Unexpected landing: Russian Su‑57 refuels in Iran en route to India
The Iranian 9th Tactical Aviation Base recently had an unexpected visitor: the prototype of the Russian Su-57 aircraft. We explore what brought it there and its unique features.
The Russian Su-57 was participating in the Aeroindia 2025 air show in India. Due to its limited range, it needed to make a refuelling stop. With the decline in Russian activity in Syria, refuelling at the Humaymim airbase was not feasible.
Consequently, the only viable option for the Russians was Iran, with friendly ties to Russia. The video below captures the departure of the Russian Su-57 from the 9th Tactical Aviation Base in Bandar Abbas.
Su-57 - Russia's answer to the F-22 Raptor
The Su-57 is the most advanced aircraft ever developed in Russia. Unlike its predecessors, such as the Su-27, it belongs to a new generation of aircraft. The first prototype was launched in 2010; since then, ten test machines and a similar number of production aircraft have been developed.
From its inception, Russia promoted the Su-57 as a fifth-generation fighter jet designed to compete with the American F-22 Raptor and F-35. Key features of this generation include stealth, the capability to fly at supersonic speeds without afterburners, and advanced avionics and sensors.
Nevertheless, many experts, including those from the RAND Corporation and Indian partners, questioned whether the Russian aircraft meets these standards. India, which collaborated on this project for 11 years, withdrew in 2018 in favour of purchasing French Rafales. This decision stemmed from Russia's slow progress and limited technology access.
The Su-57 is notable for its size. Its empty weight is around 18,000 kilograms, and its wingspan is just over 14 metres. The maximum take-off weight reaches 30,000 kilograms. Weapons are stored in internal bays with six pylons, and an additional six pylons can be utilised on the wings, albeit at the cost of significantly increased radar visibility.
According to Russian sources, the Su-57 has a sophisticated radar featuring an active electronically scanned array (AESA) and a passive infrared search and track (IRST) system. However, their performance may not be comparable to Western systems. Due to Russia's restricted access to advanced electronics, some new units may have older systems.
The Su-57 is among the few Russian aircraft capable of deploying long-range R-37 air-to-air missiles, known from the modified MiG-31BM. These missiles can target objects up to 300 kilometres away, primarily larger targets like transport aircraft or AWACS. Additionally, the Su-57 is equipped with modern Russian Kh-69 cruise missiles.
