The BD-48M Sokol is a modernized variant of the BD-48 Sokol, a Berkustani twin-engine multirole fighter derived through reverse engineering and design study of the Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut. The original BD-48 entered service in 2010, with the M (Modernized) variant following in 2016, incorporating updated avionics, improved sensors, and refinements to its low-observable features. The Sokol family is immediately recognizable by its forward-swept wings and close-coupled canards, a configuration chosen to enhance high-angle-of-attack performance, maneuverability, and control during aggressive air-to-air and interception profiles.

Powered by two high-bypass afterburning turbofan engines, the Sokol is designed for sustained supersonic flight and heavy payload operations. Its semi-stealth approach includes divertless supersonic inlets and twin canted vertical stabilizers to reduce radar cross-section while maintaining structural and aerodynamic efficiency. While primarily operated by Berkustan, the aircraft has found export success with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Morocco, Laos, and Pakistan, where it is valued as a high-performance, politically accessible alternative to Western and Russian advanced fighters, reinforcing Berkustan’s growing role as a regional aerospace exporter.