Vladimir Putin claims Russian fighter jet superior to US rival
By ANIFriday, June 18, 2010
LONDON - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has claimed that the country’s newest fighter would trump a US-built rival, the F-22 Raptor.
Putin watched a test flight of a “fifth-generation” stealth fighter, dubbed the T-50 and billed as Russia’s first all-new warplane since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
“This machine will be superior to our main competitor, the F-22, in terms of manoeuvrability, weaponry and range,” The Telegraph quoted Putin as telling the pilot after the flight, according to an account on the government website.
According to the premier, the plane, manufactured by Sukhoi, would cost up to three times less than similar aircraft in the West and could remain in service for 30 to 35 years with upgrades.
According to the government website, the test pilot told Mr Putin the controls of the T-50 allowed the pilot to operate most of the plane’s systems without releasing the joystick, which he said would be very useful under high gravitational forces.
“I know, I’ve flown,” Mr Putin replied. (ANI)
