Russia's New Jet Fighter

The fifth prototype of the Sukhoi T-50, a multi-role fifth generation aircraft with stealth technologies and nanotechnology-based developments which will be the core of Russia's future fleet of fighters, underwent a successful test flight

Ami Rojkes Dombe

(The Sukhoi T-50 Photo: Wikipedia/Alex Beltyukov)

 

Flight cadets and reserve fighter pilots should probably learn about the Sukhoi T-50 closely, as it will likely be flown by pilots of Arabian states across the skies of the Middle East in the not-too-distant future. As Russia's future fighter, it is intended to compete with the US F-35, and countries that the US is not fond of will stand in line at the gates of Sukhoi's factories. And yes, the T-50 is expected to be a stealth fighter.


The Moscow Times reported that according to the aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi, the fifth prototype of the T-50 (also known as Pak Fa) flew for the first time at the production plant in a Far East country.

The 50-minute flight, which took place in the skies above the Gagarin factory in Komsomolsk on Amur, successfully examined the aircraft's overall performance, including its stability in the air and the performance of its engines. "The aircraft performed well in all stages of the planned flight, and the pilot confirmed the reliability of all the systems and equipment," said a statement by Sukhoi.

The T-50, which will be the core of Russia's future combat fleet, is a fifth generation multi-role combat aircraft. According to Sukhoi, the T-50 includes stealth and nanotechnology features, considerable maneuverability capability, cruise capability, an advanced avionics package as well as an active radar layout operating on X-band frequencies.