[Citizen]

Russian Helicopters is planning to create the world's first fifth-generation combat helicopter which experts say would be able to attack fighter jets and be invisible for radars, Russian daily Gazeta said on Thursday.

"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," the paper quoted the company's CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying at a news conference in Moscow.

Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some $1 billion on the project.

First deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems, Konstantin Sivkov, told the paper fifth-generation combat helicopters have never been created before, although the U.S. recently began working on a similar project.

He said criteria for a fifth-generation combat helicopter say it must be radar invisible, have an extended flying range, be equipped with an intellectual arms control system, be able to combat fighter jets (existing helicopters are generally only intended to hit ground-based targets) and reach a speed of up to 500-600 km/h (310-370 mph).

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20100513/159000792.html

[Thunderhawk]

Wouldnt fighting (rather then evading) fighter jets be an aspect of missile and sensor development rather then helicopter development?

[NYYS]

Wasn't that what the RAH-66 Comanche was before it got canned?

[killim]

I will ask my "Crystal ball":

We have 2016 Vladimir Putin the President of Russia reveals the new 5th-generation heli with the words:
"As you see, you can't see it! We build the perfect heli that can not be beaten by any military force in the world. This unit is invincible! It will now fly a round over the Potemkin villages as a demonstration and annihillate them from earth"

[Typhoon]

Hmm sure I posted here but might have just hit preview instead?

In any case I think your crystal ball is a little out of tune killim, from looking at the performance of the industry at the moment it will at least ten years before anything gets off the ground. To be honest I would be suprised if the Russian ministry even goes for it when the machines avaliable today like the Havoc and Werewolf are more than up to the task, plus stealth never really works with helicopters anyway.

Wouldnt fighting (rather then evading) fighter jets be an aspect of missile and sensor development rather then helicopter development?

Pretty much and its a capability thats already avaliable since helicopters started fielding missiles like Igla and Stinger. Im sure the R-73 jet fighter based missile has also been fitted to helicopters at some point of another, even anti-tank missiles like Vihkr can take on the role.

[youtube]xB1evu6PyJA[/youtube]

[killim]

Lets do a quick mind experiment. Close your eyes and imagine Putin standing before a crazy crowd of journalists on an airfield near Moscow. The airfield is clean and empty, the sun is shining and as Putin presents the helis you realize that it is indeed invisible.

What a mighty heli.

I mean really invisible, you know? Like the kind of WMD that Saddam used in Iraq and where this technology was first applied....

[Typhoon]

Sorry still cannot see it, if they are not there why present them and why would Putin bother when it is Russian Helicopters trying to buy in on the PAK-FA's 5th generation stealth media frenzy?