Russian Stealth Fighter Unveiled

By Sanford Hughes
Military Affairs

Russia's first stealth fighter prototype, the T-50, successfully completed its long-delayed maiden flight last month and government officials said they hope it will become a centerpiece for what is an aging air fleet.
The fact that the plane, designed roughly to match America's F-22 stealth fighter, did not crash or do anything unusual was welcome news for the country's military industry, which is struggling to develop technologies not based on Soviet designs. (The military's 13th test of its new intercontinental missile called the Bulava failed in December, giving Norwegians a bizarre and much-publicized light show.)

The plane took off from a test range at the production facility in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and flew for 47 minutes, piloted by Sergei Bogdan, manufacturer Sukhoi said in a statement.
The successful test of the T-50 PAK FA fighter follows a spate of crashes involving the company's aging Su-27 "Flanker," which are often blamed on human error.

However, concerns remain over the new plane's engine which is being developed by NPO Saturn. Military analysts say commercial production is still at least eight years off.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said pilots should begin training on the T-50 at a facility in Lipetsk as soon as 2013, with mass production beginning two years later. Putin acknowledged that the fighter and particularly its engine were a work in progress.

Still, he said, "It's a remarkable event. I am personally following it."

Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who oversees the military-industrial complex in the government and no doubt breathed a sigh of relief when it flew successfully, praised the jet as "unique" during the meeting.

"This jet is equipped with a radically new avionics complex, with an integrated "electronic pilot" function and promising radio detection and ranging equipment with a phased-beam array,Ó he said.
"We've conducted an initial evaluation of the aircraft controllability, engine performance and primary systems operation," the pilot said in a statement.  "The aircraft retracted and extracted the landing gear ... performed excellently at all flight-test points scheduled, it is easy and comfortable to pilot."

It was noted that the T-50 had lowered and raised its landing gear twice during the flight, which Òthe American F-35 fifth-generation jet couldnÕt doÓ on its test flight. Of course, the F-35 has its own problems, including massive cost overruns which are causing doubts about its future.

And the F-35 is not a fighter, anyway, but a precision strike aircraft.

The T-50 is intended as a rival to the U.S. military's F-22A Raptor, the worldÕs only fifth-generation jet in service. The F-22A, produced by Lockheed Martin and partner Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, first flew in 1997 and entered service in the U.S. Air Force in 2005.

Sukhoi won an offer to build the T-50 in 2002, replacing similar projects to build a fifth-generation jet fighter that had been discussed since the late 1980s. The jet, itÕs said, will have a top speed of 1,200 miles per hour and a range of up to 3,300 miles, according to Sukhoi.

For what it's worth, the F-22A, has a stated maximum speed of Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph) and a supercruise (without afterburners) speed of 1,220 mph. Its ferry range is 2,000 miles.
Sukhoi chief Mikhail Pogosyan said the plane - along with its fourth-generation fighters - would "define Russian Air Force potential" for decades to come.

"Sukhoi plans to further elaborate on the PAK FA program, which will involve our Indian partners," he added. "I am strongly convinced that our joint project will excel against its Western rivals in cost-effectiveness and will ... gain a significant share of the world market."

Analysts were skeptical that Sukhoi would be able to deliver the jet on time, as testing could take years and concerns regarding the engine remain. Its biggest client is India.

The Su-27, a mainstay of the Russian military, entered service in 1984 and has had a number of high-profile crashes in recent years. The jets were grounded most recently after a fatal crash on Jan. 14.

A government investigation concluded that "human error" was the main cause, according to the Russian news bureau. Human error was also announced as the official cause of a midair collision of two Su-27 fighters during rehearsals for the MAKS air show in August 2009.

Russian Knights pilot Igor Tkachenko and a woman on the ground were killed.

Not everyone bought that story, however, as an analyst revealed - at no doubt great risk - that Tkachenko said in 2005 that his flying team was being forced to use planes that Òcould not be used by combat forcesÓ because of mechanical problems.

Also, an aviation expert close to air crash investigations told The Moscow Times that the military uses human error to mask the problems that the Air Force is facing.
"Of course, it is both the low quality of jet maintenance and the errors of pilots that cause crashes all over the world," he said. "But this Ôhuman errorÕ in Russian military aviation has very obvious causes, like poorly trained pilots, their low motivation, the low prestige of service and their low income Ñ none of which the authorities like to talk about."