standing defence partnership with Russia makes the Su-57 a politically viable option.
Delayed Domestic Programs: Indigenous platforms are not ready to fill the gap in the near future.

6) Risks and Challenges of the Su-57 Purchase

While the Su-57 seems attractive on paper, the decision is not without risks:

Sanctions Pressure: Purchasing the Su-57 could expose India to Western sanctions under CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act).
Operational Integration: Integrating a new fifth-generation system into the IAF’s largely Western and Russian mixed fleet would take time and resources.
Cost Factor: The Su-57 is expensive, and India’s defence budget is already strained by modernization across multiple fronts.
Performance Questions: Some Western analysts still question whether the Su-57 matches the capabilities of U.S. or Chinese fifth-generation fighters.

7) A Desperate but Strategic Gamble

For New Delhi, the choice is increasingly clear: either risk being outpaced by Pakistan’s acquisition of the J-35, or move quickly to secure fifth-generation aircraft, even if it means taking a gamble on the Su-57.

The potential deal highlights the desperation within the Indian Air Force as it scrambles to recover from setbacks. Operation Sindoor, the retirement of MiG-21s, the delays of Tejas, and the looming threat of Pakistan’s J-35 fleet have created a perfect storm.

Conclusion

India’s consideration of the Su-57 underscores the high-stakes environment of South Asian security. The pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan has already shifted regional balances, and now Pakistan’s move toward fifth-generation stealth fighters is forcing India into difficult decisions.

If India goes ahead with the Su-57 purchase, it will mark a dramatic reversal of past policy and a recognition that its current modernization plans cannot keep pace with the evolving threat. For the first time in decades, India finds itself reacting defensively to Pakistan’s air power advances — a sign that the balance in the skies over South Asia is shifting in unpredictable ways.