Russia to sell PAK-FA T-50 for 33% of $ of the F-22

Officials said Russia would offer fifth generation fighters for one-third of the cost of comparable Western aircraft. They said Russia was developing fighters that would be superior to current European and U.S. aircraft.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin walks away after inspecting a new Russian fighter jet after its test flight in Zhukovksy, outside Moscow, Thursday, June 17, 2010. The new jet, Sukhoi T-50, is Russia's response to the latest U.S. F-22 Raptor fighters. AP/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool

"It will be a machine superior to our main competitor, the F-22, in maneuverability, armament and range," Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.

On June 17, Putin toured a Russian aerospace facility that was developing and testing a fighter-jet prototype, designed to have a shelf life of up to 35 years. Officials said the unnamed aircraft completed 16 flight tests in a program costing a reported $1 billion.

Putin said the fighter-jet program would require another $1 billion investment. He said engineers were developing the engine, avionics and weapons for the aircraft.

Russia's Sukhoi has been working on a fifth-generation aircraft called Paka Fa. The prototype of the aircraft, called T-50, was designed to surpass the performance of the U.S.-origin F-22.

"The requirements we are setting on this plane are well above those for the U.S. fifth-generation aircraft," Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said.

Officials said the program, begun in 1999, was meant to produce a stealth fighter with a range of up to 5,500 kilometers. They said Pak Fa, armed with advanced air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea missiles, would begin service in the Air Force in 2015.

"At the first stage, there will be dozens of planes, more than 50," Popovkin said.