Fifth generation Russian fighter plane to be ready in 2007

RIA Novosti ^

[Srirangan]

Moscow: Russia's fifth-generation fighter plane will be ready in 2007, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Vladimir Mikhailov said Tuesday.

"Work to build the fifth-generation plane is going according to schedule," he said.

Mikhailov said, however, that the project had encountered some financial problems after civilian aircraft were produced using the money allocated in the budget for the fighter planes.

"Clearly, the development of aviation technology will depend on specific military and economic conditions, determining the progress of reform in the Russian armed forces and the country's aircraft construction industry. However, Russia will continue to be a leading aircraft-building power," he said.

[diogenes ghost]

Oh, wake up yourself. One of the few things that functioned well in the Soviet system was arms production. If Russia is to export anything to generate income, it will be oil, arms, and Russian brides. They cannot afford a robust military of their own, but they can still build export armament, it keeps the wolf away from the door.

[xrp]

'Bug is a twenty-year-old design

almost 40 year old design! F-18 is based heavily off the YF-17 which had initial conception in the late 1960s.

[Tom Bombadil]

the project had encountered some financial problems

I thought maybe.

1980's all over again.

[GarySpFc]

Oh, wake up yourself. One of the few things that functioned well in the Soviet system was arms production. If Russia is to export anything to generate income, it will be oil, arms, and Russian brides. They cannot afford a robust military of their own, but they can still build export armament, it keeps the wolf away from the door.

You are correct regarding Russia exporting oil and arms. They feel the need to keep their arms industry seeing as they cannot forget the huge losses they suffered in WWII. Without a reliable supplier of arms they would be in serious trouble. You are incorrect regarding the Russian brides being a money maker. There simply are not that many, and additionally they has been much talks in restricting the marriage to foreign men completely.

[hattend]

bttt

[FastCoyote]

"That thing is about as combat ready as my sofa.
It doesn't carry enough gas to go around the block."

What I see is a huge center of gravity shift with fuel tanks so far forward. That canard must go through a a wide range of motion to compensate.

[diogenes ghost]

"Ripped off the Raptor."...Did you ever see the similarities between the F22/F23? When designing aircraft for similar missions, different designers will usually come up with similar looking designs, purely due to aerodynamics.

[Rockitz]

I don't have time to 'splain it to you, Lucy.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

The preproduction aircraft doesn't have a probe, and while one could be added, it would only increase the weight and complexity a bit more.

Also, the Russians don't seem to have placed nearly our emphasis on aerial refueling: I can find reference to only one Air Regiment of Il-78 Midas tankers currently in operation.

[SQUID]

Interesting. It seems that Russia may be benefiting from the global Islamic distraction since the US is engaged in war with Islamofascists.

It does indeed look like Russia is trying to play the nice guy with Iran who is a source for much of the anti western hatred. Perhaps to buy time for a new buildup?

However, the US government also supported Islamic loons against Russia because the US wanted to see Russia torn apart. Also, our government wanted to see her military resources and readiness exposed.

But you see, militant Islam has another agenda all together. They love using the the US and Russia against each other because they benefit. It's a fact that there are common Islamic militant elements from Chechnya, Bosnia, Iran, to Pakistan. Hell some of the same people who were known to be fighting in Chechnya ended up fighting in Bosnia. Islam has found a new awakening.

With that in mind, both are dealing with the devil and the simple fact is militant Islam has no loyalty to anyone. So, if anybody thinks everything will be okay because today they are helping an Islamic state get stronger they are sadly mistaken.

I would have never sold our US fighter planes to Pakistan. That was a slap in the face to India who is much more loyal to the US. And if I were Russia I wouldn't help Iran in anything nuke.

[sauron]

ah...don't forget the countermeasures they've deployed on their warheads...MARV or stealthed or something.

Move along, nothing to see here.

[MeanWestTexan]

The swept-forward wings look like what NASA was doing a few years ago for high mobility jets, but which was abandoned.

We consentrated on speed, instead.

[Kenny Bunk]

....don't seem to have placed nearly our emphasis on aerial refueling

This must be a holdover from the days when they were afraid of defectors flying off with their planes! Apparently, no COMBLOC pilot ever had a full tank!

Wonder what the combat radius actually is. Great planes for sure, but you can't do much with 10 minutes of combat time!

[conservative barking moonbat]

Hey dude! The wings are on backwards man!

[StAnDeliver]

That is a butt-ugly plane. Wonder how poorly the modified Delta would parry a flat spin?

[finnman69]

compare to this beauty

http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/articles/military_photos_20061140.asp

[finnman69]

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/il-76.htm

Il-78 MIDAS
In addition to the Candid, other versions of the aircraft include the A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning platform, and the Il-78 Midas aerial refueling tanker.

The Il-78 airplane, created on the basis of the Il-76 airplane, is designated for inflight refueling of airplanes of various purposes. The Midas is a three-point tanker probe and drogue based on (or converted from) the airframe of the Il-76MD military freighter, carrying a maximum payload of 48,000 kg. This new aerial-refueling tanker aircraft began development in teh early 1980s. When deployed, the new tanker supported tactical and strategic aircraft and significantly improved the ability of Soviet aircraft to conduct longer range operations. The former Soviet Union's only operational Il-78M regiment was based in Ukraine, which retained the aircraft after independence. Only a handful remained in Russian hands.

[Paul Ross]

You meant this...

[mcshot]

You sure have a colorful way of splainin things that I can understand and enjoy.

mc :-)

[Thunder90]

Not to mention that they are developing this thing with the Red Chinese and India.