There is a myth that JF-17 is a copy of MiG-33 or LFI, well for once and all this myth is being busted, hopefully no one in future will come up with this absurd claim:
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MiG-LFI [I-2000, Light Tactical Fighter Project]
The Russian air force has been left behind in their research and development due to the economic problems, which they faced after the fall of the Soviet Union. But after more than a decade the Russian air force is willing to make the state-of-the-art fifth generation fighter.
This is obviously a response to the JSF project currently being tested by the US. The fifth generation fighter can accelerate the Russian airforce which currently operate on aircraft which were developed in the 1980s' to a technological breakthrough. For years the US had been using stealth technology in their bombers and now has finished the testing of their F-22, which is regarded as the worlds most advanced fighter.
The aim of the fifth generation project by the Russians is to make a fighter which is better than the F-22 and as advanced as the JSF. The success of this project would not only enable Russia to have a strategic balance over US weapon systems but also make a lot of money from their arms buyers.
Russia can look forward to orders from countries which buy Russian weapons especially India which is the largest buyer of arms from Russia.
The design features are still unclear as the assembly of the prototype has not commenced yet. The code name of the latest Mikhoyan Gurevich fighter is LFI. The aim of this project is to make a lightweight multi role stealth fighter. This information comes with the official announcement of the Russian Airforce of its priority to build a lightweight multi-role fighter. This is being done to oppose the heavy weight fighters like the MiG-MFI and the S-37. The possible competitor of the MiG-LFI project of the S-54 which is being developed by the Sukhoi OKB.
Overview of the MiG-LFI Project
According to the Jane's defense weekly. The development of the Logkiy Frontovi Istrebilte project was aimed at producing a fighter which is capable of satisfying the requirements of the Russian Airforce for the next 10-15 years.
The project is revealed to the Jane's defense weekly as I-2000 which means Istrebitel 2000 (fighter 2000). The project is believed to enter service by 2005 as the frontline strike fighter for the soviet air force. This project is also likely to be a major component of Russia's arms export. The revealed information about the I-2000 suggests that it is likely to be an archrival of the JSF of the US. The I-2000 is also revealed to be capable of both air-to-air as well as air-to-surface operations.
This project is a part of a long line of lightweight fighter projects by the MiG aircraft industry. The other lightweight projects include the MiG-21 and the MiG-15.
The I-2000 is believed to be shorter than the MiG-21 by up to 1.3 m but is broader than it by about 4.5 m. the I-2000 is considerably smaller than its predecessor the MiG-29.
Design
The I-2000 is designed to have a reduced IR and Radar signature. This gives the aircraft the stealth capabilities. The I-2000 is also believed to be very light ,manoeuverable and with short take off and landing capabilities.
The I-2000 has a blended fuselage and a thick wing center-section. The aerodynamic configuration of the I-2000 is considered to be very unusual and is equipped with powerful thrust vectoring system thus providing the aircraft with unimaginable agility. The landing gear of the I-2000 is specially designed so as to allow landing approaches at high angle of attacks.
The pilot and the and the WSO (Weapon Systems Operator) share the cockpit in tandem. The presence of a WSO improves the effectivity of the MiG-31 as the WSO is entirely dedicated to radar operations and weapons deployment. This decreases the workload of the pilot and increases efficiency.
Engine
The engine required for the I-2000 are currently not available in Russia. This means that the Russian scientists are working on a revolutionary new engine, which can be compared to that of the one used in the F-22 or the JSF. There are reports from official sources that the LFI project includes a single and a twin engine version.
The LFI is expected to be sold to countries which are heavily dependant on Russia for arms. This include India and China. India had recently bought a version of the Su-30 which is known as the Su-30MKI which was developed specifically for the requirements of the Indian Air Force(IAF). This plane is compared to the Su-37 is many respects and is better than the other versions of the Su-30. The Indian has signed a deal with the Russians to help them in the complete development of the S-37 which also means that the MiG-LFI projects will also be entertained.
.:: MiG-LFI / I-2000 ::.
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So by looking at the above article, it seems LFI & JF-17 are completely different beasts in their specifications and nothing in common.
So Myth Busted.
---------- Post added at 12:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 AM ----------
OK, so now here is the final twist to Bust the Myth of LFI being JF-17.
LFI mock up or whatever you wanna call it.
---------- Post added at 12:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:02 AM ----------
Gentlemen this and above is the LFI. Hopefully no need to say further.
