Russia-India fifth generation fighter aircraft to begin initial tests this year

Akhtubinsk: Russia appears to be speeding up the development process of the top-of-the-line fifth generation fighter aircraft, which it is jointly developing along with Indian aerospace and defence major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).  Russia's defence boss, Sergei Ivanov, also deputy premier of Russia, has "insisted" that testing of the fifth generation stealth fighter must begin in 2009 and commissioning take place by 2015.

image credit: warfare.ru
This effectively brings forward the development programme of this US F-22 Raptor competitor by at least a year. Earlier plans had 2010 as the target for initial tests of the new fighter.

"I insist that the testing start as early as 2009 and the fifth-generation fighter must enter service with the Russian Air Force in 2015," Sergei Ivanov said at a meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission.

Ivanov also said Russia was "nearing the end of the development of the first prototype of the new fighter."

The advanced multi-role fighter, variously referred to as the T-50 PAK-FA and the FGFA or fifth generation fighter aircraft here in India , has been designed and developed by the Sukhoi design bureau, which is part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), under a preliminary inter-governmental agreement signed in October 2007.

Russia and India are due to simultaneously develop two versions of the stealth, futuristic aircraft - a two-seat version in line with the requirements of India's air superiority doctrine and a single-seat version for the Russian Air Force.