A Russian Su-57 Fighter Was Spotted In Iran This Week—But It Wasn’t Staying
It is possible that Iranian officials were allowed to review the fighter while it was on the ground at Bandar Abbas.
Videos have circulated on social media this week that showed a Russian Aerospace Force’s Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) fifth-generation fighter landing at the Iranian 9th Tactical Air Force Base in Bandar Abbas.
Moscow isn’t deploying its most cutting-edge fighter to the Islamic Republic, however. The Su-57 was returning from the Aero India 2025 air show and refueled at the Iranian base before continuing to Russia.
Still, this marked the first time that a Su-57 was photographed in Iran, which prompted speculation that Tehran could be a future operator of the Russian aircraft.
“The Sukhoi Su-57, returning to Russia after participating in Aero India 2025, landed in Bandar Abbas, Iran, for refueling before continuing its journey to Russia,” wrote The Global Eye on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Other social media reports were quick to note that the T-50 aircraft—the designation for the Su-57 prototype that took part in the air show—had experienced engine problems that delayed its return to Russia. As the fighter spent several days on the ground in Iran, there has been speculation that the engine problems may have required more than a simple fix. Engine troubles have plagued the program for years.
Aircraft Spotted by Satellite
The War Zone reported that it had obtained satellite images from Maxar Technologies that showed the Felon at Bandar Abbas on February 19. The Su-57 was identified next to some other aircraft.
“A pair of U.S.-made P-3 Orion maritime patrol planes, sold to Iran before the fall of the Shah in 1979, and a Russian-built Il-76 Candid cargo plane, are visible as well. This aligns with a video, seen below, that has emerged that is said to show the Felon, which has the bort number Blue 054, at the Iranian base next to a Russian Il-76 with the registration RA-76373. That Candid was also in India as of Feb. 18, according to online flight tracking data,” TWZ explained.
While on the ground at the Indian air show earlier this month, the Su-57 was photographed with the American-made Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II just a hundred feet away—marking the first time the fifth-generation fighters had a face-to-face meeting.
The Su-57 Can’t Catch a Break
Russian military bloggers have continued to tout the capabilities of the Su-57, and it has been a true crowd-pleaser at air shows. Yet even as the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has tried to pull out all the stops while taking the aircraft on the road, it hasn’t exactly worked out.
When the Felon arrived at the Zhuhai Jinwan Airport last November in advance of the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, the Russian fighter plane was widely mocked on Chinese social media and was largely overshadowed by the Chinese Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon, Beijing’s own fifth-generation warbird.
Aero India 2025 was likely a “do-over” for the UAC, which repeatedly suggested that India was close to signing a deal to co-produce the aircraft under license. But as a deal has yet to materialize, this may be little more than wishful thinking on Rosoboronexport’s part.
Moscow has sought buyers in Malaysia and Turkey without confirmed deals, but earlier this year announced that Algeria will adopt the Su-57E export model, becoming the first export client for the aircraft.
It is possible that Iranian officials were allowed to review the fighter while it was on the ground at Bandar Abbas. But presenting an aircraft—even a prototype—needing a quick fix probably wasn’t a good marketing tactic. However, Tehran is in the process of adopting Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 (NATO reporting name “Flanker-E”), so the Islamic Republic shouldn’t be ruled out as a future operator of the Felon.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
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