Sukhoi PAK FA The Sukhoi PAK FA ( , , " Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii " , literally " Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation " ) is a twin - engine jet fighter being developed by Sukhoi for the Russian Air Force . The Sukhoi T - 50 is the prototype for PAK FA . The PAK FA is one of only a handful of stealth jet programs worldwide . The PAK FA , a fifth generation jet fighter , is intended to be the successor to the MiG - 29 and Su - 27 in the Russian inventory and serve as the basis of the Sukhoi / HAL FGFA being developed with India . The T - 50 prototype performed its first flight 29 January 2010 . The Russian Defence Ministry will purchase the first 10 evaluation example aircraft after 2012 and then 60 production standard aircraft after 2016 . The first batch of fighters will be delivered with current technology engines . The PAK - FA is expected to have a service life of about 30 – 35 years . Development . Origins . In the late 1980s , the Soviet Union outlined a need for a next - generation aircraft to replace its MiG - 29s and Su - 27s in front line service . Two projects were proposed to meet this need – the Sukhoi Su - 47 and the Mikoyan Project 1 . 44 . In 2002 , Sukhoi was chosen to lead the design for the new combat aircraft . The Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association is manufacturing the new multirole fighter at Komsomol ' sk - on - Amur along with Komsomolsk - on - Amur Aircraft Production Association . Final assembly is to take place at Komsomol ' sk - on - Amur . The Tekhnokompleks Scientific and Production Center , Ramenskoye Instrument Building Design Bureau , the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design , the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant ( Yekaterinburg ) , the Polet firm ( Nizhny Novgorod ) and the Central Scientific Research Radio Engineering Institute ( Moscow ) were pronounced winners in the competition held in early 2003 for the development of the avionics suite . NPO Saturn is the lead contractor for the engines . In 2007 , Russia and India agreed to jointly develop the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft Programme ( FGFA ) for India . In September 2010 , it was reported that India and Russia had agreed on a preliminary design contract where each country invests $ 6 billion ; development of the FGFA fighter was expected to take 8 – 10 years . The agreement on the preliminary design was to be signed in December 2010 . On 8 August 2007 , Russian Air Force Commander - in - Chief ( CinC ) Alexander Zelin was quoted by Russian news agencies that the development stage of the PAK FA program was complete and construction of the first aircraft for flight testing would begin . Zelin also said that by 2009 there would be three fifth - generation aircraft ready . " All of them are currently undergoing tests and are more or less ready , " he said . In mid - 2009 the design was approved . Flight testing . The T - 50 ' s maiden flight had been repeatedly postponed since early 2007 as the aircraft encountered unspecified technical problems . Alexander Zelin admitted as recently as August 2009 that problems with the engine and in technical research remained unsolved . On 28 February 2009 , Mikhail Pogosyan announced that the airframe for the aircraft was almost finished and that the first prototype should be ready by August 2009 . On 20 August 2009 , Pogosyan said that the first flight would be by year ' s end . Konstantin Makiyenko , deputy head of the Moscow - based Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies said that " even with delays " , the aircraft would likely make its first flight by January or February , adding that it would take five to ten years for commercial production . On 8 December 2009 , Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov announced that the first trials with the fifth - generation aircraft would begin in 2010 . The first taxi test was successfully completed on 24 December 2009 . Piloted by Hero of the Russian Federation Sergey Bogdan , the aircraft ' s 47 - minute maiden flight took place on 29 January 2010 at KnAAPO ' s Dzemgi Airport in the Russian Far East . By 31 August 2010 , it had made 17 flights and by mid - November , 40 in total . The second T - 50 was to start its flight test by the end of 2010 , but this was delayed until March 2011 . A second prototype was first planned to join the flight testing in the fourth quarter of 2010 but was postponed . On 3 March 2011 , it was reported that the second aircraft had made a successful 44 - minute test flight . These first two aircraft will lack radar and weapon control systems . The third and fourth aircraft , to be added in 2011 , will be fully functional test aircraft . On 14 March 2011 , the aircraft achieved supersonic flight at a test range near Komsomolsk - on - Amur . The T - 50 was displayed publicly for the first time at the 2011 MAKS Airshow . Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was in attendance . In June 2011 , an unauthorized video was made of the Sukhoi PAK FA in flight displaying a variety of aerobatic moves . On 3 November 2011 , the PAK FA program achieved its 100th flight . More than 20 test flights were made in the next nine months . The third prototype , T - 50 - 3 , was the first prototype to fly with an AESA radar . Originally scheduled for the end of 2011 , these flights occurred in August 2012 , and showed performance comparable to existing radars . On 22 November 2011 , T - 50 - 3 took its first flight from KnAAPO ' s airfield in Komsomolsk - on - Amur , piloted by Sergey Bogdan . The aircraft spent over an hour in the air , and was subjected to basic stability and powerplant checks . It differs from the other prototypes in the way it lacks a pitot tube . All 14 test aircraft are scheduled to fly by 2015 . The fourth prototype had its first flight on 12 December 2012 and joined the other three aircraft in testing near Moscow a month later . The fifth prototype had its first flight on 27 October 2013 ; with this flight the program has amassed more than 450 flights . Design . Overview . Although most information about the PAK FA is classified , sources within in the Russian Air Force and Defense Ministry have openly stated that it features stealth technology and has the capability to supercruise , and incorporate advanced avionics such as an Active Electronically Scanned Array ( AESA ) radar and an artificial intelligence system . It is to be outfitted with the next generation of air - to - air , air - to - surface , and air - to - ship missile s . The T - 50 has a blended wing - body design and incorporates all - moving vertical stabilizers and horizontal elevators . The aircraft has wing leading - edge devices above the jet engine ( LEVCONs ) designed to control vortices generated by the leading edge for improved behaviour at high AOA . The two engines incorporate 2D thrust vectoring nozzles canted at an angle , similar to the configuration on the Su - 35S . Differential actuation of these nozzles can produce a rolling and yawing moment . The aircraft inlet incorporates variable intake ramp s for increased supersonic engine efficiency and retractable mesh screens to prevent foreign object debris from being ingested into the engines . Composites are used extensively on the T - 50 and comprise 25 % of its weight and almost 70 % of the outer surface . Weapons are housed in two tandem missile bays , each estimated to be between 4 . 6 - 4 . 7 m long . The main bays are augmented by bulged , triangular - section bays at the wing root . Stealth . The T - 50 will be the first operational stealth aircraft in Russian service . Similar to Western stealth fighters like the F - 22 , the airframe incorporates planform alignment in its leading and trailing edges and sawtooth edges for its skin panels . The serpentine inlet obscures most , but not all , of the compressor face of the engine . The production aircraft will incorporate radar blockers similar in principle to that of the F / A - 18E / F to hide the compressor face from all angles . The T - 50 ' s stealthy features are most apparent in the forward hemisphere ; the shaping of the aft fuselage is much less conducive to radar stealth . The production T - 50 is estimated to have reduced the radar cross - section to that of a tennis ball from optimal angles . Avionics . The T - 50 ' s avionics consists of the Sh121 multifunctional integrated radio electronic system ( MIRES ) and the 101KS electro - optical system . The Sh121 consists of the N036 radar complex and L402 electronic countermeasures system . The N036 radar complex is developed by Tikhomirov NIIP Institute and consists of a main nose - mounted X - band AESA radar with 1522 T / R modules , designated the N036 - 1 - 01 , and two smaller X - band AESA radars with 358 T / R modules mounted on the sides of the forward fuselage designated N036B - 1 - 01 . The suite also has two N036L - 1 - 01 L - band arrays on the wing ' s leading edge extensions that function primarily as identification friend or foe ( IFF ) . According to Sukhoi , the radar will reduce pilot load and make use of a new data link to share information between aircraft . In 2012 ground tests began on the third aircraft of the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design ' s AESA radar . The L402 electronic countermeasures ( ECM ) suite made by the KNIRTI institute uses both its own arrays and that of the N036 radar . One of its arrays is mounted in the dorsal sting between the two engines . The 101KS electro - optical system includes the 101KS - V infra - red search and track mounted on the starboard side in front of the cockpit . This sensor can detect , identify , and track multiple airborne targets simultaneously . The 101KS - O is mounted on a turret in the dorsal spine and is a laser - based countermeasure against heat - seaking missiles . The complex will also include the 101KS - U ultraviolet warning sensors and 101KS - N navigation and targeting pod . Cockpit . Life support systems will enable pilots to perform 9 - g maneuvers for up to 30 seconds at a time . New pressure suits will allow safe ejection at altitudes of up to 23 km . Armament . The PAK FA has a reported maximum weapons load of 7 , 500 kg . It has an apparent provision for a cannon ( most likely GSh - 301 ) . The PAK FA has two internal bays estimated at 4 . 6 - 4 . 7 metres by 1 - 1 . 1 metres . The expected initial armaments include Kh - 35UE ( AS - 20 " Kayak " ) , Kh - 38ME , Kh - 58UShKE ( AS - 11 " Kilter " ) , and RVV - MD ( AA - 11 " Archer " ) missiles . Two Izdeliye 810 Extended beyond visual range missiles per weapons bay . Multiple Izdeliye 180 / K77M beyond visual range missiles . K74 and K30 within visual range missiles can also be carried . Two KH38M or KH58 USHK air - to - ground missiles per weapons bay . Multiple 250 – 500 kg precision guided bombs per weapons bay , with a maximum of 10 bombs in internal bays . Other possible loads include one 1 , 500 kg bomb per weapons bay or two 400 km + range anti - AWACS weapons ( such as the RVV - BD ) on external hardpoints . PAK FA chief designer Alexander Davydenko has said that there is a possibility of the installation of BrahMos supersonic missile on the PAK FA and its FGFA derivative . However , it is unclear how these missiles will be installed , though it can be one or two missiles only due to heavy weight of the BrahMos . Engines . Pre - production and initial serial production models of the T - 50 will use first stage engines , a pair of Izdeliye " 117 " ( AL - 41F1 ) . The engine is a highly improved variant of the AL - 31 , and features an increased diameter fan , new high and low pressure turbines , and a digital control system ( FADEC ) . According to Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan , the " 117 " is a new fifth generation engine built specifically for the PAK - FA . Though the specifics of the new engine remain classified , information provided has included : increased engine thrust by 2 . 5 tonnes over the AL - 31 engine , a reduction in engine weight by . These changes allow the aircraft to supercruise , sustaining supersonic flight speeds without using afterburners . Mikhail Pogosyan further mentioned that the " 117 " engine meets most of the Russian Air Force ' s requirements and will be installed on initial production PAK - FA aircraft . The engine produces 21 , 000 lbs ( 93 . 1 kN ) of dry thrust , 33 , 000 lbs ( 147 kN ) of thrust in afterburner , and has a dry weight of 1420 kilogram and a thrust to weight ratio of 10 . 5 : 1 . In addition to increased thrust compared to its predecessors , the engine has a complex automation system to facilitate maneuverability and handling . Each nozzle has 2 - D thrust vectoring nozzles , and canting them at an angle enables the T - 50 to be the first fifth generation fighter with thrust vectoring moments along all three directional axes , pitch , yaw and roll . These engines will incorporate infrared and RCS reduction measures . Production T - 50 from 2020 onwards will be equipped with a more power second stage engine known as the Izdeliye 30 , which will be a clean sheet design . The engine will have increased thrust and fuel efficiency as compared to " 117 " . The powerplant is being designed to have 30 % lower specific weight than the " 117 " and a thrust of about 107 kN of dry thrust and 176 kN in full afterburner . Development began in 2011 and the engine is planned to be bench tested starting in 2014 . Operational history . In August 2011 , the Russian Air Force said that the new Sukhoi fighter is to enter service in 2014 – 2015 . " We will receive a T - 50 prototype in 2013 , " CinC Zelin told reporters . " Mass produced aircraft will not arrive until 2014 – 2015 . " Former deputy defense minister Vitaly Shlykov has questioned Russia ' s industrial capacity to produce the fighter in significant numbers . In March 2013 , the first aircraft is to be delivered for two years of state trials . As of June 2012 , construction of modernized testing facilities and a new runway to accommodate the next phase of the PAK FA program is underway at the 929th State Flight Test Center in Akhtubinsk . On 6 August 2013 , the Russian Air Force announced they will take delivery of their first T - 50 " in the third quarter of this year , " with final state test flights starting in the fourth quarter . The aircraft will enter service in 2016 . Exports . Sukhoi states that the main export advantage of the PAK FA is its lower cost than current US fifth generation jet fighters . Russia was reported to be offering the PAK FA for South Korea ' s next generation jet fighter . South Korea ' s defence procurement agency confirmed that the Sukhoi PAK FA was a candidate for the Republic of Korea Air Force ' s next - generation fighter ( F - X Phase 3 ) aircraft ; however , Sukhoi did not submit a bid by the January 2012 deadline . Russia ' s Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade predicts that the PAK FA will be available for export in 2025 ; though this may include the Sukhoi / HAL FGFA for India , the primary export version . Ruslan Pukhov , director of the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies , has projected that Vietnam will be the second export customer for the fighter . In 2012 , Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that Russia and India would jointly build the export version of the T - 50 starting in 2020 . In 2013 , United Aircraft Corporation president Mikhail Pogosyan said that the Russian PAK FA and the Sukhoi / HAL FGFA will use the " identical onboard systems and avionics " . In 2013 , Russia made an unsolicited call for Brazil to help in developing a next - generation fighter based on the T - 50 . Variants . FGFA . The completed joint Indian / Russian versions of the single - seat or two - seat FGFA will differ from the current T - 50 flying prototypes in 43 ways with improvements to stealth , supercruise , sensors , networking , and combat avionics . Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan has projected a market for 1 , 000 fighter aircraft over the next four decades , which will be produced in a joint venture with India , 200 each for Russia and India and 600 for other countries . He has also said that the Indian contribution would be in the form of joint work under the current agreement rather than as a joint venture . The Indian Air Force is to receive 50 of the single - seat " Russian version " before receiving the two - seat FGFA . However , the head of the Indian Air Force announced in October 2012 that the total number of FGFA for the IAF will only be 144 , and made up exclusively of the single - seat version . The current goal of the IAF is begin introduction of the FGFA in 2020 . Naval and other versions . Navalized Sukhoi T - 50 PAK FAs will be deployed on the Russian aircraft carrier " Admiral Kuznetsov " and future Russian aircraft carriers . There will be a competition between the Sukhoi , Mikoyan and Yakovlev design bureaus to choose the new naval aircraft . Alexei Fedorov has said that any decision on applying fifth - generation technologies to produce a smaller fighter ( comparative to the F - 35 ) must wait until after the heavy fighter , based on the T - 50 , is completed . UCAV . On 30 August 2013 , the United Aircraft Corporation said they were developing an unmanned combat air vehicle based on the T - 50 fighter . The drone is currently at a preliminary research stage . Once the fundamental specifications are agreed upon , creating it should be simple with the technology provided by the T - 50 program . The UCAV version will weight 20 tons and is expected to be unveiled in 2018 . Specifications . Because the aircraft is in development , these specifications are preliminary and are taken as estimates from the available images . External links . Flight videos and photos :