US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter jet
A Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter flies toward its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in this U.S. Air Force picture taken on January 11, 2011. Lockheed Martin Corp on Monday said it has delivered the next version of the computer-based logistics system used to support the F-35 fighter jet to the U.S. military for flight testing. Reuters/Stringer

Russia is expected to launch its sixth-generation fighter jets by 2025. The development process of the new fighter jets has already started, according to Russian media, which quoted the speech of a defence expert at a defence forum recently.

Designing Started

The Russian media website RIA Novosti quoted Andrei Grigoriev, CEO, Advanced Research Foundation in Russia, who spoke at the 2014 Open Innovations Forum. The CEO said Russia has already started the development of a 6th generation fighter and that will be made of composite materials. "Our project will create unique performance engines in cooperation with consulting firm Lioulka," said Grigoriev, according to a report in Composite World.

That the aircraft's body will be made of a highly durable and lightweight composite material has now been confirmed. One noteworthy feature will be that the fighter will possess not only supersonic speed, but also attain hypersonic speed above Mach 6-7at certain stages of the flight, reported RBTH Times.

Unmmaned Fighter

Even though the vivid features of the sixth generation fighters are not out, the U.S. Department of Defence has speculated that the Russian sixth-generation fighters will have stealth technology and greater agility offering a variety of pilot modes at ultrasonic speed, reported Wantchinatimes.com. The sixth-generation fighter jet's prototype could well be on the lines of the the mysterious X-37B space drone created by U.S. Air Force. In all probability, the sixth-generation fighter jet will be unmanned and the aircraft's landing and takeoff will be automated since the aircraft's advanced features will make flying unbearable for the human body.

Russia is still busy with the testing of its 5th generation fighter, the PAK FA or T-50 made by Sukhoi, a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation in Moscow. Russia is planning the deliveries of the fighter to armed forces by 2016. Combining the functions of an attack aircraft and classic fighter, the T-50 is equipped with new avionics with electronic steering and a state-of-the-art antenna radar.

Meanwhile, China is also throwing its hat into the fighter jet race and may develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter modelled on its current J-20 fighter prototypes. China hopes it can soon join the U.S. and Russia and become the top three countries who have the capability to produce fifth-generation aircraft.