Russia’s PAK FA fighter prototype, billed as a strong competitor to the US F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighters, made its first flight Friday. The Sukhoi-built fighter flew for 47 minutes, raising and lowering its landing gear. According to video of the flight, the PAK FA has design similarities to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. Sukhoi has said the aircraft will undergo two years of test flights before entering full production. The company said the project has cost $8-10 billion, and that individual examples of the PAK FA, which will likely be called T-50 in operational service, will cost about $100 million each. The Russian Air Force expects to begin fielding it in the 2015-2017 timeframe. The aircraft is a joint venture of Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics of India, which also plans to field the new fighter in a two-seat version. USAF officials have expressed concern that the PAK FA would rival the F-22 but be produced in F-35 numbers. (Sukhoi release; Associated Press report, via Los Angeles Times; London Times Online report; RiaNovosti news service report)
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.