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Russia’s T-50 Fifth Generation Jet Fighter on Par With US F-35 – US Media

© Sputnik / Vladimir Astapkovich / Go to the mediabankA T-50 airplane during demo flights at the Russian stage of the Aviadarts-2015 Flight Skills Competition in Voronezh
A T-50 airplane during demo flights at the Russian stage of the Aviadarts-2015 Flight Skills Competition in Voronezh - Sputnik International
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Russia and India are close to inking a much-delayed agreement to jointly develop a fifth generation fighter aircraft on par with America’s F-35 Lightning II, a Chicago-based internet portal reported on Saturday.

Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft T-50 - Sputnik International
Russia to Buy as Many T-50 PAK-FA Fighters as Manufacturers Can Produce
With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to visit Russia on July 7, speculation is swirling about the potential for a final agreement between the two countries regarding a jointly developed and produced Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft, based on Russia’s T-50 PAK FA, RealClearPolitics wrote.

Code-named Project 79L by the Indian Defense Ministry, the FGFA program came to life with an initial announcement on October 20, 2007, shortly after New Delhi and Moscow signed an agreement exempting the program from normal procurement rules, RCP added.

The project soon began to take form when India and Russia signed a collaborative preliminary design contract in December 2010, whereby each side put up $295 million toward finalizing the aircraft's basic configuration.

The preliminary design phase on Russia's nascent fifth-generation fighter, the PAK FA (Sukhoi T-50), was wrapped up in mid-2013, and the two countries are now discussing the structural elements of the future plane.

Defense News earlier reported that the companies had smoothed their differences over an increase in India's work share in the FGFA from the current level of less than 20 percent to 40 percent.

© Sputnik / Valeriy MelnikovSukhoi T-50 PAK FA
Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA - Sputnik International
Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA

Russia also agreed to the Indian demand for a double-seat version of the new plane instead of the original, single-seat, option.

India is reportedly willing to include a firm order for 154 FGFAs in the draft agreement – a sop to Russian concerns regarding T-50 development and unit-production costs, as well as concrete assurance of an export order.

A finalized deal will enable Russia to more easily bear the costs of the expensive PAK FA development.

In addition, this will also provide its air force with a state-of-the-art stealth combat aircraft and its industry with the necessary momentum to maintain a level of technological equality with the US as it rolls out its second stealth fighter, the F-35, RCP wrote in conclusion.

© AFP 2023 / KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEVRussia's stealth fighters T-50 perform during the MAKS-2013, the International Aviation and Space Show, in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on August 27, 2013
Russia's stealth fighters T-50 perform during the MAKS-2013, the International Aviation and Space Show, in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on August 27, 2013 - Sputnik International
Russia's stealth fighters T-50 perform during the MAKS-2013, the International Aviation and Space Show, in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on August 27, 2013
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