When the United States was bogged down in Vietnam the Soviet Union used the interval to catch up strategically with the United States. This week's Moscow Airshow may prove to be a limited repetition of this pattern. Russia will display a new stealth fighter jet -- the Sukhoi T-50. The plane will replace the increasingly obsolete Sukhoi 27 and Sukhoi 29 planes.

Starting with 2016 the Russian Air Force hopes to receive 20 planes each year. While the planes will cost less than the comparable American stealth plane, the Americans are developing a cheaper version. The question will be how many of the new planes with a price tag of hundred $140 million will Russia prove able to afford.

Russia has one definite customer for the plane – India. India contributed 35% of the funding for the 6 billion-dollar development costs. To bring down the price Russia will need additional customers. The Americans are assisted by the fact that they will probably find customers in NATO as well as countries such as Israel that has already placed an order for the American planes.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will be on hand to see the flight of the new plane as it symbolizes Russia's return to the cutting-edge of military technology. Putin will very much like to drive home the point that during his years as president and prime minister, Russia made strides back to a position of military competitiveness. A few months back China also unveiled a prototype of a stealth fighter plane.