Russia's challenger to US Raptor takes flight
Source: Agencies |
January 30, 2010, Saturday
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A STEALTH jet fighter intended to match the latest American design made its maiden flight yesterday, an important step in Russia's efforts to modernize its aging Soviet-era arsenals.
The Sukhoi T-50 prototype took to the skies for a 45-minute flight from an airfield at the company's production plant in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, said Sukhoi spokesman Alexei Paveshchenko.
Russian officials have spent two decades trying to build the so-called fifth-generation fighter and hope the T-50 can challenge the US F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997.
If the prototype bearing a close resemblance to the Raptor goes into production, it will be the first major new aircraft design built in post-Soviet Russia. Officials have expressed hope that the T-50 will enter service in 2015.
A Sukhoi statement quoted test pilot Sergei Bogdan as saying the craft was "easy and comfortable to pilot."
The plane was developed in partnership with India.
Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst, said the T-50 is running on old engines, and the only major technological breakthrough was designing the airframe making the jet more difficult for radars to spot, in keeping with its American counterpart.
The specifications and design of Russia's new fighter have been kept secret, and yesterday's statement offered few details. Aviation officials have said the new craft will meet the fifth-generation requirements, including a supersonic cruising speed.
Sukhoi said in a statement that the plane has advanced stealth capabilities.
"This allows a significant increase in military effectiveness," the statement said. Advanced control systems help fly the aircraft and "allow the pilot to concentrate on tactical tasks," it added.
Russian news agencies reported the highly maneuverable plane has a 5,500-kilometer range. The Raptor has a range of about 2,960 kilometers, according to official data.
The Sukhoi T-50 prototype took to the skies for a 45-minute flight from an airfield at the company's production plant in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, said Sukhoi spokesman Alexei Paveshchenko.
Russian officials have spent two decades trying to build the so-called fifth-generation fighter and hope the T-50 can challenge the US F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997.
If the prototype bearing a close resemblance to the Raptor goes into production, it will be the first major new aircraft design built in post-Soviet Russia. Officials have expressed hope that the T-50 will enter service in 2015.
A Sukhoi statement quoted test pilot Sergei Bogdan as saying the craft was "easy and comfortable to pilot."
The plane was developed in partnership with India.
Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst, said the T-50 is running on old engines, and the only major technological breakthrough was designing the airframe making the jet more difficult for radars to spot, in keeping with its American counterpart.
The specifications and design of Russia's new fighter have been kept secret, and yesterday's statement offered few details. Aviation officials have said the new craft will meet the fifth-generation requirements, including a supersonic cruising speed.
Sukhoi said in a statement that the plane has advanced stealth capabilities.
"This allows a significant increase in military effectiveness," the statement said. Advanced control systems help fly the aircraft and "allow the pilot to concentrate on tactical tasks," it added.
Russian news agencies reported the highly maneuverable plane has a 5,500-kilometer range. The Raptor has a range of about 2,960 kilometers, according to official data.
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