The development of new weapons and military equipment always attracts the attention of specialists, the general public and the press. Such attention is manifested in the form of a mass of publications, disputes, etc. Quite often debaters and analysts come to very interesting conclusions. From time to time, relying on some arguments, the authors of such materials try to debunk some "myths" allegedly taking place in some projects. A few days ago, more articles of this kind appeared.
On February 18, IHS Jane's Defense Weekly published an article by Reuben F. Johnson entitled Singapore Airshow 2016: Analysis - PAK-FA's Asian export hopes stymied by lack of 'fifth-generation' qualities. FAs face a lack of fifth-generation qualities”). The headline clearly shows that the author of the article and his sources doubt the prospects of the Russian PAK FA / T-50 project and believe that it does not fully meet the requirements for the fifth generation of fighters.
The author of IHS Jane's recalls that at the recent air show in Singapore, the United States presented its fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor fighter. In addition, there were statements about plans to sell a significant number of the latest F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Asian region. Currently, a number of Asian countries are showing particular interest in fifth generation fighters, which can be satisfied with the supply of American-made equipment.
A spokesman for the American aviation industry told IHS Jane's that a number of countries are currently developing their own fifth-generation fighter projects. Nevertheless, according to him, not all such developments can be attributed to the new generation of aviation technology.
Thus, a representative of the Lockheed Martin company recalled the Russian project of the PAK FA aircraft, which is positioned by the developer as a fifth generation fighter. However, according to the American expert, the PAK FA belongs to the fifth generation only in words. He believes that the fifth generation is not only a specific form that provides inconspicuousness.
According to the plans of the Russian industry, the new PAK FA / T-50 aircraft in the future will be supplied to Asian countries that already have experience in operating Su-brand equipment. Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam are considered as potential buyers of such fighters. China, in turn, drops out of this list, since it is developing its own projects of similar equipment.
The unnamed Russian specialists referred to by R. F. Johnson believes that the export of T-50 aircraft may face some problems. The main reason for this is the onboard equipment and components of the aircraft. Despite the significant increase in cost, they do not have enough technology inherent in the fifth generation. In the context of such problems, the new PAK FA can be compared with the existing Su-35 fighter, which has already become the subject of export contracts.
The main onboard systems of the T-50 R. F. Johnson calls the radar Irbis and the 117C engine. Both of these products are offered for installation on the PAK FA, and are also used on the Su-35 aircraft. In addition, according to the author IHS Jane's, some other units of the two fighters have also been unified. Referring again to unnamed specialists, the author assumes that the new equipment, which will be installed only on the T-50, will only become a further development of the systems of the existing Su-35.
As you can see, unnamed specialists and the author of IHS Jane's Defense Weekly doubt the prospects of the newest Russian fighter, referring to the peculiarities of its onboard equipment. It is noteworthy that such publications have appeared not only in "Janes" in recent days. Consider another similar article from another publication.
On February 24, the American edition of Business Insider published an article by Jeremy Bender entitled "Russia's newest fighter jet is 5th-generation 'in name only". As can be seen from the title, the author of this material also tried to study the Russian project PAK FA / T-50, and the result of such a study was not entirely pleasant conclusions for the Russian industry. J. Bender believes that the newest Russian aircraft does not meet the requirements for fifth-generation fighters.
The Business Insider author begins his article with a reminder of ongoing projects. Currently, the United States continues to develop its second fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. At the same time, the Russian industry is engaged in its own project of similar equipment. J. Bender argues that the Russian project PAK FA ("Advanced Aviation Complex of Frontline Aviation"), also known as the T-50, has some features that do not allow it to be rightfully classified as the fifth generation of fighters.
Further J. Bender refers to the article of IHS Jane's and gives the main facts from this material. So, it is argued that the Russian industry unreasonably classifies the PAK FA project as a fifth generation fighter, which is due to the lack of appropriate technologies and components. In particular, the Business Insider author mentions an argument regarding engines: the T-50 has the same power plant as the 4 ++ generation Su-35. The unification of some other systems is also mentioned.
According to the author of Business Insider, even the differences in the onboard equipment of the new aircraft do not allow us to rightfully attribute it to the fifth generation of fighters. This time, J. Bender builds his judgments on the basis of last year's publications of analysts at the RealClearDefense portal, who at one time gained access to some documents of the Indian Ministry of Defense. This country is showing interest in the Russian project and is considering the possibility of joint development of a fighter based on it.
According to RealClearDefense, the PAK FA / T-50 project has several technical and technological problems associated with certain elements and components. Among other things, the problems include insufficient engine performance, low reliability of the existing radar station, and insufficiently high stealth rates.
The issue of stealth characteristics, according to J. Bender, is worthy of separate consideration. Earlier, RealClearDefense analysts wrote that in 2010-11, estimates of similar indicators of the newest Russian aircraft were carried out. Then the calculations showed that the effective scattering area (ESR) of the T-50 aircraft is at the level of 0.3-0.5 sq.m.
At the same time, representatives of the US Air Force hinted that the RCS of the F-22 fighter is approximately equal to 0, 0001 sq. M. The newer F-35 Lightning II fighter differs from the F-22 in less high stealth rates, since its RCS is at 0, 001 m. In both cases, the effective scattering area of American fifth-generation fighters is significantly less than that of the newest Russian aircraft.
J. Bender ends his article with a reminder of the current plans of the Russian Air Force. At the moment, it is planned to order 12 T-50 aircraft. It is mentioned that earlier it was supposed to buy about 52 aircraft, however, due to technical and economic problems, it was decided to cut plans.
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It should be noted that IHS Jane's Defense Weekly and Business Insider were not the only publications that published "sensational" news about the non-compliance of the T-50 aircraft with the requirements for the fifth generation of fighters. Similar messages soon spread to other foreign media outlets, as well as to the domestic press.
The latest foreign publications contain quite serious "accusations" that should hardly be ignored. The published information and assumptions require additional consideration and analysis. At the same time, as often happens, upon closer examination, the sensation turns into something strange and, at least, ambiguous.
First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the attempts of the foreign press to study the characteristics of promising technology. Thus, the comparison of the EPR of the F-22, F-35 and T-50 fighters looks extremely strange and can hardly claim to be a serious study. The exact values of these characteristics have not yet been announced and are unlikely to become public knowledge in the foreseeable future. The lack of accurate data on this score forces specialists and technology enthusiasts to resort to various estimates, which, for obvious reasons, may not correspond to reality.
This is the case not only with stealth indicators, but also with other characteristics. If some of the main indicators of foreign technology have already been published, then the exact characteristics of the Russian PAK FA still remain a secret. Thus, when comparing domestic and foreign technology, one has to rely on unofficial estimates, assumptions, etc. knowingly false information. It is hardly worth expecting that such comparisons will correspond to reality and turn out to be objective.
Interesting statements by R. F. Johnson and J. Bender regarding the onboard equipment of the T-50 and Su-35 aircraft. On these two aircraft, some unified components and assemblies are used, which, according to foreign authors, negatively affects the characteristics of the newer PAK FA, and also does not allow it to be considered a fifth generation fighter. In this case, foreign experts and journalists noted one of the features of the new projects, but at the same time ignored the concepts of generations "5" and "4 ++".
Thus, a characteristic feature of the Su-35 fighter belonging to the “4 ++” generation is the use of the most modern on-board equipment, engines and other systems that meet the requirements of the fifth generation. At the same time, however, due to the use of other components, primarily the "old" airframe, the Su-35 cannot fully be a fifth-generation fighter. It was decided to allocate a similar technique with characteristics higher than the fourth generation and part of the equipment of the fifth into the conditional generation "4 ++".
Thus, the unification of components and assemblies, primarily engines and a radar station, is not a disadvantage for the T-50, but a plus for the Su-35. Thanks to this approach, an aircraft with an "old" airframe can compete with a completely new model in a number of characteristics, and the use of used components and components reduces the cost of equipment. The interpretation of such an approach to the creation of aviation technology offered by the foreign press looks doubtful.
And yet, the most interesting feature of the current situation is revealed at the beginning of an article from IHS Jane's Defense Weekly. Reuben F. Johnson writes that the US aviation industry is currently making plans to sell F-35 aircraft to Asian countries. At the same time, Asian countries are considered as buyers by Russian enterprises. Thus, Asia has already become a "battlefield" between manufacturers of weapons and equipment, and in the foreseeable future there will be a new "battle" for contracts for the supply of fifth-generation fighters.
If we take this into account, then it ceases to amaze the fact that about the shortcomings of the PAK FA / T-50 R. F. Johnson was told by a representative of the American company Lockheed Martin, which developed both modern projects of the fifth generation of the USA fighters. Thus, the statements of this representative are very similar to an unsuccessful attempt in advance, even before the start of the competition, to spoil the image of a potential rival. The press, in turn, gladly took up the statements made and made a "sensation" out of them.
As a result, it turns out that the wave of publications about the non-compliance of the T-50 aircraft with the requirements for the fifth generation of fighters goes back to the desire of one of the foreign companies to prepare in advance for competition and change the opinion of responsible persons in their favor, even if using dubious methods. As they say, nothing personal - just business.
It is noteworthy that the PAK FA / T-50 project is still at the stage of preparing aircraft for delivery to the Russian armed forces, and the development of an export modification, apparently, has not even begun yet. Nevertheless, potential competitors did not wait and began to make attempts to fight the rival in advance. You can imagine what representatives of foreign industry will say when the start of full-fledged work on the export modification of the T-50 is announced or negotiations on the supply of such equipment to foreign countries.
