The U.S. F-22 and F-35 defined 5th generation air dominance. Russia's Su-57, South Korea's KF-21, Turkey's KAAN, and China's J-20 are the challengers. Here's the economics and capabilities of the global 5th gen fighter race.
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The United States spent $1.7 trillion developing and procuring F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning IIs — the two aircraft that defined 5th generation air superiority. Both feature all-aspect stealth, sensor fusion, advanced avionics, and supercruise or high-performance engines. No other country has matched the combination of stealth, sensors, and production scale that the U.S. achieved with these programs.
But the gap is narrowing. Russia, China, South Korea, Turkey, and India are all developing or have deployed 5th generation (or 4.5+ generation) fighters with varying degrees of stealth, sensor integration, and beyond-visual-range engagement capability. Understanding these programs — what they cost, what capabilities they actually field, and how they compare to U.S. platforms — is essential context for understanding the evolving air power balance.
This connects to the F-35 program and to Senegal: Military and Paramilitary Forces.
The Sukhoi Su-57 is Russia's answer to the F-22: a twin-engine, supercruise-capable fighter with internal weapons bays, advanced radar, and claimed all-aspect stealth. Development began in the early 2000s under the PAK FA program; the aircraft entered limited service with the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2020.
The capability claims: Russia has promoted the Su-57 as superior to the F-35 in maneuverability, sensor integration, and weapons capacity. The Su-57 uses plasma stealth technology claims and a radar-absorbing coating rather than the shape-based stealth of the F-22/F-35. Western analysts are skeptical that the Su-57's stealth is comparable to U.S. 5th generation aircraft, particularly from the front aspect.
The production reality: As of 2024, Russia has approximately 20-25 Su-57s operational — a tiny fleet compared to the 180+ F-22s and 400+ F-35s in U.S. service. Production has been severely constrained by sanctions, the diversion of manufacturing capacity to replace losses in Ukraine (conventional munitions and older fighters take production priority), and the broader degradation of Russia's defense industrial base under economic pressure.
Cost: The Su-57's unit cost is estimated at $35-50 million in pre-sanctions pricing — significantly cheaper than the F-35A's approximately $80 million. The lower cost partly reflects fewer advanced features; the two aircraft are not directly comparable in capability.
Ukraine context: The Su-57 has not been used in combat over Ukraine in meaningful numbers, reportedly due to concerns about losing one of Russia's few advanced airframes to Ukrainian air defenses. The aircraft's limited deployment reflects both its small numbers and Russia's caution about exposing advanced technology to capture or analysis.
South Korea's KF-21 Boramae (translates as 'hawk') is arguably the most significant new fighter development program of the 2020s that Western audiences underestimate. Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) with significant participation from Indonesian aerospace industry (as a program cost-sharing partner), the KF-21 first flew in July 2022 and achieved supersonic flight by January 2023.
Capability: The KF-21 is officially a 4.5 generation fighter (the Korean military calls it Block 1 without internal weapons carriage) with an upgrade path to full 5th generation capability (Block 3, with internal weapons bays). It features an AESA radar, infrared search and track (IRST), advanced electronic warfare systems, and a weapons suite including MBDA Meteor and Korean-developed beyond-visual-range missiles.
Why it matters: South Korea developed the KF-21 domestically in approximately 8 years from program launch to first flight — a development timeline that compares favorably to major Western programs (the F-35 took 15+ years from contract award to IOC). The program's success demonstrates that mid-tier military powers can develop advanced fighter aircraft without direct U.S. technology transfer or European partnership.
Cost: Development cost approximately $8 billion shared between South Korea (60%) and Indonesia (20%, though Indonesia fell behind on payments, creating a political dispute). Unit production cost is targeted at $65-70 million. South Korea plans to procure 120 KF-21s for the ROK Air Force; export potential exists for countries that can't access F-35s due to cost, political conditions, or technology transfer restrictions.
Turkey's TAI KAAN (formerly known as TF-X) is a twin-engine 5th generation fighter development program driven explicitly by Turkey's exclusion from the F-35 program. Turkey was removed from F-35 participation in 2019 after purchasing Russia's S-400 air defense system, which U.S. and NATO officials argued posed an intelligence risk to F-35 technology.
KAAN first flew in February 2023, making Turkey one of a small number of countries to have flown a 5th generation fighter prototype. The aircraft uses a GE F110 engine (American-made, creating a potential dependency issue) pending development of an indigenous turbofan.
Realistic assessment: KAAN faces significant challenges. Turkey's defense industry, while growing, lacks the experience in stealth manufacturing, advanced radar development, and aircraft systems integration that the U.S. and increasingly South Korea have built. The aircraft's initial versions will likely be 4.5 generation in actual capability rather than 5th generation. Full 5th generation capability — internal weapons carriage, mature AESA radar, low observable coatings — will require years of additional development.
Strategic significance: KAAN's primary importance is geopolitical rather than immediately military. It demonstrates Turkish intent to develop an independent advanced aviation capability, reduces long-term dependency on Western aircraft suppliers, and provides leverage in Turkey's complicated relationships with both NATO partners and Russia.
China's Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon is the most capable non-U.S. 5th generation fighter currently deployed at scale. First flown in 2011, operational since 2017, the J-20 is now being produced in meaningful numbers — estimates suggest 150-200 airframes with production continuing.
The J-20 features front-aspect stealth optimized for offensive air superiority missions, an AESA radar, an IRST system, and internal weapons bays for long-range air-to-air missiles. Its engine — currently the Chinese WS-10 with thrust vectoring, eventually the WS-15 — limits supercruise capability compared to the F-22, but the J-20 is optimized for long-range standoff engagement rather than close-in dogfighting.
The J-20's numbers and production rate are the most significant data point: China is producing 5th generation fighters faster than any country except the U.S. F-35 program. The air power balance in the Pacific is the primary strategic context; the J-20 is designed to contest U.S. air superiority in a Taiwan scenario, not to globally project power.