Russia: First deliveries of 5th-Gen fighter to start only in 2015
10 Feb 2010
Vladimir, Russia: Deliveries of the recently tested T-50 PAK-FA fifth-generation fighters to the Russian Air Force will start in 2015, rather than in 2013, as asked for by Russian premier Vladimir Putin, Russia' air force chief said Tuesday.
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It was earlier announced that limited series production of these state-of-the-art aircraft would commence in 2013, with a few deliveries being made and mass production only beginning in 2015. Gen Zelin's statement, apparently, rules that out.
A prototype of the fighter made its debut flight in Russia's Far East on 29 January. Soon after the 47-minute flight prime minister Putin said that the producers if the aircraft should ensure that initial deliveries of the fifth-generation fighters were made by 2013.
The PAK-FA has been under development since the 1990s. The current prototype, known as the T-50, was designed by the Sukhoi design bureau and constructed at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The T-50, dubbed as the 'Raptorski' by the West, is meant to counter the fifth generation American F-22 Raptor, which has already entered service. The T-50 is a joint development programme with India.
While the Russian Air Force is seeking a single-seat version of the aircraft, the Indian Air Force has opted for a two-seat variant.
