MOSCOW – Russia operates a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) in theform of Sukhoi Su-57, but is already eyeing another state-of-art jet forits armed forces. Russia’s MiG Aircraft Corporation claims it is developingMiG-41, which will be a fifth-generation fighter-interceptor.

“No, this is not a mythical project, this is a long-standing project forthe MiG and now we are carrying out intensive work under the aegis of theUAC [the United Aircraft Corporation] and will present it to the publicsoon,” MiG CEO Ilya Tarasenko told Russian news agency TASS. He added thatR&D and experimental design work on MiG-41 will begin “in the immediatefuture” and the first fighter is expected to join the Russian Armed Forcesin the mid-2020s.

MiG will not only develop a piloted version of the fighter but also a jetwhich will be unpiloted. Russia will phase out the MiG-31 interceptor andreplace the jet with the fifth-generation MiG-41 aircraft. The MiG-41project is currently known as the PAK DP (Prospective Aviation Complex ofLong-Range Interception).

The Su-57, which is currently seeing action in Syria, has stealthtechnology and can cruise in supersonic mode. Russia and India are alsoworking jointly on a fifth-generation fighter aircraft although the latterhas raised several concerns about the project particularly about the cost,long time frame, stealth technology and other crucial details.