Russian engineers are planning to develop a sixth-generation fighter with vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] capabilities, using the groundwork of the Yak-141 aircraft. This is the world's first supersonic VTOL fighter, writes Bulgarian Military.
The Yak-141 was an innovative project, capable of taking off from aircraft carriers and reaching supersonic speeds. The aircraft first took to the sky on March 9, 1987, its creation remains an important milestone in the history of Russian aviation.
The Yak-141 VTOL could reach speeds of up to 1.7M. Despite its unique capabilities, the project was closed in the early nineties due to funding problems.
Russia is now lagging behind the US and China, its combat aviation relies on fourth-generation fighters developed in the eighties. Most of them have undergone a modernization program.
Perhaps the revival of the Yak-141 VTOL project will help reduce this gap.
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