Russia is reported to have proposed India for the joint development and production of a specific Naval, Carrier-Capable variant of its latest 5th gen fighter, the Su-57 Felon, as reported by the sources, just days ago.
As per the proposal, the existing Su-57 could be modified & adapted to, in turn, make it suitable for carrier-based operations with the structural reinforcement of its underbody for carrier landings besides the addition of a tailhook for wire arrestors.
The wings, however, will need to be modified so that they can be folded, along with the incorporation of stabilators & canards, for storage onboard the carrier decks and for enhanced low-speed handling characteristics.
It is noteworthy that Russia had in 2022 outlined a plan to develop a naval variant of its Su-57 5th generation fighter as per it's latest naval doctrine which emphasized the production of a aircraft carriers.
According to reports, the feasibility studies & technical evaluations are already scheduled and/or underway at the HAL's Nashik facilities, which currently produces the Su-30MKI fighters, for the project, which, if approved, could start rolling out the naval variants in 3-4 years.
Russia is stressing upon the modularity of the Su-57 design which makes it easily adaptable for carrier operations. However, challenges in modifying an existing fighter for naval operations are significant, especially for a 5th generation stealth fighter which may even compromise it stealth features & characteristics, including, the RCS.
However, India, seemingly, is more keen on the pursuit of its upcoming, indigenous TEDBF project which is a dedicated, ground-up 4.5 generation twin-engine fighter custom-built for carrier operations...
