The Sukhoi T-50

The Cold War was over but the ever-continuing race for space supremacy doesn’t mean to end. Allied or opposing nations may come in terms to agree with each other on common grounds but deep inside each will have the self reservation to secure their individual interests should any eventuality arise that each must face each other on the battlefield for a conflict of interests that couldn’t be resolved on the bargaining table. As history repeats itself, mankind will have to forget the lessons it learned through hard times of lives lost and edifices destroyed in acts of war for the same reason, insecurity .

Keeping in circulation to adapt to the call of the times, Russia just need to keep up with the west in pursuing her strategic capabilities as a once powerful nation. The state of worldwide economy just seems to make everything unstable and with it comes the worst possibilities which could be expected.

The Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA (Perspektivny aviatsionny kompleks frontovoy aviatsii) or “"Future Frontline Aircraft System" in literal translation is a 5thgeneration jet-fighter developed by Sukhoi for the Russian Air Force. By the status of the program, it was meant to compete with the US built Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II. Russia’s Sukhoi and India’s HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) has joined forces for building two variants of this aircraft, a single-seater of about 200 units and a twin-seater of about 50 units for Russian Air Force with 200 twin-seater units and 50 single-seater variants for the Indian Air Force.

he Soviet Union’s need to replace the fleet of Mig-29 Fulcrums and Su-27 Flankers came about in the late 80’s which were met with two options, the Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut and the Mikoyan Project 1.44. Sukhoi won the contract of developing the new combat aircraft in 2002 and the design for a prototype was approved in 2009 which integrates both technologies from the Su-47 and the Mikoyan Project 1.44. The first prototype took to the skies in January 2010 out of the 3 built. Information on the fighter was highly classified however photographs taken of the prototype reveals its striking similarity with the US built F-22 Raptor which incorporates both stealth and supercruise capabilities thus it is assumed that the Russian fighter itself features the same strong points.

Performance Specifications based on data from Warfare.Ru

Performance

* Maximum speed:Mach 2.45 (3,000+ km/h, 1,850+ mph)
* g-limits:(9 g)
* Cruise speed:1,800 km/h (1,100 mph)
* Ferry range:4,000 to 5,500 km (2,500 to 3,400 mi)
* Service ceiling:20,000 m (65,617 ft)
* Rate of climb:350 m/s (68,898 ft/min)
* Wing loading:470 kg/m² (96.3 lb/ft²)
* Thrust/weight:1.4 (dry thrust)
* Runway:350 m (1,148 ft)
* Endurance:3.3 hrs (198 mins)