Russia's 5th Gen
Fighter
LFS News Updates
The following articles are in chronological order:
India, Russia sign landmark defence deal
Press Trust of India
Moscow, January 17
India and Russia on Friday agreed to jointly develop next generation fighter
jets and set up defence projects under a "landmark" protocol signed by the two
countries but appeared to have made no progress on the sale of aircraft carrier
Admiral Gorshkov to New Delhi.
"The protocol, a landmark document in our relations, covers all the areas of our
defence ties," Defence Minister George Fernandes said after an hour-long meeting
with his Russian counterpart Sergei Ivanov here.
The protocol, signed after the two-day meeting of Indo-Russian
Inter-governmental Commission (IRIGC) on Military-Technical Cooperation,
provides for joint development of a fifth generation fighter for the Air Forces
of the two countries, he told reporters.
It also envisages setting up several hi-tech joint ventures similar to the "BrahMos"
cruise missile, development and production of futuristic weapons and weapon
platforms, the Defence Minister said.
He, however, did not say whether the two sides have made a breakthrough with
regard to the sale of Admiral Gorshkov to India.
Tests of Future Tactical Aviation Combat Airplane to Be
Completed in 2004 – 2005 – Air Force CinC
Tests of the future tactical aviation combat airplane will be completed in 2004
– 2005.
“The future Sukhoy Design Bureau airplane, tests of which will be concluded by
2004 - 2005, will begin to arrive in the force after the completion of the
upgrade program for air force armament and military equipment," the air force
commander-in-chief General-Colonel Vladimir Mikhaylov reported to Interfax-AVN
on Wednesday.
The realization of the upgrade program will be continued until 2005. During this
time, 20 – 25 percent of the tactical aviation air equipment should be brought
up to the generation “4+” level.
According to the CinC, “the Russian air force will begin to receive new
generation ‘4+’ airplanes as early as this year.”
“Further development of tactical aviation is connected with the creation of a
future tactical aviation aerial complex,” V. Mikhaylov said. “In 2006 – 2007,
its prototype should fly, and by 2010 it is intended to complete tests and begin
series production of the airplane.”
Development of new weapons is on-going in long-range aviation, results of which
the CinC called “encouraging.” The service life of strategic aviation airplanes
will be extended.
Upgrade of An-124 airplanes to the An-124-100 level is continuing in military
transport aviation. "We will be equipping a small part the Il-76 will new
engines - the PS-90A. In the near future, the receipt of several Il-76MF is
planned, which are needed for special tasks in accordance with a Presidential
and Ministry of Defense plan. An-22 airplanes have completed their service life
and are going away," V. Mikhaylov said.
“We are paying special attention to questions of the realization of new
principles of maintenance and use of aviation equipment,” the CinC declared. "In
particular, use of future aviation complexes not by term (service life) as is
accepted right now, but by real condition. This will allow lowering use expenses
by several times.”
The upgrade of the existing fleet of aviation equipment is one of the main tasks
that remains. “Per se, this is the next step toward the creation of a fifth
generation aircraft. The airframe and engine of our airplanes are not inferior
to foreign analogues, and as regards avionics, it, of course, requires
replacement for more modern."
Owing to the unification of the air force and antiaircraft defense ((PVO)), a
fleet of supernumerary airplanes has been formed. By upgrading those it has and
the supernumerary airplanes, which one can sell to other countries, the Russian
air force can fly all the airplanes it has without difficulty, the CinC
declared.
“There is another reason for the use of the upgrade. It allows us accurately to
attain the avionics (BREhO) of the fifth generation airplane. We will be testing
integrated aiming and navigation complexes, the radars and other equipment on
the “4+” generation.
In the opinions of specialists, airplanes and helicopters of the next generation
will exceed today’s aviation complexes by several times in combat effectiveness.
“In accordance with the degree of their technical efficiency, they will not be
worse in effectiveness and versatility of combat use and survivability and
service usefulness, and in some characteristics they will significantly exceed,
the same types built in other countries," V. Mikhaylov said.
According to him, “Practically all work on the improvement of the technical
equipment of Russian military aviation is taking place taking into account the
possibility of their further offer to potential foreign customers.
"In connection with that, with the upgrade of the existing and the creation of
future aviation equipment, the possibility of its technical and information
mating with foreign security systems, weapons and flight crew and maintenance
personnel training is being established,” V. Mikhaylov reported.
Source: 15.01.03, Interfax-AVN
Defense of Fifth Generation Fighter Preliminary Design in
2004
The preliminary design of the fifth generation fighter will be ready in 2003,
and its defense will take place in 2004, the general director of the Sukhoy
Aviation Military and Industrial Complex, Mikhail Pogosyan, has reported to
Interfax-AVN.
“The preliminary design of the future fighter is being developed within the
framework of the air force tactical-technical assignment, it will be ready in
2003, and its defense will take place in 2004,With all funding coming from
Russian Goverment,India Has not joined in. M. Pogosyan said.
He reported that at the present time cooperation of the enterprises in the
development of on-board equipment is being defined which finally will be formed
in the process in the realization of the preliminary design of the future
fighter.
“In principle, the backbone of those enterprises with whom we will be working
already is formed. I wouldn’t want to put the cart before the horse, but as
regards the engine, we had determined from the very beginning that our steady
partner NPO Saturn will be developing it. Our main partners with whom we work
traditionally also will be included among the developers of the other systems,"
M. Pogosyan said.
The agency source noted that work on the preliminary design is going according
to plan.
Speaking of the participation in the program for the design of the fifth
generation fighter of other Russian aviation firms, M. Pogosyan noted that the
Sukhoy AVPK has full rapport with the Yakovlev OKB, but with RSK MiG it is a
more complex process.
“But we absolutely are not excluding their participation in the program,” M.
Pogosyan said.
According to the Sukhoy AVPK general director, the program for the creation of
the fifth generation fighter, without a doubt, will have an international
status, but it is still early to say with whom an agreement may be reached on
joint work.The Fighter will Enter Full scared production in 2010 time frame It
will rival the LFS,and there is Is complete funding for it to reach service in
the Russian Air Force without help from other nations.
“It is not necessary to outpace events. It is a process which requires time, but
such work is underway as early as today," M. Pogosyan said.
Source: 15.12.02, Interfax-AVN
