Should India buy US-made stealth fighter F-35 or Russia's Su-57 to take on Chinese J-20? It can beat Pakistan Air Force by...

After India-Pakistan defence fault lines became evident during Operation Sindoor and the Rafale fighter jets were reportedly shot down by Pakistan Air Force, using Chinese-made JF-17 fighter jets, the need for a stealth fighter jet resurfaced more strongly than ever before. Talking to journalists on the sideline of the Shangri-la Defence Dialogue, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan admitted that Rafale fighter jets were downed, confirming the earlier media reports and Pakistani claim. 

Why Does India Need Stealth Fighter

Besides his confession, the need for stealth fighters has also been felt considering the ever-changing defence scenario in South Asia. Besides Pakistan, India must also be alert and aware of Chinese preparedness, keeping in mind how the Chinese Army intruded into the Indian territory in Ladakh in 2020. Talking to this reporter in an exclusive chat, defense expert Colonel (Retired) Sanjeet Sirohi emphasised the need for a stealth fighter for India.

Chengdu J-20 Vs F-35

He pointed out that the Chengdu J-20 of China is a twin-engine all-weather stealth fighter that can be fitted with PF long-range missile. However, the F-35 is better than the Chinese stealth fighter considering its superior avionics. Besides, the Chengdu J-20 has more fuel load and it can not be used for air-to-ground attacks. Two days before the US President offered India the F-35 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in February, Russia had offered its stealth fighter Su-57. However, the F-35 is considered a better stealth fighter compared to both Chengdu J-20 and Su-57.

Why F-35 Is Superior?

Calling it the best stealth fighter of its time, defence expert Colonel (Retired) Sanjeet Sirohi said that it has been tested several times, including in the recent Israeli attack on Iran.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member states particularly the US Air Force possess it. He also pointed out that the F-35 has many variants including those with vertical take-off and landing capability as well as those that can be used by the Indian navy.

Stealth Fighters: F-35 Vs Su-57

Russia-made Su-57 has better range and speed. According to defence expert Colonel (Retired) Sanjeet Sirohi, while Su-57 has a speed of 2,137 km, the F-35 has at he speed of 1,931 km. Secondly, while the Su-57 has a range of 1,900 km, the F-35 has a range of 1,500 km.  Thirdly, Su-57 is a double-engine aircraft while F-35 is a single-engine fighter.

Sanjeet Sirohi also said that the Russian stealth fighter is much cheaper compared to the F-35, while the US stealth fighter costs $80 to $110 million depending on the variant, the Russian fighter costs almost half of that. However, Sukhoi 57 suffered a crash in 2019, after which most of the countries became cautious.

Why Should India Buy Su-57?

However, many issues make F-35 less attractive at least for India. First, Russia is ready with the fighter and it can deliver Su-57 any time, while the US may take years or even a decade before it delivers the aircraft to India. It is an important factor as China already has a stealth fighter since 2017. Defence expert Colonel (Retired) Sanjeet Sirohi points out that Washington will not give the technical know-how or the license to manufacture the aircraft to India as it is against its policies.  On the other hand, Russia may readily transfer the technology and license to manufacture and the stealth fighter can be made in the factory in India where Su-30 is scheduled to be produced.

According to Sanjeet Sirohi, after the change of government in the US, Washington may refuse to give the spare parts, pushing its defense preparedness to extremely poor conditions. The maintenance cost of the US stealth fighter is too high, it may cost India $1.5 trillion in the lifetime of an F-35.

Why Not Indigenous Stealth Fighter?

Sirohi also talked about the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA). He said that the single-seat, twin-engine, all-weather fifth-generation stealth, multirole combat aircraft is just on paper right now in a practical sense. The AMCA will be developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It can be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited only after it passes all kinds of tests.

Sanjeet Sirohi said that it would take not less than ten years before the first AMCA is rolled out. Considering the Chinese threat, it will be in the best interest of India to buy the Su-57 now and develop its stealth fighter.