MOSCOW. Nov 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The fact that more and more countries, such as China and India, join the development of the 5th generation fighter is the main feature of this process, Russian experts say.
Vyacheslav Volodin, head of the scientific and information center of the State Research and Development Institute of Aviation Systems (GOSNIIAS), wrote in his article published in the latest issue of the Air Fleet Herald magazine that the project of the Indian DRDO agency, the Chinese XXJ program and Western Europe's FACE and ETAP may be regarded as 'the third wave of 5th generation fighter development.'
He added that the XXJ project is run jointly by the 611th research and development institute based in Chendu and the Shengyang aviation firm.
"The aircraft under development will be a follow-on of the already existing J-10 combat aircraft," he said and added that unlike the prototype, the new aircraft would have V-shaped empennage and engine thrust vectoring. The propulsion system will include two engines, while the normal take-off weight will exceed 25 tonnes.
According to the expert, there is no doubt that the aircraft will be of heavy category.
As of India, it is most likely that the country will not stay in the framework of the Russian 5th generation program.
"According to the data available, the Indian DRDO agency has already started negotiating the issue of developing a 5th generation fighter with the Indian Air Force," writes Volodin.
He added that the fact that the project is in early stage does not allow discussing technical details, but it is already known that the future aircraft will have a two-engine propulsion system, and will be a heavy plane, at least in Indian classification.