Russian stealth fighter may follow in the footsteps of the US F-22

The PAK-FA fighter may only be produced in limited numbers like the US F-22 due to engine and cost problems.

PAK-FA fighter jet performs at MAKS-2017 exhibition

Russia's PAK-FA stealth fighter project has just ended.first test flight phase anddevelopment is expected to be completed in 2019. However, the current version of the PAK-FA may only be produced in limited numbers, a problem that has appeared with the US F-22 stealth fighter, according toNational Interest.

President of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)Yuri Slyusar said that due toThe engine model for the 5th generation fighter has not been completed yet, the batchPAK-FA fighterfirst handoverfor the Russian Air ForceOnly 12 were built.

"That shows that PAK-FA will be produced in limited quantities from the funding of Russia's 2018-2025 State Armaments Procurement Program," said Michael Kofman, a Russian military research expert at the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA).

The PAK-FA prototype performs at the MAKS-2017 air show. Photo: Marina Lystseva.

Another issue that may force Russia to limit the number of PAK-FA is funding. Despite its great power and potential,This stealth fighter has a unit priceestimated at over 100 million USD/unit.This is what happened with the US F-22 project. The US military planned to buy up to 750 stealth aircraft under this project, but only 187 fighters were produced and put into service at a unit price of 150 million USD/unit.

The small number of stealth aircraft may make it difficult for the Russian Air Force to gain a clear advantage in air combat. In addition, this also causes the production cost of each fighter to skyrocket. Russia will have to look for foreign customers to cover the costs of maintaining the mass production line.

These will limit the PAK-FA's combat capabilities, making it only capable of performing a few key missions. The Russian Air Force will still have to rely on its main force of 4th and 4.5th generation fighters in the coming years, according toKofman.

According to VNE