Article Posted on : - Jan 11, 2010

An artist's conception of the fifth-generation fighter being designed by Russia.

MOSCOW (PTI): Russia will begin the serial production of its new state-of-the-art weapons which include a new Main Battle Tank T-95 and a multi-role fighter aircraft MiG-35, as the country braces to compete for a share in the global arms market, with India being a potential buyer.

“The specifications of new main battle tank T-95, to be serially produced from 2010, are being tightly kept under the warps of secrecy,” defence expert Igor Korotchenko told state-run Vesti FM radio.

“However, judging from the reports it would provide better survivability for the tank crew in the battle field, which will sit in an armoured capsule inside the T-95 MBT,” Korotchenko said.

Russia's RAC MiG – part of the United Aircraft Corporation – is also beginning the serial production of four-plus generation MiG-35 medium multi-role combat aircraft, which is also bidding for the Indian Air Force's global tender for the acquisition of 126 fighters, according to the Vesti FM radio.

In January-February, Russia is also beginning flight tests of the prototype of new fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) T-50 developed by Sukhoi Corporation under the secret PAK-FA project, in which India is also a partner.

In December, at the KNAAPO aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the far eastern part of Russia, the taxiing trials of the prototype were successfully carried out.

“A satellite cluster of American CIA and Google, which is also a cover for CIA is constantly monitoring the airfield of KNAAPO, to get the glimpse of T-50, developed to counter US F-22 Raptor,” a defence analyst Ruslan Pukhov told Vesti FM radio.

He also said in 2010, Russia's global satellite navigational system (GLONASS) would be fully operational.

Under an agreement signed in 2005, Russia has agreed to provide India access to military segment of GLONASS.

IAF's Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter fleet is equipped with dual band GPS/GLONASS receivers to avoid a Balkan like situation, when Pentagon had switched off GPS before striking at Serbia.

Despite repeated failures last year, Russia will continue the development of multiple warhead submarine launched (SLBM-MIRV) ‘Bulava’ nuclear missiles, which would be able to pierce present and future American missile shields, the Vesti FM radio said.