The Sukhoi PAK FA is a twin-engine jet fighter being developed by Sukhoi
OKB for the Russian Air Force. The Sukhoi T-50 is the prototype for PAK
FA. The PAK FA is one of only a handful of stealth jet programs
globally. The PAK FA, when fully developed, is intended to be the
successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian inventory and serve as
the basis of theSukhoi/HAL FGFA being developed with India. A fifth
generation jet fighter, the T-50 performed its first flight 29 January
2010. Its second flight was on 6 February and its third on 12 February
2010. As of 31 August 2010, it had made 17 flights and by mid-November,
40 in total. The second prototype was to start its flight test by the
end of 2010, but this was delayed until March 2011. Sukhoi director
Mikhail Pogosyan has projected a market for 1,000 aircraft over the next
four decades, which will be produced in a joint venture with India, 200
each for Russia and India and 600 for other countries. He has also said
that the Indian contribution would be in the form of joint work under
the current agreement rather than as a joint venture. The Indian Air
Force will "acquire 50 single-seater fighters of the Russian version"
before the two seat FGFA is developed. The Russian Defense Ministry will
purchase the first 10 aircraft after 2012 and then 60 after 2016. The
first batch of fighters will be delivered with current technology
engines. Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis of
Strategies and Technologies, has projected that Vietnam will be the
second export customer for the fighter. The PAK-FA is expected to have a
service life of about 30--35 years.