sferrin, it’s unfair to make any extrapolations based on the last 15 years. Russian 5th gen effort has been largely stalled in the ’90’s due to economic reasons. To put it in familiar terms, imagine the Great Depression that lasted a decade plus loss of territory. No wonder the deadlines missed, promises broken, specs changed.
Now the situation is different. Funds are available, factories are largely in no danger of being closed or converted, the doom mentality in people’s minds is going away. Still crisis, but the trends are better than those in the last 10-15 years.
Having said that, I remain sceptical on two accounts.
First, the ability of Sukhoi to deliver a middle-weight fighter. They’ve always specialized on tactical strike a/c, and as a result, they have only developed one truly great fighter (the Su-27 line) and it was after great delays and a major redesign. And it’s a heavy fighter.
I have more faith in the Mig.
Second, the 5-th gen engine. Russian engine bureaus suffered even more than the figher houses during the infamous ‘perestroika’. So a lot of people are gone, and experience is lost.
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