Moscow-based Sukhoi Company is building the single-seat, twin-engine T-50 for the Russian Air Force as part of the PAK FA program. The aircraft is designed to succeed both the MiG-29 and the Su-27 in the Russian fleet, with top speeds of more than Mach 2 or about 1,327 miles per hour. The T-50 has a higher speed than the F-35 Lighting II made by Lockheed Martin Corporation for the Joint Strike Fighter program but not as fast as the F-22 Raptor also made by Lockheed, the world’s largest defence contractor.
While the T-50 first flew in 2010, the latest version of the plane, known as T-50 - 5, has been upgraded with a new paint design, antennae fitted into the leading-edge root extension and a partially integrated distributed aperture system. The T-50 - 5 is Russia’s attempt to match the F-35’s DAS technology. The Russian warplane may be used in limited numbers to attack enemy radar, support aircraft and other targets with long-range missiles. The country only plans to buy about 70 of these aircraft including ten prototypes.