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| by Andrei Pinkov
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| by Andrei Pinkov
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KWIC news January 14 Moscow: On January 12, Russia officially made public its first
MFI stealthy fighter plane. It was for the first time in the aviation history of Russia that a
new-model fighter plane was made public to the Western countries prior to its test flight.
It indicated that the process of its test flight and model determination had encountered a
tremendous financial difficulty. Russia did so in the hope of exploring the possibility of
cooperating with the other countries, especially China and India, on the research and
development of the MFI.
The military observers in Moscow believe that the MFI plane may only serve as a
technical verifier, which displays Russia’s ability to keep close track of the high aviation
technology of the world. The KWIC believes that it is very possible for the MFI to
become the Russian version of LAVI fighter plane. It is reported that the MIG-MAPO
has been working on the design of the new light-duty fighter planes on the basis of the
MFI.
After the SUKHOI Designing Bureau, the MIG-MAPO is another one that keeps a close
military relationship with China. From 1992, the MIG-MAPO started to enter the
Chinese market, helping the Chengdu Aircraft Company redesign the FC1 fighter plane
and providing the necessary plan on the redesign of the RD93 engine.
As for the SUKHOI, it obtained part of the necessary research funds through its
successful sales of the SU27 to China to help itself finish ahead of time the development
of the S37 experimental plane that utilizes the stabilization technology ( Kanwa digest
news by Andrei Pinkov).