Russia’s new Sukhoi T-50 PAK-FA fighter jet has been given another capability – the means to destroy surface warships. The fifth-generation multi-role aircraft will be armed with an extended range Kh-35UE cruise missile. The aircraft is to be introduced into service with the Aerospace Forces next year. Designated as a stealth air superiority fighter, it will eventually replace the Sukhoi Su-27 fourth-generation multirole aircraft in service with the Soviet and Russian militaries since the mid-1980s. Testing of the cruise missile on the T-50 has been completed to demonstrate that the weapon is compatible with the aircraft’s onboard equipment. When deployed, the cruise missile will be mounted underneath the T-50's wings.
The Kh-35UE tactical cruise missile is an upgrade of the Kh-35 jet-launched subsonic anti-ship missile. The successful incorporation effectively turns the T-50 into a ‘multifunctional fighting machine’ whose characteristics go far beyond those of a mere fighter aircraft.
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