Russian T-50 (PAK FA) fighter was fitted with advanced system providing unlimited oxygen supply to the pilot’s oxygen mask, Izvestiya reports.

The system developed by NPP Zvezda uses air to generate oxygen. «The system uses air tapped from the engine’s compressor to generate oxygen – the breathing gas mixture is supplied to the pilot’s oxygen mask. Now the mission duration is not limited by the onboard oxygen reserve and the pilot may perform aerial refueling several times during a single flight. As for other jets, the pilot has to monitor the amount of oxygen left, because he may run out of it even before the fuel runs out», - Chief specialist of NPP Zvezda, Mikhail Dudnik, said.

According to him, besides the unlimited amount of oxygen the system has another important advantage – it helps save the jet’s payload (weight of this onboard oxygen-generation system is about 30 kg). Mikhail Dudnik said that the system was being developed over the last five years.  Four T-50 prototypes, which are being tested in Moscow Region, have been equipped with the system.