Russian Air Force to get 10 fifth-generation fighters by 2015

BY: RIA Novosti (IDRW News Network)

The Russian Defense Ministry will buy the first 10 fifth-generation fighters between 2013 and 2015 and then another 60 after 2016, a senior military official said on Monday.

Deputy Defense Minister for Arms Procurements Vladimir Popovkin said the first fighters will be purchased in 2013, while in 2015 the Air Force will start test flying them.

He did not explain what will happen between 2013 and 2015.

“We will start purchasing this fighter in series in 2016 and a total of 60 fighters will be bought under the state [arms procurement] program,” Popovkin said.

Air Force chief Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said last week the first batch of new fighters would be provided with older, “non-fifth” generation engines.

In mid-June, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin observed the 16th test flight of a prototype fighter.

The prime minister said 30 billion rubles (around $1 billion) had already been spent on the project and another 30 billion would be required to complete it, after which the engine, weaponry and other components would be upgraded.

He said the fighter would have a service life of 30-35 years if modernization and upgrades are factored in, and would be around three times cheaper than its foreign analogs.

Russia’s only known fifth-generation project is Sukhoi’s PAK FA and the current prototype is the T-50. It is designed to compete with the U.S. F-22 Raptor, so far the world’s only fifth-generation fighter, and the F-35 Lightning II.

Russia has been developing its newest fighter since the 1990s. The country’s top military officials have said the stealth fighter jet with a range of up to 5,500 km should enter service with the Air Force in 2015.

The PAK FA is to be armed with next-generation air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ship missiles, and has two 30-mm cannons.