Why air-show maneuverability cannot solve the Su-57 numbers problem

How can Russia contest the air in future when Su-57 numbers trail Western and Chinese fleets?

It needs more aircraft; impressive maneuverability alone cannot compensate for low numbers or reliably defeat several incoming missiles.

The Su-57's display maneuvers do little to answer the question of how Russia would contest airspace with too few aircraft. Modern air combat exposes an aircraft to missile attacks, including several missiles fired at the same target, which extreme maneuverability alone cannot reliably defeat. Aircraft numbers therefore remain central to the assessment. A related personnel problem follows: upgrading a large force requires extensive training, and managing conscripts differs from managing people who volunteered for military service.