Russia to field fifth-generation stealth fighter in 2013

Feb 13, 2012, 9:43 GMT

Moscow - The Russian air force will receive a new fifth-generation stealth fighter jet in 2013 for field testing, a military official said in a report by the Interfax news agency.

Prototype tests of the Sukhoi T-50 jet were underway and there was no doubt the aircraft would be turned over to air force units for field testing next year, Colonel General Aleksandr Zelin said.

Russia's most advanced fighter, the T-50 first flew in 2010. Three test aircraft have reportedly been built.

Squadrons operating the fourth generation fighter MiG-31 already are receiving new air-to-air missiles doubling previous effective ranges, which also will increase Russian air force combat effectiveness, Zelin said.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called for heavy government investment into new, modern equipment for the country's armed forces.

The air force hopes to field as many as 60 T-50 fighter jets by 2016, according to news reports.

The US currently is the only country operating a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-22. The jets are between five and ten times more effective than older combat aircraft, according to US estimates.