Posted on February 9, 2010 - by Venik
Sukhoi T-50 Production and Procurement Details
The PAKFA (Russian abbreviation for the Prospective Frontal Aviation Complex) fighter project is currently scheduled to enter production at the end of 2014. The single-seat model is expected to enter service with the Russian AF in 2015. The dual-seat model for the Indian AF is expected to enter service two years after that. The two-seater version of T-50 as well as the carrier-based version are currently under development, according to Sukhoi officials.
Scale drawings of T-50, YF-23, F-22, and F-35
The USD 8-10 billion PAKFA (or FGFA – Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft – according Indian designation) development deal between Russia and India is expected to be formalized in the next few months. India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Russia’s United Aircraft Copr (a conglomerate of aircraft manufacturers that includes Sukhoi) will take equal shares in the project. According to Sukhoi’s CEO Mikhail Pogosyan, this sharing includes funding, engineering and intellectual property rights.
In 2009 rumors circulated that the T-50 (this is the Sukhoi designation for the project, while the Russian AF project designation is I-21) may not be entirely up-to-spec to meet the Russian AF requirements primarily because it used a version of Irbis-E PESA radar, as opposed to the all-new AESA radar, and Saturn 117S turbofans instead of the new version of the AL-41F1.
The information released by Sukhoi following the first flight on Jan. 29, 2010 indicated that the aircraft was using the new engines (not 117S) and that at least the static test model was already equipped with the new AESA radar. The non-flying T-50 prototype is believed to be at the Zhukovsky test center outside of Moscow, while the flying prototype is at the KnAAPO test airfield in Russian Far East.
No new information is available about the single-engine version of the PAKFA. Originally, the idea was floated by the Russian AF commander Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov in 2005. The project was to be led by MiG within the United Aircraft Copr structure. However, it is believed that the project was shelved at least temporarily in 2008 to speed up work on the T-50.
Sukhoi T-50 Production and Procurement Details
The PAKFA (Russian abbreviation for the Prospective Frontal Aviation Complex) fighter project is currently scheduled to enter production at the end of 2014. The single-seat model is expected to enter service with the Russian AF in 2015. The dual-seat model for the Indian AF is expected to enter service two years after that. The two-seater version of T-50 as well as the carrier-based version are currently under development, according to Sukhoi officials.
The USD 8-10 billion PAKFA (or FGFA – Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft – according Indian designation) development deal between Russia and India is expected to be formalized in the next few months. India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. and Russia’s United Aircraft Copr (a conglomerate of aircraft manufacturers that includes Sukhoi) will take equal shares in the project. According to Sukhoi’s CEO Mikhail Pogosyan, this sharing includes funding, engineering and intellectual property rights.
In 2009 rumors circulated that the T-50 (this is the Sukhoi designation for the project, while the Russian AF project designation is I-21) may not be entirely up-to-spec to meet the Russian AF requirements primarily because it used a version of Irbis-E PESA radar, as opposed to the all-new AESA radar, and Saturn 117S turbofans instead of the new version of the AL-41F1.
The information released by Sukhoi following the first flight on Jan. 29, 2010 indicated that the aircraft was using the new engines (not 117S) and that at least the static test model was already equipped with the new AESA radar. The non-flying T-50 prototype is believed to be at the Zhukovsky test center outside of Moscow, while the flying prototype is at the KnAAPO test airfield in Russian Far East.
No new information is available about the single-engine version of the PAKFA. Originally, the idea was floated by the Russian AF commander Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov in 2005. The project was to be led by MiG within the United Aircraft Copr structure. However, it is believed that the project was shelved at least temporarily in 2008 to speed up work on the T-50.
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February 11, 2010
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I saw this question in an aviation forum and I wonder what your reply to it would be:
I do understand that the PAKFA and the F-22 are very different creatures, created in very different countries and designed for different missions. What I wonder about is the following: when the Russians designed the PAKFA, did they design it to be capable of accomplishing its mission in an environment with hostile F-22s out there or not? In other words, since there is only one country which has the F-22 (the USA) and since that is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future, Russian force planners have to make a fundamental decision: should the PAKFA be designed for either a) all forseeable scenarii *including* a Russia-USA conflict in mind or b) all other conflicts *except* a Russia-USA one in mind?
If the Russians specifically excluded the possibility of a conflict with hostile F-22s would that not make the PAKFA a lot cheaper? But if they did go the “extra mile” (financially and from a design point of view) of being able to operate with hostile F-22s out there, would that not tell us that they are still considering a Russia-US war possible and worth preparing for?
Keeping all this in mind – does the PAKFA look to you like the kind of aircraft which is designed to be able to accomplish its mission(s) in an environment with hostile F-22 attempting to destroy it?
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Venik Reply:
February 13th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
In the latest revision of its military doctrine Russia identified the NATO as the primary military threat. Without the US, NATO is an organization for delivering canned food to remote regions of the worlds. Therefore, Russia’s military doctrine recognizes the US as its primary enemy.
The T-50 has been built specifically as the answer to the F-22. However, an “answer” doesn’t mean a “mirror image”. The T-50 is quite different, but, based on the few hard facts that we have, it is design to meet or exceed F-22′s capabilities.
Just because today the USAF is the only one operating the F-22, it does not have to stay this way. There are several countries out there interested in buy it (Australia for one). The Americans just wouldn’t sell. They rather halt the production they cannot afford than share the technology. But this can change with a single political decision and the F-22s – simplified and less expensive – will start spreading around the world.
Could have the Russians made a cheaper fighter? We know they could. But they are also interested in the marketing potential of the PAKFA. They don’t want it to have to compete on the overcrowded generation 4+ market of fighter aircraft. They want it to be in the exclusive group of products with only two items on the shelf, one of which isn’t even for sale.
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vineyardsaker Reply:
February 14th, 2010 at 12:19 am
But they are also interested in the marketing potential of the PAKFA.
What countries do you believe would be willing and able to aquire such an expensive and sophisticated 5th generation multirole aircraft?
We know that India will probably want 200 or so double-seater variants. I suspect that the Chinese would also be interested. But I don’t really see who else could have a) the political freedom to do so b) the financial means and c) an air force sophisticated enough to integrate such a complex machine.
Do you?
Cheers,
VS
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Venik Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Marketing potential of T-50 will depend on its final cost, which is expected to be in the same range as Su-30MKI, provided the Indians don’t bail out. The T-50 has the potential of being a hell of a lot cheaper than the F-22, while offering very similar capabilities. If Russia and India can afford it, there are many other countries that can afford it as well.
The F-22 is an extremely advanced aircraft. And American “advanced” usually stands for “overpriced” and “fiddly”. Not to say that the Raptor is not a premier fighter aircraft. It is a great achievement. It’s that just American defense industry is notorious for its ability to waste taxpayer dollars. The Russian military-industrial complex would certainly like to catch up to their American colleagues in that department. Luckily, they don’t have that much money to waste.
As far as political will goes, that can change very quickly. I actually doubt that China will become an operator of the T-50. They have a competing project and, unless something goes terribly wrong, they will probably decide to stick with it. But there are plenty of other countries that, in 5-10 years, will be looking to upgrade their park of fighters and will find few alternatives to the T-50. Political will has an interesting way of conforming to financial reality. Ten years is a very long time in international politics. A lot can change.
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February 17, 2010
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Hi! What about plasma stealth? Did the Russians change their mind about using it? What about the avionics? I read some where that the pak fa has a stealth fighter detection mode ( L band radar system). please explain more about the radar system.
thanx.
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July 17, 2010
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“Plasma Stealth”? Somebody completely misunderstands the concept behind ‘stealth’.
First a Plasma is;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_%28physics%29#Temperatures
A Radar would not be needed, since an uncontained Plasma ball can be seen with the naked eye hundreds of Km’s away. It’s called lighting.
Depending on the energy level of the plasma, it might be hot enough to melt the aircraft it is around. Aircraft and lightening are not a good mix.
So you have an aircraft that can be seen from hundreds of Km’s away that melts while flying thru the air.
Who needs radar?
The Plasma stealth thingie was Soviet Propaganda. The Soviet Union did one thing well and that was propaganda. A big part of why the Soviet Union collapsed was they started believing their own propaganda.
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Venik Reply:
July 18th, 2010 at 5:07 am
Sorry buddy, but you actually need to study physics in college to understand this. Reading a Wikipedia article just won’t cut it.
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