Back in early March reports stated that work on the sixth-generation fighter aircraft had begun, with the fighter’s manned and unmanned versions under development. The fighter prototype is expected to perform its maiden flight prior to 2025. That said, KRET [KRET, a subsidiary of Rostec State Corporation] is currently working on electronic warfare (EW) systems for the new warplane. Meanwhile, Russia is testing the fifth-generation fighter PAK FA (also known as T-50) that had carried out its maiden flight in 2010. State tests for the T-50 are scheduled to be completed in 2016, and in 2017, followed by mass deliveries of these fighters to the army.
“Standalone solutions that will be applied in the sixth-generation fighter are now being tested on the fifth-generation jet as well as on the ground-based equipment. Separate elements of the flight and navigation system have already been installed on PAK FA”, Mikheyev said.
The T-50 is to be equipped with X-74M2 cruise missiles, which are capable of reaching Mach 4 in just a few seconds. The X-74M2 cruise missiles are allegedly capable of evading advanced NATO radar systems because of its small size and speed
A russian sixth-generation fighters will be fitted with a unified electronic warfare system, which will serve as a radar, an electronic warfare system, a data transmission system and as communications equipment. Additionally, it will function as a navigation system and as an IFF transponder.
The russian sixth generation fighter jets planned to be unveiled by 2025 will consist primarily of swarms of unmanned aircrafts flying at hypersonic speed with developers saying that the jets would be able to transit through space.
The unmanned drones will be equipped with electromagnetic pulse weapons which can disable electronics at a 10km range.
SOURCES- Tass, Sputnik news, IB times
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