Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 and the Russian United Aircraft Corp.’s Su-57E stealth fighter competed for Mideast defense budgets Monday in a rare flying display at the Dubai Airshow.
The F-35 was first in the skies above Dubai’s Al Maktoum International Airport, performing an eight-minute flight display early in afternoon on Monday, followed by the Russian jet about 90 minutes later. Aircraft performances are a staple of air shows, with Airbus SE, Boeing Co. and defense companies showing off their latest kit.
The United Arab Emirates previously sought to buy F-35s but suspended negotiations in 2021 because of US demands to remove Huawei Technologies Co. from its telecommunications network and take other steps to distance itself from China.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US would sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia, but years of negotiations and approvals still remain. Israel is the only Middle Eastern state to operate the stealth fighters, which can cost about $100 million apiece.
The Su-57E hasn’t been sold for export yet, and no unit cost has been publicly disclosed. The company is offering local production for foreign customers, and sales would include technology transfer, according to a statement.
Little is known about the twin-engine Su-57E’s performance, making it difficult for countries to evaluate.
Stealth aircraft are more complex and costly to operate than standard fighters, leading some countries to focus on bulking up their arsenals with those less-advanced models rather than buying just a few stealth jets.
With the US and Russia on opposite sides of the war in Ukraine, it’s rare for their aircraft manufacturers to appear at the same venue. The first time these planes did was at Aero India 2025 in February.
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