One of the most unusual sights at the Aero India 2025 international air show is a Russian Su-57 Felon next-generation fighter sharing the tarmac with a U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter.
According to earlier reports, the U.S. Air Force abruptly canceled the F-35 and F-16 flight demonstrations that were scheduled for the Air Show.
According to Indian news outlet Indian Express, the U.S. Air Force unexpectedly flew the F-35 at the Air Show, igniting rumors about why the country chose to fly the aircraft.
“It marks a milestone in global defense collaboration and technological advancement, offering aviation enthusiasts,” the Defense Ministry had stated in a statement.
and defense specialists an unmatched opportunity to see these cutting-edge combat aircraft.Although the F-35 is frequently criticized for its kinematic performance, its strengths are its stealth and ability to blend in with networked warfare environments. By using strong 3D thrust-vectoring engines to perform amazing low-speed maneuvers, the Su-57, on the other hand, is a fierce opponent in dogfights. The Su-57 intends to close the performance gap with Western fighters by enhancing its supercruise performance with anticipated engine upgrades for upcoming models.
According to NATO exercises, fourth-generation fighters with high manoeuvrability, like the F-16 and F/A-18, continue to outperform the F-35 in close-range combat scenarios.
Highly maneuverable fourth-generation fighters such as the F-16 and F/A-18 outperform the F-35 in visual range engagements, according to NATO combat training exercises and simulated dogfights. Despite the F-35’s sophisticated technology, highly maneuverable fourth-generation fighters like the F-16 and F/A-18 outperform it in visual-range engagements, according to NATO’s simulated dogfights and combat training exercises.
Despite the F-35’s many advantages, NATO exercises have shown that its superior manoeuvrability prevents it from outperforming the F-16 and F/A-18 in visual-range dogfights. According to NATO allies’ simulated combat training exercises, the F-35 might find it difficult to compete in a dogfight against more nimble fourth-generation fighters like the F-16 and F/A-18.
