Article Posted on : - Aug 07, 2013

The PAK-FA T-50 fighter. A Sukhoi photo

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia's first fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet will be handed over to the Air Force "in the third quarter of this year"  according to a news report.

The Russian Air Force will then begin final state test flights in the fourth quarter of this year, a Ria Novosti report said quoting the service's commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev.

The T-50 is a multirole warplane featuring 'stealth technology' super-maneuverability, super-cruise capability, and advanced avionics including an active electronically-scanned array radar, its designer Sukhoi said.

President Vladimir Putin had earlier said the T-50 would enter service with the Russian armed forces in 2016, and not 2015 as had been previously announced.

The T-50, also known as PAK-FA, first flew in January 2010 and was presented to the public at the Moscow Air Show in 2011.

The stealth fighter will make up the core of Russia's future fighter fleet. India is partnering with Russia in developing the advanced warplanes for its air force.