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The Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and Sukhoi Su-57 Felon are two of the world's leading fifth-generation fighter jets designed for stealthy, multirole operations. The F-22 has been in service for over two decades, while the Su-57 is a newer platform, having entered service less than five years ago. They represent the best their respective militaries can deploy in the air superiority stakes and will remain key platforms even after planned sixth-generation fighters are deployed. Both aircraft were designed with high stealth capacities, making them powerful assets for their respective air forces. Much like how the F-22 is exclusively operated by the United States military, the Su-57 is also exclusively available to the Russian Aerospace Forces. Although the F-22 remains peerless in terms of its stealth, the Su-57 still has a lot to offer with its longer range and broad multirole capacities. We must also take the unit cost of each aircraft into account, as the Su-57 comes with a much cheaper price tag than the notoriously expensive F-22. All About The F-22 Raptor The F-22 is widely regarded as the stealthiest fighter jet in service today, enabling the US to project air dominance and enhance its influence across the globe. As the world's first fully-operational fifth-gen fighter, the F-22 entered service in 2005 and features the smallest radar cross-section of any fighter, making it extremely difficult to detect by adversaries. The F-22 features other stealth-enhancing features too, including radar-absorbent materials and internal weapons bays that keep its armaments and fuel tanks hidden from radar. It is equipped with its own powerful radar systems to identify targets. The AN/APG-77 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is part of an intricate system of sensors and avionics systems that enable the F-22 to fulfill its "first look, first shot, first kill" doctrine. This allows the F-22 to perform as a stealthy sniper, hitting its targets without ever being spotted, maximizing mission effectiveness and minimizing losses. *Data from the US Air Force While the jet's capabilities are not to be doubted, this excellence comes at a steep price. In fact, the F-22 is the most expensive fighter jet in existence today, with an estimated unit cost of over $140 million. However, taking into account the high development and lifecycle costs of the jet, the overall unit price soars to as high as $350 million per aircraft, with the US significantly downscaling its initial production targets. Another key factor in this high figure is the lack of foreign military sales, as the US is eager to keep the technology on the F-22 a secret. Sukhoi's Su-57 Felon The Su-57 Felon was developed to replace the Su-27 Flanker family, completing its maiden flight in 2010. It would be another decade before the fighter jet entered service, although it remains in limited production and operational service today. Nonetheless, it is Russia's most capable fighter, striking a balance between stealth, maneuverability and multirole versatility, even if its impact for Russia has been minimal thus far. The jet's sensors and avionics are a massive step-up on previous Russian fighters, with the N036 Byelka AESA radar system at the heart of it. The upgraded Su-57M variant is equipped with Izdeliye-30 engines which can achieve supercruise, much like the F-22. Its weapons bays can accommodate a diverse range of armaments, including air-to-air and ground munitions, which make the Su-57 such an effective machine. *Data from UltimateSpecs Although the Su-57 is officially in full production, only a handful of airframes have actually been built. The exact number has not been publicly disclosed, but it is believed there are around 40 Su-57 jets as of November 2025. Due to ongoing Western economic sanctions, Russia has been unable to ramp up production of the fighter while facing technical complications with the aircraft itself. But with a much lower unit cost of up to $50 million per aircraft, the Su-57 can prove a valuable asset for Russia if it can overcome the production hurdles and field enough airframes to make a major difference. A Comparison Of Capabilities The F-22 Raptor and Su-57 Felon may both be stealth fighter jets, but they were developed with key design philosophy differences that set their capabilities apart. The F-22 is a much earlier program with its origins in the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program way back in the 1980s, while the Su-57 was envisioned at the turn of the millennium. The F-22 was developed with a major focus on stealth and first-strike capability, while the focus of the Su-57 was more on role versatility to fulfill various mission parameters. As such, the F-22's stealth profile is far more advanced, with its radar cross-section (RCS) a mere 0.0001 m²compared to the Su-57's RCS of 0.5 m². Additionally, its state-of-the-art onboard avionics and sensors are tightly integrated with US military networks to provide superior targeting and situational awareness. Where the Su-57 does shine is in its armament versatility and maneuverability. The jet can be used efficiently for mixed air and ground roles, equipping air-to-air missiles in internal bays and having significant external capacity for precision-guided bombs and even anti-ship missiles. With stealth less critical to the Su-57's design, its sizable munitions capacity makes it an adaptable and powerful fighter. Cost And Operating Analysis While the F-22 outpaces the Su-57 in most performance metrics, any conflict also comes with its economic challenges, something Russia presently knows all too well amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. The F-22 has also been a victim of its high program and operating costs, with the US slashing initial production targets. According to popular aviation YouTube channel Jetline Marvel, the Su-57 has an estimated cost per flight hour of $24,000, which also puts it lower than the F-35. On the contrary, the F-22s' hourly flight costs can exceed $80,000, although some sources put this figure closer to $60,000 per hour. Regardless of the pinpoint figure, the F-22 typically costs around three times as much as the Su-57 to operate. This is also reflected in the flyaway costs of each model, with the F-22 Raptor having a unit cost of $143 million next to the Su-57's estimated $50 million unit cost. However, the true cost of each F-22 airframe balloons when taking into account the high research and development costs, rising to around $350 million. Both Programs Faced Production Hurdles Although the F-22 Raptor is heralded as a cutting-edge fighter jet unmatched in its stealth and air-to-air capabilities, its real-world conflict experience has been limited mostly to ground support. The US originally wanted up to 750 F-22s, but the program's rising costs led to this being cut to just 187. It was also ruled out for foreign export due to its classified materials and systems, so its final production total was well below what was envisioned. The Su-57 has been plagued with development and production problems, with Russia currently struggling to ramp up production amid material shortages. In its early days, the Su-57 suffered from technical setbacks and engine delays, while a planned joint development program with India was scrapped in 2018. As a result, Russia has only built an estimated 40 airframes, and the program's future production rate is unclear. However, while the F-22 went out of production over a decade ago, the Su-57 program officially entered full production less than six years ago, and there is still plenty of scope for future production growth. The Su-57 has also been marked for limited foreign sales, with Algeria recently reported as a possible buyer.
