Russia is the only country in the world that rivals America in the production of latest generation fighters.The Russian aviation industry is pretty advanced and since the early fifties have produced fighter planes, like the MIG-15 which made its appearance during the Korean War and rivaled American fighters, like the F-86 Saber jet. Sputnik news, Russia has reported that the latest fifth generation fighter jet formerly known as the Prospective Air Complex Frontline Aviation or PAK -50 has officially been christened as the SU-57. This announcement was made by the national Aerospace commander General Viktor Bondarev and reported by RTV, English Channel.
The Su-57
The Russian fighter plane made its first test flight in 2010 and the fighter has been under testing and development for the last 7 years. It will be inducted into the Russian Air Force in 2018/19. The plane is of great interest to America as it is presumed to be a rival to the F-35. Both planes have the similar capability but the US plane has a head start, as it is already under induction and many countries like the Israeli Air Force are getting to operate the plane. The Russian fighter is also being offered to India, which has a long association with Russian aircraft since 1959.
Cost and comparison
The Russian plane is a single seat fighter interceptor and a fifth generation aircraft.
Engineers in Russia are working on improving the engine and the manufacturer of the plane claims that it is superior to the American F-35. The US plane has had a number of problems during its induction and even the president of America commented that the plane is very costly. The cost of the Russian plane is not known but in all likelihood, this plane would be about half the cost of the American plane.
The Su-57 comes from the stable of the Sukhoi aircraft works which have produced legendary planes like this Su-7 and the Su-30
US Air Force and the intelligence agencies will follow the performance of the plane very closely and will try to work out how it can be tackled.Russian fighters are invariably good and have given a good account in combat.
Future
The plane incorporates Stealth Technology variable geometry wings as well as the Su-57. the plane is supposed to have an assured lifespan of 35 years. The future of military aviation is bright and it will be interesting to evaluate the SU-57 against the F-35 which will be the mainstay of the USA for the next few decades.
