Thursday, August 29, 2013

PAK-FA/T-50 Display at MAKS 2013 Disappoints


The T-50 display at MAKS is tamer than some people hoped. Despite the statements of political and industry leaders, I suspect that the fighter won't be in service for some years, expect possibly in the form of a small test squadron, because what the Russian industry has set out to do is difficult by any standard.

Some of the clues to the fighter's development here also suggest that the T-50 will not constitute the entire fighter force for a long time, if ever. The Tactical Missiles Corporation exhibit booth points to two things: a robust weapons development program for the conventional Su-35S, and a "kick the door down" mission for the stealth fighter.

Absent here is any sign of all-new weapons for the T-50, which instead looks likely to enter service with refined versions of existing systems. Interestingly, the closest that the T-50 (so far) is confirmed to be getting to an all-new weapon is a highly modified version of an existing anti-radar missile, the folding-wing Kh-58UShE.

link.

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