A Russian Su-57 Felon fighter recently touched down in Iran on its way back home from the Aero India 2025 international airshow. This appears to be the first known instance of one of the new-generation Russian jets stopping in Iran for any reason. Satellite imagery indicates the Felon was at the Iranian airbase in Bandar Abbas in the southeastern end of the country for multiple days, and it is not entirely clear if it has now departed.
TWZ obtained a satellite image, seen at the top of this story, showing the Su-57 at Bandar Abbas, which lies on the Persian Gulf, on Feb. 19 from Maxar Technologies. 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. Iran does operate Il-76s, as well.
Additional imagery from Planet Labs that TWZ reviewed looks to show the Su-57, as well as the two P-3s and the Il-76, in the same location at Bandar Abbas on Feb. 21. Only the Orions are still visible there in a subsequent Planet image taken yesterday.
Whether or not the Su-57 has now left Bandar Abbas or may just have been moved to another part of the base is unclear. Another video, seen below, is said to show the jet taking off at the Iranian base and has been making the rounds online since at least Feb. 20. At the same time, there are unconfirmed claims circulating on social media that the Felon’s stay in Iran was extended due to engine issues. The satellite imagery pointing to the jet still being there as of at least Feb. 21 would lend some credence to those claims. Engine trouble has certainly been a recurring theme in the Su-57’s history.
Russian military aircraft have made use of Iranian bases in the past, including as staging points for combat operations over Syria. Bandar Abbas is a logical intermediate point between Bengaluru in India where the Aero India 2025 show was held and Russia’s current main Su-57 hub at Akhtubinsk Air Base in the southeastern end of the country.
The Su-57’s appearance in Iran does come amid new discussions about the jet’s future on the open market with Algeria becoming the type’s first export customer. This looks set to be an important shot in the arm for the Felon, which has been slow to enter Russia service, let alone attract foreign sales. Algeria’s announcement came earlier this month around the Aero India 2025 show, where the jet also shared the ramp for the first time with a U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. A bilateral partnership between Russia and India on the Su-57 that began in the early 2000s had notably collapsed by 2018, as you can read more about here.
There are no clear indications one way or the other that the Russians may have taken the current opportunity to more formally show off the Su-57 to Iranian officials at Bandar Abbas. There have been no reliable reports to date about active Iranian interest in acquiring the Felon.
Even if Iran were to move to operate Su-57s, there would be immediate questions about its ability to operate and maintain the aircraft. The Felon is dramatically more complex than anything in Iran’s current aging fighter inventory. Iran has said it is in the process of acquiring Russian Su-35 Flanker-Es, which would also represent a major boost in capability over its existing tactical jet fleets. That sale has been tied to Iranian assistance to Russia with regard to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, especially the sale of kamikaze drones and helping Moscow establish its capacity to produce them domestically. There is added emphasis now for Tehran to improve its air and missile defense capabilities and capacity after Israel struck multiple prized sites and key assets deep inside the country essentially with impunity in the past year. It is worth noting that it is unclear if Israeli aircraft ever entered Iran’s airspace in the course of those operations.
Whether or not Blue 054 is still at Bandar Abbas or if Su-57s start making more regular appearances in Iran, the stopover at the Iranian base does come at a new moment in the Felon’s story.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com