Joint Russian-French 5th generation fighter?

Joint Fifth Generation Fighter Project Proposed

The government chairman, Mikhail Kas’yanov, announced the other day that
he had reached agreements with the French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre
Raffaren regarding a joint project for creation of the fifth generation
fighter. However, he has been quiet about details of the project. On the
base of whose technology in particular – Russian or French – will the
new airplane be created and which firms will take part in its
development – the prime minister characterized these details as "a
question of the future."

However, as has become known to a Nezavisimaya Gazeta correspondent from
confidential sources, the Sukhoy firm will take part in the development
of the fifth generation airplane. While many questions remain open,
including the number of participants and whether this will be a
bilateral project or the hook up of other European countries to it is
possible.

At the recent salon at Le Bourget, specialists in fact confirmed that a
series of protocols of intent were signed by the Sukhoy firm, including
with the French aviation firm Dassault, the European EADS and the
American Boeing. As of today, a joint working group has been created. A
tender has been declared for the creation of definite systems and
components for the new fighter. According to the basic position, Russian
partners are supposed to be the primary suppliers of components and
various systems for the fifth generation fighter. But the formation of
an international cooperative is not impossible, via which goes
international aircraft construction in the creation of future examples
of aircraft equipment; the Eurofighter and the united forces of a number
of European states and companies for the realization of the JSF, or
F-35, program are examples of it. More than 10 countries have announced
their participation.

The new fighter is being created for 20 years ahead, and taking into
account the cycle for the creation of such an aircraft is 7 – 10 years,
plus a life cycle of nearly 30 years.

What will the fifth generation fighter look like? Will it be similar to
the American F-117 stealth ((NEVIDIMKA)), the F-35 or to the "Berkut,”
an perhaps, to the MiG MFI? According to specialists, it is hardly work
describing this fighter on the surface. It is important that the complex
have high avionics performance – in range of detecting targets and
passive modes of operation. And also a highly intelligent complex which
is supposed to diagnose the operation of all the airplane’s systems,
provide its life support, significantly decrease the workload and the
time to prepare for a repeat sortie, but on the other hand - offer the
airman concrete solutions, ease his work for the pilot so that he can
make the most accurate decision in limited time. And, of course, there
will be new capabilities for weapons use against aerial and ground
targets at maximum range, without entrance into the enemy's air defense
zone. The airplane will be not only a combat unit, but an element of a
unified information and control system which allows using it with the
greatest effectiveness. With the experience of the development of
another joint Russo-French project – the MiG-AT training airplane, one
may propose that the airplane’s airframe is foreseen as a domestic
development, and the airplanes complete outfitting is possible in two
variants. For delivery to the Russian air force, the engine installation
most likely of all will be domestic, and for delivery for export –
correspondingly French. The same thing relates to the instruments and
weapons.

Source: 04.07.03, Nezavisimoye Voennoye Obozrenie

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