Russian Su-57 Aircraft Thread (PAK-FA and IAF FGFA)

Brumby

Major
just in case you didn't yet hear the recent Russian announcement:
Flight tests of Russia’s 5th-generation fighter jet "practically completed"

source:
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from the photo-gallery in it:
1080691.jpg

"Several planes are now primarily testing airborne avionics. The tests proving the aircraft’s flight characteristics have practically been completed," the deputy defense minister said.
Deputy Defense Minister Borisov earlier told the media the Russian military would purchase only a squadron of PAK FA fighter jets, compensating this with a larger order for Sukhoi Su-35 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) fighters.
I do not follow this program closely because most of the announcements are rather PR spin that somehow is a disconnect between what is reported against reality and status of the program.
This announcement would suggest on the surface the program testing regime is almost complete but when I read the latest Combat Aircraft Magazine (January 2016 edition) on this program, my takeaway is this program is falling seriously behind schedule. For example, approx. only 700 hours of flight testing has so far been done over a 5 year period. No live weapons testing is known to have been conducted. At best, probably a dozen PAK FA will be operational by 2020 (and probably without the preferred engine).
 

Scratch

Captain
I do not follow this program closely because most of the announcements are rather PR spin that somehow is a disconnect between what is reported against reality and status of the program. ...

I must say I'm particularly puzzled by the announcement to buy only one squadron of the type. You wouldn't normaly want to go through all that development and testing binding resources and money to get a mere squadron of a fighter type aircraft.
If that's the path forward, it would somehow become a primariy indian program for FGFA, or an indian internals Pak-Fa. As I think there was talk the IAF would possibly forego the complete indianization of the jet due to time laps concerns with the Russians?
 

Brumby

Major
I must say I'm particularly puzzled by the announcement to buy only one squadron of the type. You wouldn't normaly want to go through all that development and testing binding resources and money to get a mere squadron of a fighter type aircraft.
If that's the path forward, it would somehow become a primariy indian program for FGFA, or an indian internals Pak-Fa. As I think there was talk the IAF would possibly forego the complete indianization of the jet due to time laps concerns with the Russians?

The limiter is production capacity by 2020 and not the lack of demand.
 
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