Russian Air Force to get first T-50 fighter jet this year

The Russian Air Force will take delivery of its first fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet “in the third quarter of this year” for final state test flights starting in the fourth quarter, the service’s commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Tuesday. In late April, President Vladimir Putin said the T-50 would enter service with the country’s armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as had been previously announced. United Aircraft Corporation’s President Mikhail Pogosyan said T-50 flight tests would begin in 2014, reported the Russian (RIA Novosti) news agency . The T-50, which will make up the core of Russia’s future fighter fleet, is a multirole warplane featuring “stealth” technology,” super-maneuverability, super-cruise capability, and advanced avionics including an active electronically-scanned array radar, according to its designer Sukhoi. India also plans to buy a fighter aircraft based on the T-50, known as the FGFA (fifth-generation fighter aircraft). United Aircraft Corporation is the state holding company uniting Russia’s aircraft building industry including Sukhoi, a military and civil aircraft manufacturer.