The Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant has published on its website new photos of a prototype of Russia’s T-50 fighter aircraft, RT.com reported Sunday.The pictures show the fighter jet, which costs approximately $50 million per aircraft, undergoing initial test flights.
The report noted that Russian company Sukhoi develops the aircraft to replace the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet.
Yury Borisov, Russia’s deputy defense minister, said in September that the country’s defense ministry will begin mass production of T-50 in 2017 with a plan to acquire at least one squadron of the aircraft by next year, RT.com added.
The T-50 single-seat aircraft is comparable to the U.S.’ F-35 and F-22 jets as well as China’s J-20 plane, according to a report by Brad Lendon for CNN.
The twin-engine fighter jet has a 30mm cannon designed to fire 1,800 tracer and incendiary rounds per minute at land-based targets at a range of up to 1800 meters.
Another version of T-50 is under development phase for export to India’s air force, Lendon added.
