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Official: Russia tests 5th-generation fighter jet

The Associated Press
Friday, January 29, 2010; 2:27 AM

MOSCOW -- Russia's new fifth-generation stealth fighter made a successful maiden test flight on Friday, the manufacturer said.

The Sukhoi T-50 prototype took to the skies for a 45-minute flight at an airfield in the Far Eastern city of Komsomoslk-on-Amur on Friday, Sukhoi spokesman Alexei Paveshchenko told The Associated Press.

Russian officials have spent two decades trying to build a fifth-generation fighter. They hope the T-50 will challenge the U.S. F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997.

Friday's successful test of the plane, reportedly developed in partnership with India, comes as a relief.

A series of failures on high-profile weapons projects has blighted Russia's attempts to modernize its rusting Soviet-era arsenals.

The specifications and design of Russia's new fighter have been shrouded in secrecy. Russian news agencies reported the plane has a 5,500-kilometer (3,400-mile) range.

Officials have expressed hope that the T-50 will enter service in 2015.

Tyyr wrote:

Official: Russia tests 5th-generation fighter jet

The Associated Press
Friday, January 29, 2010; 2:27 AM

MOSCOW -- Russia's new fifth-generation stealth fighter made a successful maiden test flight on Friday, the manufacturer said.

The Sukhoi T-50 prototype took to the skies for a 45-minute flight at an airfield in the Far Eastern city of Komsomoslk-on-Amur on Friday, Sukhoi spokesman Alexei Paveshchenko told The Associated Press.

Russian officials have spent two decades trying to build a fifth-generation fighter. They hope the T-50 will challenge the U.S. F-22 Raptor, which first flew in 1997.

Friday's successful test of the plane, reportedly developed in partnership with India, comes as a relief.

A series of failures on high-profile weapons projects has blighted Russia's attempts to modernize its rusting Soviet-era arsenals.

The specifications and design of Russia's new fighter have been shrouded in secrecy. Russian news agencies reported the plane has a 5,500-kilometer (3,400-mile) range.

Officials have expressed hope that the T-50 will enter service in 2015.

But hey, it's not like we actually need the F-22. I mean its totally cool because Russia is totally a peaceful country right?

BigJKU316 wrote:
The best part is we are buying a plane that will be nearly as expensive and half as capable at Air to Air in the F-35.

If we just sacked up and bought the proper number of F-22's we could buy a much cheaper plane than the F-35 to compliment it.

sunnyside wrote:

BigJKU316 wrote:
The best part is we are buying a plane that will be nearly as expensive and half as capable at Air to Air in the F-35.

If we just sacked up and bought the proper number of F-22's we could buy a much cheaper plane than the F-35 to compliment it.

Nah. The F-35 is for airstrikes against regions with SAMs. I suppose if we had more F-22s we could arguably run more wild weasel missions. But I'd be nervous in a cheaper plane in hostile territory.

Interesting but expected is that the Russian design is a big boy. Over twice the size of the Raptor. That gives it the range the Russians need to act in their theater and cover their large country, but I'd be curious how it works out for radar cross section.

GrahamKennedy wrote:I am nowhere near believing that this thing is anything remotely close to being a match for the F-22.

And certainly not just because the Russians say it is.