Russia unveils its first stealth fighter

[Perfesser]

The Sukhoi T-50, also called the PAK FA, made its maiden flight in Russia's far east. Test pilot Sergei Bogdan said it was "easy and comfortable to pilot".

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said much work needed to be done before mass production began in 2015.

BBC News - Russia unveils its first stealth fighter jet

[Vila]

Yep, Russian bear is waking up.

[Catalyst]

Next video of this jet will be one crashing at an airshow.

[GreyKnight]

... and the pilot sat on the grass next to his chute, smoking a cig, like nothing special happened.

[Jabo]

Interesting. I wonder how 'mass' mass production is...1, maybe 2 before the money runs out?

[Kimosabi]

Not to get political or anything but communism is back in both Moldova and Belarus. Supported by Russia...... Not long ago, couple of years maybe, they had military exercises sailing their ships in between Norwegian oil platforms, which they weren't allowed to do, two Norwegian F-16's also had to escort two Tupolev Bears OUT of Norwegian airspace etc. etc. Yep, they're flexing allright.

[Rattler]

That, and they're still finding buyers for their planes, so they might not be able to afford very many, but India and China will certainly buy some.

[Blairgowrie]

Interesting. I wonder how 'mass' mass production is...1, maybe 2 before the money runs out?

They are flush with cash from oil and natural gas. If they can mass produce at substantially less cost than a Raptor and sell them to India and China, they just might be on to something.

[Rattler]

As of early 2010 the newest combat aircraft were planned to be mass produced in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from 2015-2017. At that time, a total production run of at least aircraft for the 150-200 Russian Air Force and 200 aircraft for the Indian Air Force was envisioned. According to Ruslan Pukhov of the Center for the Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, the PAK-FA might gain one third of the total market for such aircraft, competing with both the F-22 and the F-35. As of early 2010 total developmental costs were estimated at about $8-10 Billion, at which time the unit cost was estimated at about $100 Million.

Lieutenant Colonel Marcel de Haas, Russian security researcher at the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael, was not convinced of the plane's bright future. "My impression is that this new fighter plane is also more propaganda than a real expectancy," he told Reuters.

[Blairgowrie]

Isn't the cost per Raptor about the same? $100 million a copy.

[Rattler]

Isn't the cost per Raptor about the same? $100 million a copy.

Here's the latest data I could find:

Average unit flyaway cost includes the costs associated with procuring one aircraft, including the airframe, engines, avionics, other mission equipment, and certain nonrecurring production costs. It does not include "sunk" costs for development and test and other costs to the whole system, including logistical support and construction. The average unit flyaway cost for the F/A-22 in 2003 was about $178 million, while the unit flyaway costs for future annual buys were projected before the budget decision to decrease to $127 million, $111 million, and $108 million in fiscal years 2007, 2008, and 2009 respectively [that is to say, roughly double the unit flyaway costs of the single engine F-35]. With the program will be truncated in 2008, the less expensive aircraft in 2009 and beyond will not be bought and unit costs are projected at $135 million in 2007 and $149 million in 2008 (increases associated with close-out of production).

[Blairgowrie]

I suspect things are buzzing in the Pentagon over this.

[BadAim]

My first impression was it looks like the bastard child of an SU27 and an F22, and I suspect it is. As in all such scenarios it'll be the pilots who win the fight.

[Jabo]

Not to get political or anything but communism is back in both Moldova and Belarus. Supported by Russia...... Not long ago, couple of years maybe, they had military exercises sailing their ships in between Norwegian oil platforms, which they weren't allowed to do, two Norwegian F-16's also had to escort two Tupolev Bears OUT of Norwegian airspace etc. etc. Yep, they're flexing allright.

True, but the RAF have been dealing with multiple intrusions into UK airspace by Bears since the end of the Cold War (as well as during obviously). These muscles may be being flexed, but it's nothing new.

My first impression was it looks like the bastard child of an SU27 and an F22, and I suspect it is. As in all such scenarios it'll be the pilots who win the fight.

Yep, I agree, it's got a dollop of YF23 in there as well.

Jabo

[Kimosabi]

True, but the RAF have been dealing with multiple intrusions into UK airspace by Bears since the end of the Cold War (as well as during obviously). These muscles may be being flexed, but it's nothing new.

Here it is, normally we just keep an eye on eachother and stay away but now they just don't give a damn anymore. They have asked for permission to exercise in our oilfields before and were denied, they got denied this time too but now they just didn't give a damn and went through with it anyway.