Russia has brought the Sukhoi Su-57E to Africa for the first time, using the El Alamein International Airshow in Egypt to promote the export version of its fifth-generation fighter alongside previously unseen S-71 air-launched weapons.
The Su-57E performed demonstration flights during the event, which runs from September 8 to 10 at El Alamein International Airport on Egypt's Mediterranean coast. The aircraft is also being shown on the static display with a range of Russian air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons.
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Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-owned arms exporter, said its presence at El Alamein was specifically aimed at potential customers in Egypt, Africa and the Middle East.
The Su-57E has already appeared at international exhibitions in China, India and the United Arab Emirates, but El Alamein marks its first airshow appearance in Africa.
Rostec said the Su-57 is already being supplied to foreign customers, although Russia has not identified them. Algeria is widely reported to be the first export customer, with Algerian state television previously confirming that the country had ordered the fighter.
New S-71 weapons
The Su-57E is being displayed alongside the S-71M and S-71K, two previously unseen low-observable air-launched systems developed for fifth-generation fighters.
Rostec initially described the S-71 family as multifunctional stealth drones combining low observability, long range and high speed. Rosoboronexport subsequently referred to the S-71M and S-71K as unmanned platforms designed for launch from fifth-generation fighters.
United Aircraft Corporation provided a more specific description at El Alamein, identifying the S-71M as a platform for delivering a warhead and the S-71K as an aerial bomb.
The unusual characteristics of the systems make conventional classifications difficult. A Rosoboronexport representative at El Alamein told Reuters that they combine attributes of missiles and drones, describing them as neither exclusively one nor the other.
The representative also told Reuters that the S-71 systems had previously been used in combat. The claim has not been independently verified, and Russia has not provided details of where or when they were employed.
Images and reporting from the exhibition show three S-71 vehicles beside the Su-57E. Coverage cited by Egyptian newspaper Ahram Online identified one S-71K and two smaller S-71M platforms.
The S-71 systems were not the only weapons displayed with the fighter. Rosoboronexport also listed the RVV-MD2 short-range and RVV-BD long-range air-to-air missiles, Kh-38MLE air-to-surface missile, Kh-69 cruise missile and Kh-58UShKE anti-radiation missile as part of the Su-57E presentation.
Export campaign
Russia has increasingly used international airshows to expose the Su-57E to potential customers after years in which the program was primarily associated with orders for the Russian Aerospace Forces.
The aircraft appeared at Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2024 and has subsequently been promoted at events in India and the Middle East. Aviation Week described the El Alamein appearance as another export push following the Su-57E's presence at the Dubai Airshow in 2025.
The Egyptian event gives Moscow access to a different group of potential customers. Rosoboronexport chief Alexander Mikheev described Egypt as an important strategic partner and said the Russian exhibit had been prepared for customers from Africa and the Middle East.
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September 09, 2026
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Russia is not alone in using El Alamein to promote combat aircraft to the region. China is displaying the Shenyang J-16 at the show, weeks after the type participated in joint exercises with Egypt during its first deployment to Africa. Defense companies from China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt are also participating in the exhibition.
The El Alamein International Airshow is in its second edition and is restricted primarily to aviation and defense professionals, government and military officials and industry representatives. Military delegations from several African and Middle Eastern countries have attended the event.
