Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

information Figure: Russian T-50 aircraft

January last year, Russia’s fifth-generation (fourth-generation standard in Europe and America) fighter T-50 prototype first flew successfully attracted world wide attention . This marks the U.S. stealth aircraft in the field of R & D long monopoly was broken, and finally other countries have also developed a can with the F-22, F-35 advanced fighters to compete.

2011 年 3 on 3, the second T-50 prototype aircraft in Komsomolsk Amur aircraft manufacturing base for a successful maiden flight, test pilot successfully completed a series of planned experiments, including all equipment engine without any problems.

Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and Sukhoi, MiG Pogosyan, president, said in an interview, five generations of aircraft development projects are in accordance with established plan to start in 2011 will have three aircraft in flight test. The first prototype has completed approximately 40 flight missions.

Russia’s desire to stand again with the fifth-generation fighter in the world of military technology development peak

early Soviet MiG-29 and Su-27 in volume production after, they begin to try to develop fifth generation fighter aircraft, in order to work with the United States was being developed F-22 “Raptor” fighter to compete. Mikoyan Design Bureau began in 1986, a large multi-purpose design of an advanced tactical fighter, codenamed 1.44; At the same time, the Sukhoi Design Bureau is also developing fifth generation fighter technology demonstrator prototype, later Su -47. Although these two types of new aircraft has completed the flight took off, but because of lack of funds, changes in military warfare technology indicators and other reasons, were subsequently dropped.

20 century, taking into account advances in aviation technology and the actual situation in Russia, Russian Air Force MiG 1.44 and the Soviet Union proposed in -47 technology, based on a true fifth generation fighter aircraft developed – PAKFA (meaning “Future Air Combat System”), by the Sukhoi design and production company, its internal code-named T-50. 2002, the Russian government officially announced the launch of the fifth generation fighter development work.

in accordance with development plans, T-50 will gradually replace the Su-27, MiG-31 and other fighters, mainly perform air superiority, destroy the air, ground and sea targets task. Russia plans to mass production in 2015, and incorporated into the Air Force flight test operations, the Air Force by 2025 to become the main fighter. Meanwhile, in order to build new aircraft carrier, also plans to build carrier-based aircraft.

For Russia, T-50 has milestone significance, because this is the post-Soviet Russia’s first self-developed new fighters. The past 20 years, has been struggling to rely on Soviet-era weapons and equipment with the support of the Russian desire for significant results, military power to regain former glory, once again standing on the peak of the world’s military technology.

starting from the Cold War, the Soviet defense industry on the striking of that Russia inherited this characteristic. The emergence of T-50 with generation of machines than the United States a decade later, but the advantage is to develop its project, the resources available to learn much to improve the starting point for the development and reduce technical risks. Countries around the start of the 21st century stealth fighter project, to seize the high ground of the next critical moment, Russia can no longer be a lost opportunity, it will not only lose the favorable opportunities to safeguard national security, will be first-class military power completely from the camp out. Therefore, the revival of Russia calls for a strong aviation industry, T-50 is Russia must also be completed to complete a strategic dream.

F-22 and T-50, each with a short length

current fifth-generation fighter aircraft there are four major tactical performance requirements: Stealth Performance supersonic cruise performance, ultra-mobile performance, super-information superiority. The four standard English are to S at the beginning, so called “4S” capability. F-22 is the earliest and has been officially serving the fifth generation fighter aircraft, T-50 and it is more, each have a short length.

stealth performance from the point of view, F-22 fuselage, vertical tail with tilt design, wing and tail leading edge, trailing edge parallel design, the radar reflection angle within the control of eight . In addition, it is almost buried the engine inlet cover, infrared stealth performance is also very good. The T-50 is Russia’s first attempt to develop a stealth fighter, although the use of an internal weapons bay of the iconic design of stealth aircraft, the use of composite materials to reduce radar cross section. However, too much prominence outside the fuselage, rear fuselage tail pipe is almost exposed, and its infrared and F-22 stealth performance gap is very large. However, the Russian air plasma stealth technology is more mature, once the technology practical, can be detected by radar aircraft to reduce the probability of 99%, so that T-50 in stealth capabilities than F-22.

supersonic cruise performance from the point of view, F-22 in the aerodynamic design of both the subsonic and supersonic motor performance, the whole body is clean, smooth, lift-drag supersonic fighter aircraft has improved greatly compared in the past, with two thrust-weight ratio of up to 10 F119 turbofan engine, making it the first aircraft with supersonic cruise capability of the fighter.

T-50 aircraft in the aerodynamic design, the cockpit and arch his back, lower body undercut, wind resistance slightly. Currently, the prototype uses two 117S turbofan engine thrust-weight ratio and fuel consumption in the area and the F-22 is not enough competition. However, in batch-type aircraft, T-50 will be installed “Saturn” research and production association developed with thrust-vectoring nozzle of the fifth generation of the new engine, the thrust-weight ratio can reach 10, after assembly should be able to match the F-22 .

look at the ultra-mobility. F-22 is controlled with the world’s first “stall” maneuverability of fighter aircraft, Su-27 “Cobra” maneuver is not controllable, and F-22 in the case of elevation change of 90 degrees nose point, the ability of low-speed air combat is very favorable.

T-50 F-22 than the United States pay more attention to mobility, the use of movable side of the design, the use of vortex lift than the F-22 fully. In addition, the weight of the same case, T-50′s wing loading is lower than the F-22, and the use of the ternary thrust-vectoring nozzle, can easily pitch, yaw and roll control. Their mobility should be better than F-22 came out on top.

advantages of the super information, F-22 the most important feature of information is powerful, equipped with advanced electronically scanned phased array radar, and exhibitors from the situation in recent years, the U.S. fighters Information and data link are far ahead of his country.

T-50 is equipped with the “electronic driver” functions of the new avionics system. This makes T-50 fighter to become network-centric, so that it can be used with ground and air fleet command and control system for real-time data exchange, but also helps to focus the pilot to complete the tactical task.

Five Russian-Indian cooperation in R & D machine driven revival of the Russian military industry

Russia’s military cooperation with India as a long-standing strategic partner, started early in the joint development of fifth generation fighter aircraft to consult on the issue. The Soviet Union to the Russian economy a serious impact, huge budget deficits and brain drain to the development of Russian industrial sectors weak follow-up. As the fifth-generation fighter project cost is extremely high R & D, Russia, unable to afford on their own, while the Indian side want to share cutting-edge aviation technology for the future development of stealth aircraft has accumulated experience in independent, so the two quickly reached a preliminary agreement, the two sides of 50% development costs to ensure the implementation of this expensive project.

2010 In December, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to India, the two countries finally signed a fifth-generation fighter aircraft co-development agreement. The two sides agreed in the next 10 years, co-production of 250-300 the fifth-generation fighter aircraft. New fighter aircraft to the Russian T-50 prototype, modeled, and developed two models, one for the Russian Air Force needed a single-seat, another seat for the layout of the Indian Air Force requirements. The first aircraft will be completed in the 2017 test flight, followed by the troops.

to develop project-specific implementation side of the Russian Sukhoi and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics, the former is responsible for the project’s main work, which is in charge of the project, including composite parts and avionics systems, electronic warfare systems and cockpit displays and other electronic equipment design.

Sukhoi’s general manager, said this joint project has a higher benefit-cost ratio, between Russia and India will not only help enhance the Air Force’s defense capabilities, will also be fighters in the world to gain significant market share, the Russian military industry to restore vigor and vitality.

T-50′s international influence should not be underestimated

with the Russian fifth generation fighter development project progresses, many people worry that this may set off various countries racing to develop a new round of fierce competition of new aircraft to break the national and regional strategic balance.

Russia can claim to compete with the F-22 T-50 appears, the United States face the challenge of being a monopoly situation, it may restart the “Raptor” equipment program. Previously, the F-22 costs too high, there is no rival in the world, then U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced that the U.S. air force to 187, the end kind, production. But now the U.S. may re-open the production line to restore the F-22 production, or development of more advanced aircraft response. U.S. media have reported, the U.S. military has begun to determine the sixth-generation fighter technology, performance requirements, the sixth-generation fighter is expected to serve between 2025 and 2030.

In addition, Russia and India are likely to stimulate the success of China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries, more efforts to develop fifth generation fighter aircraft. This will inevitably lead to regional strategic balance, Pakistan may follow India’s example, procurement of new weapons and strengthen one’s own strength, further deterioration of the border with Pakistan, the fragile security situation in the region.

In any case, the fifth-generation fighter whose time has come, regardless of the road ahead is smooth or rough, Russia, in courage, in order to achieve the Air Force to build the new century to regain its past glory of the dream.

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