Ruskies!
Well, crap, it looks like the Russians just test flew their first 5th generation stealth fighter, the Sukhoi PAK FA, or “Firefox” if you like your jets named after open source web browsers. The PAK FA is designed to compete directly with our own 5th generation fighters, the F-22 and the F-35:
Characteristics of the modern fighter aircraft were not disclosed. It is assumed that the aircraft were armed with precision weapons and can hit both air and ground targets regardless of weather and time of day.
Also, the media reported that the maximum speed of the PAK FA will be more than 2 thousand kilometers per hour, and range - 5.5 thousand kilometers. Fighter will offer maneuverability and invisibility in the optical, infrared and radar wavelengths.
Well, it’ll be nice to get back to a good, old-fashioned arms race again. Let’s face it, the F-22 was wasted on the “war” on terror. Now we’ve got a reason to start spending $146 million and change on planes again. Somebody at Lockheed just hugged their children tight and whispered, “We’re going to be alright. The Russians are back.”
Fri., Jan. 29, 2010
Reader Comments (3)
You know, now that you mention it--I feel like something deep inside me has been empty since about 1989 or so. For a long time, I thought it was just one of those enduring burdens I took on when I left the pre-pubescent garden of Eden. But now I think it might be space for cold-war anxiety.
BTW, this likely means that America is currently flying a 6th gen. plane (invisible to the senses?) , and is developing a 7th gen. plane that will be able to make leaps out of linear time or something.
But I heard Russia has their eyes on that Apophis asteroid that is going to come near to earth in 2029 -- they might try to misdirect it to hit Manhattan.
Now we're talkin'.
Ha ha! Casey: new project. Let's start a blog that reports on future wars. This is hilarious.
long before the internet browser Firefox was an advanced Russian fighter piloted by Clint Eastwood.