Aerospace

Self-flying fighter jets? Russian aerospace giants MiG & Sukhoi discuss UNMANNED 6th generation fighter jet project

Russia's most famous aircraft manufacturers, MiG and Sukhoi, are discussing the possibility of cooperating to develop the country's sixth-generation jet fighter. The fifth-generation Sukhoi is due to be delivered this year.

Anatoly Serdyukov, the industrial director of the Rostec aviation complex, told Moscow business daily RBK that everything is under discussion, refusing to rule out a collaboration of the industry heavyweights.

"Perhaps it will be so, a fighter produced by MiG - Sukhoi," he said. "But while everything is at the discussion stage, it is too early to talk about the details."

In 2016, then Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced that the country had already begun preliminary work on a sixth-generation fighter. At the same time, Vladimir Mikhailov, the director of Military Aviation Programs at Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, predicted that Russia's plane would be ready in 2025.

Sixth-generation jet fighters are an upgrade to the current class of aircraft, such as the US Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, China's Chengdu J-20, and Russia's Sukhoi Su-57. Although the aircraft are still in the concept stage, it is thought that they will have the ability to fly at hypersonic speed and be equipped with directed-energy weapons. They will also be able to enter 'near space' and have the capability to fly without a pilot.