Without foreign customers, the Su-57 may be doomed to piece production.

To ensure large production volumes of the fifth-generation Russian fighter Su-57, only the domestic market is small. We need large contracts with foreign countries. Recently, the question of the possible return of India to the program of creating the fifth generation fighter "FGFA" is being more actively discussed, which, however, is categorically rejected in Delhi.

A publication appeared in the Chinese press not so long ago. It dealt with possible purchases of several Su-57s from Russia. At the same time, China does not hide the fact that if such aircraft are purchased from Russia, it will focus on just a few aircraft, while talking about the traditional "Chinese analysis" of technologies. The first thing the Chinese are interested in is the engines of the second stage, which will turn this fighter into an aircraft with special indicators in speed and maneuverability.

But such an option is also possible when China will not express its intentions to buy Su-57 from Russia, and India will finally refuse to participate in the FGFA project, preferring cooperation with the United States on the F-35, or will choose Great Britain as a partner, which also there is a variant of a promising fighter. In this case, only piece production awaits the Su-57 in Russia.

This is quite possible, since at the very beginning, the mass production of the Russian fifth generation fighter was focused on partnership with India. There are no other options, as follows from open sources, budgetary changes that could ensure the mass production of the Su-57 for the Russian Aerospace Forces, now do not exist.

It is possible that the necessary funds will be allocated from the budget for the release of a full-fledged series of fighters, but this, under conditions of a market economy, has a low probability. With this approach, in order to obtain the latest technology for yourself, you need to sell it abroad, earning this for the development of your own production.