Russian 5th-Gen fighter makes second flight

Moscow: Russia's prototype fifth-generation fighter, the Sukhoi bureau designed  T-50 PAK-FA, has made a second test flight in the Far East, a Russian defence ministry official has informed local media.

The Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA

The official said that the aircraft would undergo a number of test flights at its current location in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, before being transported to the Zhukovsky airbase near Moscow for final rounds of testing. The current prototype, known as the T-50 and designed by the Sukhoi bureau, was built at a plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

The fighter's first prototype made a 47-minute maiden flight in Russia's Far East on 29 January. A spokesperson for Sukhoi earlier said the prototype showed "superb performance" during its maiden flight. "It has met all our expectations during the maiden flight," said Olga Kayukova.

The defence ministry official was upbeat about the aircraft's capabilities, saying it had "a very bright future." He mentioned that Russian specialists had been carefully monitoring the US F-22 Raptor, an aircraft of the same class as the PAK-FA, and that the Russian fighter was shaping up as a good competitor.

The T-50 has already been hailed by Russian authorities as "a unique warplane" that combines the capabilities of an air superiority fighter and attack aircraft.

According to Sukhoi designers, the new fighter will feature advanced avionics, powerful vector thrust engines, high-precision weaponry and stealth technology.