Russia plans 'invisible' helicopters

Russia is planning to build a combat helicopter that would be able to attack fighter jets and remain "invisible" to radar, officials said on Thursday.

"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," Andrei Shibitov, chief executive officer of the Russian Helicopters company, was quoted as saying by Russian daily Gazeta.

If built, this will be the world's first fifth-generation combat helicopter, he said.

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

Shibitov said the criteria for a fifth-generation combat helicopter must include radar invisibility, have an extended flying range, be equipped with an intellectual arms control system, be able to combat fighter jets and reach a speed of up to 500-600 km per hour.

Existing helicopters are generally only intended to hit ground-based targets.

The Russian government, however, is yet to sign a contract allowing production of the helicopters.

"If the government does not sign the contract, the idea will die on the vine," Leonid Ivashov, head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems said.

"We have been snatching at everything -- fifth-generation planes, fifth-generation helicopters -- but nothing of this have so far been supplied to the army. Today the army uses helicopters produced in 1970s," he said.