Russia developing fifth-generation fighter-interceptor MiG-41

MiG-41 fighter jet will not only have a piloted version but also an unpiloted one.

Russia will phase out the MiG-31 (in pic) interceptor and replace the jet with the fifth-generation MiG-41 aircraft. Photo Credit: Russian Aircraft Corporation Website

New Delhi: Russia operates a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) in the form of Sukhoi Su-57, but is already eyeing another state-of-art jet for its armed forces. Russia's MiG Aircraft Corporation claims it is developing MiG-41, which will be a fifth-generation fighter-interceptor.

"No, this is not a mythical project, this is a long-standing project for the MiG and now we are carrying out intensive work under the aegis of the UAC [the United Aircraft Corporation] and will present it to the public soon," MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko told Russian news agency TASS. He added that R&D and experimental design work on MiG-41 will begin "in the immediate future" and the first fighter is expected to join the Russian Armed Forces in the mid-2020s.

MiG will not only develop a piloted version of the fighter but also a jet which will be unpiloted. Russia will phase out the MiG-31 interceptor and replace the jet with the fifth-generation MiG-41 aircraft. The MiG-41 project is currently known as the PAK DP (Prospective Aviation Complex of Long-Range Interception).

The Su-57, which is currently seeing action in Syria, has stealth technology and can cruise in supersonic mode. Russia and India are also working jointly on a fifth-generation fighter aircraft although the latter has raised several concerns about the project particularly about the cost, long time frame, stealth technology and other crucial details. The fifth-generation fighter aircraft project is estimated to cost around $30 billion or Rs 2 lakh crore, which India finds too high.

However, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) president Yuri Slyusar has claimed that India continues to be part of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft project.

"We continue to discuss with India joint development of a fifth-generation fighter jet. The topic is not closed. It has been said that India is withdrawing from this project. No, they are not. I hope very much our talks will be ultimately crowned by the designing stage and we will develop our joint fifth-generation aircraft," Slyusar told the Rossiya-1 television channel.