Russia’s Su-57 Is Supposed To Challenge Western 5th-Gen Fighters — So Why Is Its Fleet So Small?

One of the best predictors of a successful fighter jet program is how many units are produced. This is especially true for aircraft that are exported to other countries that select them objectively (as opposed to Soviet-style military aid). There are exceptions, perhaps the most obvious being the US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. The circumstances of that aircraft are different, as it was built for the Cold War, it entered service during GWOT when the need for the fighter had largely disappeared. Congress also banned its export.