According to Defense Analysts of reputed Aviation Magazine VayuAerospace, IAF is unlikely to get Futuristic stealth fighter anytime before 2024-2025. Even after visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month Technical and Price differences continue to mar the joint Project with Russia to develop the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA).
Russian media house ITAR-TASS in its report recently had informed that Russian air force will start getting first T-50 aircrafts by 2016 and Production variant of Pak-Fa will have its first flight by 2019 and Russian air force will get them by 2023.
While IAF is unhappy by lack of access given by Russians on the T-50 Project to them and has also questioned the development of new engines and Avionics suite since Sukhoi is also not sharing any information about their status and technical specifications.
Once an agreement is reached by India and Russia. Sukhoi will supply 3 T-50 Prototypes within 5 years timeframe for testing and customization and it is likely that post 2020 first FGFA will take flight and will enter the Production by 2024.
PAK FA (T-50) is multipurpose fifth-generation fighter jet, created by the Sukhoi design bureau. The plane performed its first flight in 2010 and 5 Prototypes have been flying since then, but many of technologies which will go in Production variant are still under development like new Engines and AESA radar and avionics.
India and Russia had finalized $290 million preliminary design contract in Dec 2010 according to which Sukhoi T-50 could be “tweaked ” to Indian requirements. Final R&D contracts which were to be signed by 2012, is still not done and India’s Workshare has been reduced to 13% from 50 % while India will be contribute $ 5.5 billion on the program which includes design and development .
SOURCE : http://idrw.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment