Aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi is developing Russia’s first supersonic “single-engine light tactical fighter,” TASS has reported.
The aircraft will have a take-off weight of 18 tons and fly at a speed of over Mach 2 (2,450 km per hour) with a low radar cross-section, the state-run news agency added.
Additional aircraft characteristics include extreme maneuverability and advanced take-off and landing “due to the deflected vector of the engine thrust and thrust-to-weight ratio of at least 1,” TASS quoted a source as saying.
Manned, Unmanned Versions
Sergei Chemezov, head of state-owned conglomerate Rostec, hinted at the development of the aircraft in December, saying that the organization is working on a concept of a single-engine aircraft in light and medium classes without assistance from the government.
He also revealed that the platform would be developed for both manned and unmanned versions.
Other Supersonic Stealth Aircraft
Russia currently has a twin-engine supersonic stealth aircraft, the Su-57. The Sukhoi-made multirole air-superiority fighter is double the weight of the new single-engine light tactical fighter currently under development.
Another Russian state-owned aircraft maker, Mikoyan, is also developing a supersonic stealth aircraft as a successor to the MiG-31 “Foxhound” interceptor.
The project of the Advanced Long-Range Intercept Aviation Complex (PAK DP), or MiG-41, is expected to take its maiden flight by 2025, followed by an induction into Russian Aerospace Forces beginning in 2028.
