Russia and India to work on fifth generation aircraft together

Russia and India will go on working to extend the range of BrahMos missiles and to build a fifth-generation aircraft, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday.

"We will supply and improve the BrahMos missile system. We will make its ground, air-and sea-based modifications. We have agreed to work on the extension of the range of these systems. We will also work together on a fifth-generation plane," he said.

The Russian leader said he is satisfied with Russia’s military technical cooperation with India, however, in his words, this is not the only sphere of bilateral cooperation that is of interest for the sides. According to Putin, great possibilities stem from the development of "civil economy" as India’s population is big enough and its incomes are rather high. So, in his words, Russian manufacturers are interested in this market.  

Russia's fifth generation stealth fighter

The T-50 (the Promising Aviation Complex of Frontline Aviation abbreviated as PAK FA in Russian) is Russia’s response to the US F-22 fifth-generation fighter jet. 

The T-50 aircraft is the quintessence of all advanced technologies in Russia’s aircraft-building. Little is known about its characteristics and the larger part of information is kept in secret so far.

It is known that the PAK FA incorporates a whole range of carbon fiber reinforced polymers for the first time ever. They are twice as lighter as aluminum of comparable strength and titanium and four or five times lighter than steel. The new materials make up 70% of the fighter jet’s coating, which has allowed developers to reduce its design weight: the T-50 weighs four times less than an aircraft made of traditional materials.