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Advanced Russian jet fighter enters production
May 3, 2011, 13:10 GMT
Moscow - The first production version of a fighter jet that promises to fill a critical gap in Russia's air defences has carried out a successful flight, the Interfax news agency reported Tuesday.
The Sukhoi-35S fighter completed a one-hour test flight Monday above the eastern city of Komsomolsk-Na-Amure without incident, a Sukhoi spokesmen said in a report by Interfax.
The Kremlin ordered 48 of the aircraft in 2009 as part of a 2.5- billion-dollar deal.
The flight marked the first time Russia's current top-line fighter was built start-to-finish in a factory. This and subsequent units will be delivered to the Russian air force, officials said.
The Sukhoi-35 is an upgraded version of the Su-27 fighter jet. Long a mainstay of the Russian air force's fighter arm, the Su-27 first flew in 1992. The first prototype Su-35 flew in 2009.
The Kremlin currently operates about a dozen Su-27 airframe aircraft upgraded to Su-35 capabilities, each modified by hand. Improvements include advanced avionics, more-powerful engines and better maneuverability.
The Su-35's designers say the plane is comparable or superior to any fighter in the world, with the exception of the US-built F-22.
Venezuela, India, Libya and China have expressed interest in the aircraft, Interfax reported.
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