It can be said that a fleet of fifth-generation stealth fighters can be the very hallmark of a top-notch air force. For quite some time the US Air Force was the only member of the elite club, with its F-22 Raptor and F-35 fighters dominating the skies since their respective inaugurations in 2005 and 2015, until the J-20 shot China into the same league this year.
Russia is apparently stuck in its decades-long development endeavor for the Sukhoi Su-57, with a slew of technical glitches, design flaws and accidents that may ground the fighter for a number of years to come.
Japan has also been following the trend to develop fifth-generation fighters with its X-2 Shinshin, albeit at an early stage, with the prototype’s maiden flight in April 2016.
The KF-X, South Korea’s second fighter development program after the FA-50, in collaboration with Indonesia is making headway, though experts say the fighter’s stealth capabilities can only be categorized as “4.5th generation.”
Fifth-generation fighters must meet criteria ranging from stealth to high maneuverability, particularly short-field capabilities, advanced avionics, networked data fusion from sensors and avionics, and multirole capabilities.
Nations eager to launch their own cutting-edge tactical fighter aircraft must have resolve and deep pockets.
The F-22 program cost a grand total of US$60 billion, from blueprint to mass production, and it has been reported that India is considering pulling out of co-funding for Russia’s Su-57 program as the investment now looks like a “black hole.”
The reason countries still hold on to their various fifth-generation fighter programs is all about posture, as no major power can afford to lag behind in the race to develop super-fighters, even if that means pouring in substantial resources with no guarantee of surmounting the high technical and financial threshold, PLA Daily noted in an editorial in a feature about the J-20’s inauguration in April.
Meanwhile, it has also been revealed by China News Service on its affiliated WeChat account that China may be considering sharing its J-20 technologies with allies such as Pakistan, amid the latter’s long-running feud with India as well as the strained Sino-Indian ties following a stiff face-off since June on the Doklam Plateau, a border area claimed by both Beijing and New Delhi.
Beijing may also want to compare notes on fighter development with Moscow and invest for a stake in the Su-57 program, with is now running on a shoestring budget, in exchange for the latter’s expertise in aerospace and rocket and missile development.
From it can be seen by the eye its not stealth whether 5 or 4.5
Michael Collins Negroe Snr the world need to see a war with Russia and china up against USA and Europe
Michael Collins Negroe Snr Profesor Ufimtsev wasn’t a Nazi scientist, but a Soviet one!!
4 or 5 they are dangerous they take life.
"Russia is apparently stuck in its decades-long development endeavor for the Sukhoi Su-57,"
And here everyone we have a staff filled with morons publishing this lol. Last time I recall the SU-57 came out in 2009 thats not even a decade development and yet why are they even putting an "s" at the end of decade they did not start the SU-57 20 years ago at minimum? the production of the aircraft starts 2019-2020. Engines burns were only shown I don’t know where they got the other information from even considering it still as a prototype nor do they mention they upgraded their engines from a 3,500 to a 5,000km range.
Didn’t know USA had stealth fighters with canards? So if not that means the Chinese didn’t rip anything off from the West
Stolen teck. Hackers. Didn’t get it all though except for maybe the recent hack in australia. On f 35s.
Happily no
I’m a Scotsman and my country of only 5 million
Has left many nations including China in our wake
For innovation and what we have invented and contributed to mans advancement
China A nation of over a billion are underachievers and to me are only good for copying and keeping fellow Chinese in an oppressive society
No free thinking or being free to express themselves
I’m just glad I was born in a country that I can freely speak the truth without fear of oppression by my own people and government… no sour grapes here ????
How powerful are these guns if I may ask? Does it imply that if the HK Police opted to use a ‘poorly’ manufactured gun in a country like, say Sudan then the bullets won’t kill the targets or what are we saying here?
I really don’t understand how the Chinese economy or any other country that would opt against opening up and inviting more risk foreign businesses that are likely to pull out of their country should economic depressions hit their economies and thereby implying that the country(China) would loose that extra amount brought about by the company. A Chinese model of protectionism shields the country from economic meltdowns elsewhere and the only way their economy would be affected is by lesser trading due to the other country importing less Chinese originating goods.
You’re talking of a technology ‘ripped’ from the West and by that word you mean USA? Why haven’t you started by acknowledging that the Stealth Technology isn’t an American technology but a Post WWII loot in the form of a ‘reward’ from Nazi Germany after the fall of Nazism and Adolf Hitler at the hands of Soviet Republic? Am I asking too much? Probably referring to the USA by its name isn’t a bad idea but unless you want us to believe that by West you’re referring to USA and consequently a her alongside her European stooges aren’t as strong as they tend to make the world believe but USA is a conglomeration of resourceful countries with the technology being a contribution of about 30 countries with their master in USA being the Industrial Hub just like China has become the world’s industry.
Don’t you find it hilarious and quite funny when the Americans boasting of how ‘advanced’ they are technologically try so hard to erase the history and make it appear like they are the inventors of the Stealth Technology when it’s quite obvious that this technology is a ‘reward’ looted from Nazi Germany after the defeat of Nazism and Hitler by the Soviet Republic? So when you come here and start lecturing people on how China has stolen the technology then wouldn’t it even sweeter if you started by saying that they stole the technology from the USA who’d stolen the technology from Germany? Is it that a big task to ask?
Hilarious on how these classifications of fighter jets as either being 5th or 4th is done. The introduction of stealth requirement as a prerequisite for a fighter to be categorized as either 4th or 5th is an American hoodwink and probably a way to overprice their planes. I’m not sure the countries involved in the production of fighter jets were involved in discussions to determine which is 4th and which is 5th. Must have been an American ‘invention’ to give theirs an advantage but stealth isn’t the most important aspect that makes a fighter jet deadly. But anyway, whatever
Your assesment of the Su-57 are very biased as there was only one accident with the engine and it is on track for production. The delay was due to the new engines which have now started production
Sour grapes much?
A nation that is incapable of producing nothing that has not been ripped off from the west
For a country of over a billion people the words underachievers comes to mind