PAK-FA Service Entry

Russia’s deputy defence minister responsible for procurement, Yury Borisov, revealed the latest fielding plan for the T-50 (PAK-FA) fifth-generation fighter on February 2. Borisov said deliveries to front-line squadrons could begin after 2018 and continue within the period of the next State Armaments Programme between 2018 and 2025.

Borisov hinted the current most important task is to complete the T-50’s test programme, possibly suggesting there are lots of test points still to be completed in the protracted state flight test and evaluation run by the Russian Air Force with support from the manufacturer Sukhoi.

Borisov claimed Russia’s existing fighter types meet the needs of the Russian Air Force and there is no urgency to spend money purchasing expensive new types. He said: “We have ordered a limited batch [of T-50s] to see how the new fighter would behave in real-world operation, identifying all shortcomings and introducing the relevant fixes; we will order when the time comes to take delivery of trouble-free aircraft.”