Lajos
F. Szászdi
* This list of issues was originally
finished and saved on July 21, 2010, in Falls Church, Virginia.
Points that have appeared since my first paper
on the Russian stealth fighter was written and which could merit to be added
briefly to the final PAK FA paper:
1) Mention the conformal L-Band
radars in the wings’ leading edge. This L-Band frequency is associated with a stealth
plane detection capability. (I will add 4 sources).
2)
Russia plans a squadron of
15-20 PAK FA in their aircraft carrier after its modernization.
3)
The Director of Sukhoi said the
main quality of the PAK FA is to approach the enemy undetected. In the hands of
an export customer of the plane, the PAK FA could be used to conduct a sneak
attack against us or our allies.
4)
Sukhoi’s Director estimated
that there would be a world market for 1,000 PAK FA in the next 40 years. Possible
main breakdown of those numbers: 250 for Russia , 250 for India , and
perhaps 250 for China ?
5)
According to Prime Minister
Putin, the PAK FA will be superior to the F-22 in maneuverability, armament and
range, and it would cost 3 times less. He said also the life span of the aircraft
with improvements would be of 30-35 years.
6)
PAK FA’s AESA radars in the
front and the rear for 120º radar coverage in the front and rear hemispheres.
7)
Russia
plans to produce 60 fighters from 2016 on. It seems that these 60 planes may be
produced as part of a Russian arms procurement program spanning from 2011 to
2020. If so, from 2016 to 2020 production of the aircraft may be of 12 fighters
a year in an initial production run of five years.
8)
Update: Russia ’s
current hard currency and gold reserves have grown to $467 billion.
9)
Work on the second generation
(the one presumably with Supercruise capability) engine for the PAK FA will
begin in 2010-2011.
10)
Correction: The PAK FA will
have 6 external hardpoints for weapons, in addition to the 10 internal ones.
11)
Correction: China by 2025
would not have as many PAK FA like the 187 F-22, but it could have over 60 PAK
FA by 2025. The production rate of the advanced Su-30MKK (the version of the
Su-30MK for China )
in Komsomolsk-on-Amur ’s
Sukhoi factory reached the level of 24 completed machines a year. If Russia would
export the PAK FA to China ,
from 2023 to 2025 China
could receive 72 Russian stealth fighters. If production for Chinese PAK FAs
begin in 2021 and continues up to 2025, China could have 120 Russian
stealth fighters by the end of 2025. A navalized PAK FA could also be offered
to China for the former Varyag aircraft
carrier.