Visitors watch as a U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II flies over Russia's Su-57 fighter jet, parked at the static display area, on the fourth day of the Aero India 2025 at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) (Aijaz Rahi/AP)
BENGALURU, India — At first glance, the photograph of two fighter jets — one parked on the tarmac and other zooming past it in the air — appears entirely commonplace. In reality, it is anything but.
The Russian Su-57 Felon and the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II — both advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft made by rival countries— have been sharing the same space in India since Monday, a move described by India’s defense ministry as historic. The participation of the two at the Aero India 2025 international airshow comes at a time when India is seeking to bridge its fifth-generation fighter gap.
India depends on Russia for nearly 60% of its defense equipment, but the war in Ukraine has added to doubts about future supplies, and New Delhi has been looking more toward the U.S., Israel, Britain, and others.
