Russia completes successful test of advanced engine for stealth fighter Su-57

MOSCOW, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia's fifth-generation stealth fighter Su-57, formerly known as T-50, completed its first test flight with a new-generation engine, Tass news agency reported Wednesday.

The 17-minute maiden flight took off Tuesday from the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky, a suburb 40 km southeast of the Russian capital.

The Sukhoi Company, which developed the stealth fighter, has since 2010 tested nine prototypes.

Flight, a London-based website providing information on aviation and aerospace industries, quoted unnamed Russian government officials as saying the new engine "will provide more thrust and fuel efficiency, with reduced weight and maintenance requirements."

The second-stage engines are slated for production this year, ahead of the aircraft's planned mass production and delivery in 2018.

"The successful test of the new engine will give an additional boost to the fifth-generation fighter jet program, which proves the high potential of the Russian aircraft industry," Denis Manturov, Russian Trade and Industry Minister, told Tass.

The Su-57, a single-seat twin-engine jet, is characterized by supermaneuverability and sustained supersonic flight capability. Enditem