From: Adam 

http://www.afa.org/magazine/Aug2006/0806world.asp

" Russian Rival to the F-22?
Russia will start flight-testing a fifth generation fighter—the equivalent
of the F-22—next year and begin production in 2009, Russian officials
claimed in June.

Russian Air Force chief Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov said several “experimental”
examples of the new I-21, built by Sukhoi and a successor to the Su-27
Flanker family, will fly in 2007 with placeholder engines while the
production-version engines complete development.

Sergei Ivanov, Russian Defense Minister, said production of the I-21 will
commence in 2009 “with a new engine.” The remarks of the two defense
officials were carried by Novosti, the official Russian news and
information agency.

Mikhailov earlier had compared the new fighter to the F-22 and F-35,
claiming that it has stealth, advanced integrated avionics, and high
maneuverability. He has suggested the I-21 will be an alternative for
countries that don’t want to buy the American F-35.

Russia has made grandiose pronouncements about fifth generation fighters
before. It rolled out the MiG I-44 in 1994, claiming it to be a fifth
generation fighter, but its appearance suggested that it was not at all
stealthy, and its performance was judged comparable to the Su-27. The
project was abandoned in 1997.

Since then, Russia has been experimenting with a forward-swept-wing
derivative of the Flanker, called the S-37 Berkut. "


Adam

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