NEWTOWN, Conn. - Oboronprom reports that the development of the engine for Russia's fifth-generation aircraft is on schedule. According to the company's general director, Dmitri Lelikov, skeleton and technical plans for the second-phase engine are complete.
"The development of the second-phase engine for the PAK FA has gone through the stage of skeleton and technical projects. The customer, Sukhoi, has assessed the work done," Lelikov told the press at the Paris Air Show.
The fifth-generation engine is expected to maintain the fighter jet's supersonic cruiser speed, thus setting it apart from its predecessors.
The T-50, or PAK FA (future tactical fighter aircraft), completed its maiden flight at the end of January 2010, and by December 2012, a fourth model had entered the testing phase. Serial production is expected to begin in 2016.
The T-50 will form the core of Russia's future fighter fleet, with current plans calling for a total of 60 to be acquired.
The PAK FA features a long combat radius, supersonic cruise speed, low radar cross-section, super-maneuverability, and short takeoff and landing ability. The fighter will include 14 types of high-precision weapons, all of which will be placed inside the fuselage, thus reducing detection by ensuring low radar observability. In addition, the cockpit will have no analog instruments, only liquid crystal displays. The price tag per fighter is estimated to be around $100 million.
