The successful maiden test flight of Russia’s new twin-seater stealth fighter prototype, the Su-57D, on May 19, 2026, could significantly impact the long-term combat strategies of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Developed by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and flown by Chief Test Pilot Sergei Bogdan, this new variant directly resolves key issues that previously led New Delhi to exit the joint Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project in 2018.
Specifically, India had...