Russia to Accelerate Testing of Fifth Generation T-50 Fighter Aircraft

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) of Russia will accelerate the development of the T-50 fighter aircraft also known as by its Russian abbreviation PAK-FA by building three more prototypes.

The prototypes will be delivered to the testing team consisting of Irkut Corp, a company under UAC and the Russian air force which is jointly testing the prototypes.

This will add to the four flying prototypes and two test beds already undergoing various, head of the UAC, Yuri Slyusar said at the Paris Air Show yesterday.

The target is to meet the deadline of 2016-2017 to complete the test phase of the project and hand over the limited series production aircraft to the Russian Air Force for further testing in user conditions.

“We can say that we are on schedule and these three additional prototypes will allow us to greatly expand the testing program and do it faster,” he said during a media briefing at the Paris Air Show.

There were earlier fears that the program had slipped due to various factors and delivery to the air force could be delayed beyond 2018.

The T-50 is claimed to have stealth features which are ahead of the US F-35 and F-22, Russian media has reported earlier.