Russia’s PAK FA fifth-generation fighter jet goes “100 percent digital,” defense industry officials say. The jet will get “smart covering” that enables a pilot to have an all-round combat picture and maneuver with a maximum degree of efficiency.
This “smart covering” is a set of universal antenna systems that allows a pilot to understand what is happening to his front, rear, left and right. The all-round view is projected either on the pilot’s helmet or interactive cockpit, deputy general director of Russia’s KRET corporation Igor Nasenkov told RIA Novosti on Thursday.
“The PAK-FA fighter jet is not simply a fifth-generation aircraft as brand new ideas were installed. In other words, it is a 100-percent digital aircraft which not only delivers information at the pilot’s request, but also ensures full-fledged situation awareness,” Nasenkov said.
PAK-FA also known as the T-50 has been designed to compete with US-made aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II as well as ground and maritime defenses. It is Russia’s prototype for the newest fifth-generation stealth fighter jet designed by Sukhoi.
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The aircraft is a single-seat, twin-engine jet fighter, and will be the first operational aircraft in the Russian Air Force to fully utilize stealth technology. It is a multirole fighter designed for air superiority and attack roles. The fighter is designed to ensure stealth, super maneuverability and advanced avionics.
The jet’s radar systems “are capable of surveillance functions and active radiolocation also serving as a tool of electronic warfare,” Nasenkov noted.
According to the official, PAK-FA aircraft would also stand out due to its digital control systems and maximum pilot comfort.