Su-57 vs F-35 vs Rafale: Comparison of Russia, US, and France’s Advanced Fighter Jets
India’s evaluation of advanced fighter jets highlights the Su-57 and F-35, while it already has some Rafale. The Su-57, developed by Sukhoi, is a fifth-generation fighter with stealth shaping, composite materials, thrust vectoring engines, and multiband radars for interception and air superiority. Lockheed Martin’s F-35 emphasizes all-aspect stealth, sensor fusion, AESA radar, and long-range combat capabilities, with over 990 units in service worldwide. Dassault Rafale, a 4.5-generation fighter, features low observability, AESA radar, SPECTRA EW system, twin engines, and multirole strike options including nuclear delivery. Su-57 excels in agility and dogfighting, F-35 in stealth penetration and battlefield awareness, while Rafale provides balanced multirole flexibility. This gallery visually presents design, engines, avionics, weapons, and operational details, helping readers understand the technical differences, capabilities, and roles of these advanced jets in India’s potential fighter acquisitions.
Here is a comparison of the top three aircrafts:
Su-57 – Russia’s Fifth-Generation Stealth Fighter
Developed by Sukhoi, the Su-57 is a fifth-generation fighter with stealth shaping, composite materials, thrust vectoring nozzles, and advanced AESA and L-band radars.
Su-57 Engines and Maneuverability
Su-57 uses twin AL-41F1 engines with thrust vectoring nozzles, enabling superior agility and high angles of attack for close-range dogfighting and air superiority missions.
F-35 Lightning II – America’s Stealth Multirole Fighter
Developed by Lockheed Martin, the F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter prioritizing all-aspect stealth. It features embedded sensors, AESA radar, Distributed Aperture System, and helmet-mounted displays, optimized for long-range detection and combat.
F-35 Avionics and Pilot Systems
The F-35 cockpit integrates AESA radar, Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS), Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS), and a helmet-mounted display system for complete battlefield awareness.
Dassault Rafale – 4.5-Generation Multirole Fighter
Developed by Dassault Aviation, Rafale is a 4.5-generation fighter with reduced radar cross-section, RBE2 AESA radar, SPECTRA electronic warfare system, twin Snecma M88 engines, and multirole strike capability including nuclear missions.
Rafale Weaponry
Rafale carries Meteor, MICA, Scalp EG, Exocet, and nuclear weapons. Its internal and external weapon bays allow multirole air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with precision strike capabilities.
