Slipping down the slope: More Problems for the Russian PAK-FA

The PAK-FA continues to have problems. The single largest one the Russians will admit to is the engine. The current engine being used is not powerful enough for the performance desired from the aircraft. the Russians embarked on designing, building and testing a new one. Yet...that too has slipped. Sukhoi had been claiming the engine would start bench testing and sale through. However, ODK General Director Aleksandr Artyukhov just poured a bit of cold water on that:

ODK General Director Aleksandr Artyukhov has dampened the prospects for Russia’s developmental fifth generation fighter aircraft, the T-50 or PAK FA. Friday in Lukhovitsy at the presentation of the MiG-35, Artyukhov told RIA Novosti that R&D on PAK FA’s “second phase” engine won’t be complete until 2020.

russiandefpolicy.blog...

What do we think is the likely problem? Has it been too long since the Russians did a fresh start engine design? Manufacturing problems? I'd thought they were fine with prototypical one offs, but had issues with mass manufacture only? Or am I wrong on that?

Or is it purely monetary woes?

Or something else?

a reply to: anzha

Combination of monetary issues, and production problems IMO. They've had a lot of recent production issues they've been slowly getting under control.

Maybe Trump will sell them some F119s?

Sukhoi is now saying the engines "R&D Phase" will be done by the Russians, not India and will be complete by 2020...but "Production on the PAK-FA will begin in 2017". Things that make you say "hmm".

Interestingly enough, MiG announced THEY are developing a "true 5th Generation" lightweight fighter. It is not going to compete with the Sukhoi PAK-FA. Seeing how MiG just began flight testing the latest MiG-35 two days ago, the whole timing of the announcement is a bit odd.

The MiG-29/35 and Sukhoi 27/30/35 et.al. are very capable fighters in their own right and developing 5th Gen fighters requires massive amounts of capital and cutting edge technology. It seems that international ego and internal competition between sister companies MiG and Sukhoi (both owned by UAC United Aircraft Company) has as much to do with these announcements as much as anything else.

...or trying to keep their Indian partner happy and onside.

a reply to: Leonidas

They've had a lot of issues with the FGFA deal. India has been close to canceling it, and Russia has been bending over backwards to keep them happy and the deal intact. They've made some major concessions and I think this is going to hurt. India hasn't been happy with the performance of the T-50 to date.

It'll be interesting to see the first time they bring them to Red Flag once they're operational, if they don't kill the deal.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The latest demand from India is that they want to have export rights. That's gotta be really close to a deal breaker for the Russians. If the Russians accept that condition, then we know exactly how broke they really are.

a reply to: anzha

It'll also be interesting to see what they do if they do tank the deal. Will they just go with more Rafaels, possibly re-tender with an option for the Eurofighter.

Turkey have invited Pakistan to join them in their development of their 5th gen stealth

quwa.org...

and have also just signed a new deal with BAE while May was in Turkey to help develop their new hardward

www.bbc.com...

Can't see India wanting to be left behind.

Resurrecting Tumansky R-15,s with a bigger fuel load?

originally posted by: Blackfinger
Resurrecting Tumansky R-15,s with a bigger fuel load?

R-15 was designed for going fast. It is pretty much a ramjet with a turbo stage, only works well above mach 2. I think the original design was for a cruise missile.

a reply to: Donkey09

What are the odds that an invitation to Pakistan to join in on the development is a de facto reaching out to the Chinese behind closed doors for their own expertise.

Did Turkey just become the first country to purchase a Chinese export 5th gen?

I have a funny feeling that their 5th gen design will end up being to the J-20 or the J-31 what the Mitsubishi F-2 and the AIDC Ching-Kuo are to the F-16.

a reply to: moebius
Yes and also threw two of them in to power the Mig25 Foxbat.They also powered the Tupolev Tu-123 which was the USSR version of the A12.

The Russians are now signalling the PAK-FA production is delayed past 2018:

russiandefpolicy.blog...

Are the current engines on Su-35S not powerful enough?

a reply to: manfatman

No. They're not efficient or reliable enough either.