Russia's fifth-generation fighter must be better and cheaper than foreign 5G fighters, Vice-Premier Sergei Ivanov said on Friday.
"We are obliged to make the [fifth generation] airplane cheaper than analogous complexes abroad," Ivanov said during a meeting at the Central Institute of Aviation Motor Construction.
Russia's only known fifth-generation project is Sukhoi's PAK FA and the current prototype is the T-50. It is designed to compete with the U.S. F-22 Raptor, so far the world's only fifth-generation fighter, and the F-35 Lightning II.
In mid-June, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin observed the 16th test flight of a prototype model of the new fighter.
Russia has been developing the model since the 1990s. The country's top military officials have said the stealth fighter jet, with a range of up to 5,500 km, should enter service with the Air Force in 2015.
The PAK FA is to be armed with next-generation air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ship missiles, and has two 30-mm cannons.
TURAYEVO (Moscow Region), August 6 (RIA Novosti)
