Su-34 (left), T-50 (centre) and Su-35 (right) aircraft at the 2015 MAKS air show's opening ceremony in the Moscow suburban town of Zhukovsky. © SPUTNIK/ MIKHAIL VOSKRESENSKIY
Sputnik: PAK FA vs F-22 Raptor: If Stealth Isn't an Issue, T-50 'Holds the Edge'
Who would be victorious in an epic battle between Russia's first next-generation fighter jet, the Sukhoi PAK FA, and the US-built Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor?
It's a tough call since both fifth-generation aircraft have so much in common.
"Everything about the PAK-FA suggests that it is similar in concept to the Raptor – being optimized as a fast, high flying and stealthy air superiority fighter," defense analyst Dave Majumdar noted.
The Sukhoi PAK FA, also known as the T-50, and the F-22 Raptor have equivalent maximum speed (1,520 mph for the PAK FA and 1,500 mph for the F-22), range (2,175 miles for the PAK FA and 1,840 miles for the F-22) and service ceiling (approximately 65,000 feet for both models).
WNU Editor: Again ... the only way to really evaluate the capabilities of both aircraft is to have them both face each other in combat .... which I hope will never happen.
2 comments:
That article was a bit of a stub.
Stealth a very broad term to throw around; it is a critical piece to survivability and lethality, in the same way that agility, logistical support, radar/weapons, training hours, mission planning, decision making blah blah blah.
WNU you are absolutely right that the only way to say for sure is for real world combat to take place, and god forbid that actually happen.
These 1v1 matchups are for teens who argue over which 'kit' works best in Call of Duty!!!
When I left the service I had people ask me really, really ridiculous questions about weapons systems etc. in much the same style.
Alex,
"When I left the service I had people ask me really, really ridiculous questions about weapons systems etc. in much the same style."
Some things will never change.
These same people never seem to realize that when it's all put to the real test there will be winners and losers in the very large sense and there is no guarantee we will be the winners.
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