Sukhoi PAK-FA/T50

Russia's Strategic 'Game Changer'

http://www.ausairpower.net/APA-NOTAM-150210-1.html

 

America has enjoyed air superiority over airspace in locations of its choice for about 40 years. The F-22A 'Air Dominance' Raptor and the clear intent to establish the next level, air dominance, was an aircraft thirty years ahead of its time. Its concept design is now twenty years old, and the aircraft should be in full stride and in its prime. The Sukhoi PAK-FA is the new, younger, tougher kid on the block, and is likely to become the nemesis of the F-22A, but still prey to a more advanced F-22C.

 

 

Required Reading on PAK-FA

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index.jsp?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3a27ec4a53-dcc8-42d0-bd3a-01329aef79a7Post%3a6c68e965-18e2-40d3-9c69-30ad8079ceb6

 

APA (not surprisingly) assesses PAK-FA as superior to any air-combat platform except the F-22. They do note that the rear-aspect RCS features the same compromise design as the F-35, with two additional observations:  the Russians don't have to worry about the same kind of dense, high-performance surface-to-air missile threat as the West does, and the prototype seen so far has an interim engine - so the aft-body configuration may not be definitive.