A top-ranking Russian military officials says Russia is poised to roll out its new fighter, one that will compete with USAF’s F-22A Raptor. According to Russian news service Pravda, Vladimir Mikhailov, commander in chief of the Russian Air Force, recently said the demonstration prototype I-21 would be flying at year’s end. Sukhoi is building the fifth-generation I-21, one of two new fighters on the Russian scope. Its designers believe its avionics and engines are better than those in US aircraft, reports Pravda.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
