Sukhoi T-50 Better Than Raptor And J-20 So Says Russia

The number of Russia's Sukhoi T-50 5th generation fighters involved in test flights will be increased to 14 from three by 2015, Russian Air Force Commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told RIA Novosti on Monday.

“There are three fighters already in tests, another three are expected to be tested in the nearest future. The entire number of aircraft planned for test flights is 14,” Zelin said.

The T-50, developed under the program PAK FA (Future Aviation System for Tactical Air Force) at the Sukhoi aircraft design bureau, made its first public appearance at the MAKS-2011 air show near Moscow on August 17, 2011.

The fighter, which is being developed in partnership with India, made its maiden flight in the Russian Far East in early 2010. Zelin also said that Russia’s T-50 outstripped its U.S. and Chinese analogues.

“After a comparative analysis of the fighter’s characteristics with the U.S. F-22 Raptor and Chinese J-20 stealth aircraft, we can conclude that PAK FA exceeds the foreign analogues in maximum speed, flight range, maximum takeoff weight and the maximum overload value,” Zelin added.

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

Russia Will Complete Air-Launched Missiles for T-50 by 2014

Russia will complete development of advanced tactical air-launched missile systems for the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter within the next two years, the head of the Tactical Missiles Corporation (KTRV), Boris Obnosov, said

“The development of Kh-35UE (AS-20 Kayak), Kh-38ME, Kh-58UShKE (AS-11 Kilter), and RVV-MD (AA-11 Archer) class missiles will be completed in 2012-2013,” Obnosov said, adding the missiles were currently being tested.

By the time the T-50 fighter enters service with the Russian Air Force in 2014, its missile systems will be fully operational, Obnosov said.

Some of the missiles intended for the fighters – such as Kh-31PD (AS-17 Mod 2) class missiles – have already been tested using Sukhoi Su-34 (Fullback) fourth-generation strike aircraft and put into serial production, he added.

According to KTRV, the Kh-35UE tactical anti-ship missile has a maximum range of 260 kilometers; the supersonic Kh-31PD anti-radiation missile for use against air defense systems, can fly up to 250 kilometers; the Kh-58UShKE missile, designed to destroy pulse radars, can hit targets within 245 kilometers, and the short-range RVV-MD air-to-air missile has a maximum range of 40 kilometers.

The T-50, developed under the PAK FA (Future Aviation System for Tactical Air Force) program by the Sukhoi OKB, is Russia's first new major warplane designed since the fall of the Soviet Union. The jet made its maiden flight in January 2011 and two prototypes have since been undergoing flight tests.

Russia To Test New Engine For T-50 in 2018

Indonesia Buying 16 S Korean T-50 Trainers

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a $400 million deal to sell 16 T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer aircraft to Indonesia, marking the first overseas sale of the $20 million jet co-developed by Lockheed Martin.

The deal obligates South Korea to buy Indonesian-built CN-235 transport airplanes, Seoul and Jakarta government officials confirmed.

Officials with KAI and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) officials had denied that the trainer deal would require the airlifter purchase.

The contract was signed May 25, about a month and a half after Jakarta picked KAI as the preferred bidder for its trainer jet acquisition. The T-50 beat out Russia's Yak-130 and the Czech L-159B.

KAI is set to deliver the jets to the Indonesian Air Force by 2013.

The day after the T-50 announcement, KAI received approval from the Korea Exchange to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) estimated to be worth about 576 billion won ($523 million).

The state-owned Korea Finance Corp. owns 30.1 percent of the aircraft maker, while Samsung Techwin, Hyundai Motor and Doosan Infracore hold 20.5 percent apiece.

The IPO may be held by the end of June.

Industry and securities sources expect KAI to sell 36 million shares at 14,000 won to 16,000 apiece.

"I'm very happy that the deal has been concluded before the planned IPO," said KAI President Kim Hong-kyung. "This Indonesia deal is just the starting point for the country's aircraft exports. As the leading aerospace company in South Korea, we will make best efforts to help the country become the world's top seven aircraft exporters by 2020."

South Korea will become the sixth country to export supersonic jets, following the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France and Sweden, according to a KAI-DAPA news release.

The single-engine T-50 plane has digital flight controls and a modern, ground-based training system. It is designed to have the maneuverability, endurance and systems to prepare pilots to fly next-generation aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. The jet has a top speed of Mach 1.4 and an operational range of 1,851 kilometers.

The news of the offset provision confirmed what Amir Sambodo, special staff for the Indonesian Coordinating Economic Minister told the Jakarta Post on May 20: "There have been talks that if Indonesia buys T-50s, there will be compensation for Korea to purchase CN-235s."

Sambodo said South Korea would buy two or four more CN-235s.

"This needs to be increased to mutually benefit both countries. If South Korea is good at trainer jets, we are strong in transport aircraft," he said.

Seoul and Jakarta had a similar barter trade deal in 2001, when South Korea bought eight CN-235 transport planes in return for selling 12 KT-1 Woongbi basic trainers.

The CN-235 is a medium-range twin-turboprop airplane, jointly developed by Spain's CASA and Indonesia's PT DI. The plane is used for VIP transport, maritime patrols, airlifts and troop carrying.

South Korea has 20 CN-235s, 12 built in Spain and eight in Indonesia. Under a 2008 deal, PT DI plans to deliver four more CN-235s to South Korea's Coast Guard by year's end.

Recently this year Korea roled out the new armed version of  its T-50 supersonic trainer aircraft, designed to carry out entry-level tactical training missions, according to the state military acquisition agency.The armed variant of the T-50, the nation’s first homegrown trainer jet, is intended to train fledgling military pilots on air-to-air and air-to-surface missions before their full operational deployment, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said.

The TA-50 can mount precision-guided weapons such as AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and TGM-65 Maverick air-to-ground missiles, according to DAPA officials.

The final unit of the TA-50 will be delivered by 2012. DAPA officials refuse to confirm the total number of the TA-50s to be put into operation, citing security reasons.

From 2013, the country will also begin deploying a more heavily armed version of the TA-50. Named the FA-50, the multi-role fighter jet is designed for light attack combat missions, officials said.

Jointly developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, the country’s sole aircraft maker, and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, South Korea unveiled the T-50 “Golden Eagle” in 2005.

In order to strengthen aerial defense capabilities and develop the local aviation industry, the country has spent 2.2 trillion won ($1.96 billion) on the T-50 project over eight years, starting in 1997.

After the first T-50 was delivered in December 2005, the Air Force began training with the T-50 in April 2007. The T-50 has a maximum speed of mach 1.5, with a maximum range of 800 nautical miles.

Indian Air Force Chief Attends T-50 Flight Demonstration

T-50

The head of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik attended a flight demonstration of the newest Russian fighter aircraft, the Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) at Gromov Flight Research Institute at the city of Zhukovsky near Moscow. The demonstration also included a flight of the modernized MiG-29UPG, an upgraded version destined for teh Indian Air Force, to introduce an avionics suite common with the MiG29K/KUB carrier-based fighters India is buying for its aircraft carriers. The Indian Air Force commander was hosted by Mikhail Pogosyan, President of the United Aircraft Corporation, General Director of Sukhoi and RSK MiG, and representatives of the Russian arms export conglomerate Rosoboronexport.

India and Russia are cooperating in the development of a 5th generation fighter under the ‘Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft’ (FGFA) program, to be based on the T-50, to be the largest cooperative project undertaken by the two countries. The cooperation agreement was signed on 18 October 2007 in Moscow and reiterated in December 2010, during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to India. Under the FGFA program, Rosoboronexport company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Sukhoi signed the development agreement, covering the design, development, and necessary production engineering preparing for manufacturing of the aircraft in both countries.

The modernization of MiK-29 for the Indian Air Force is ongoing since March 2008. The first 6 aircraft are undergoing overhaul and modernization at the RSK MiG facilities. “More than 90% of aircraft will be finalized in India on one of the Indian Air Force repair facilities, using kits supplied from Russia” Pogosian said. These modernized MiG-29 will be equipped with an advanced avionics, common with the avionics provided for the naval version MiG-29K/KUB ordered by the Indian Navy.

MIG-29

The modernized MiG-29UPG avionics suite selected for the indian upgrade includes a unique cllection of systems provided by Russian, Indian French and probably Israeli suppliers, enabling the new aircraft to integrate with the Indian air defense command and control network and operate specific weapon systems. The Indian avionics suppliers mentioned by the official announcement include HAL and Bharat Electronics Ltd. Names of the French suppliers or identity of Russian or Israeli companies was not available. Delivery of the first upgraded aircraft to the customer in 2011.

The visit was first high level interaction between Russian and Indian officials after Russia lost the race for the IAF’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) last month.