MOSCOW, December 13. /TASS/. The serial production of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet will begin in the Khabarovsk Region in the Russian Far East in 2018, Khabarovsk Region Governor Vyacheslav Shport said on Wednesday.

"The enterprise is concluding tests this year and will launch serial production next year," the governor said in reply to a question from TASS.

The issue on the agenda is to include the fighter jet in the state armament program for its delivery to the Russian troops and works at the Gagarin Aircraft-Building Enterprise in Komsomolsk-on-Amur are proceeding on schedule, he noted.

"This issue has been resolved and there are no problems there. All work is proceeding in accordance with the schedule," the governor said.

The Russian fifth-generation Perspective Aviation Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK FA, also known as the T-50) fighter jet took to the skies for the first time in 2010. As was reported earlier, the cutting-edge fighter performed its first flight with a new engine on December 5.

Currently, the so-called first stage engine 117S is mounted on the Russian fighter. A new engine has not yet received its name and is conventionally designated as the second stage engine.

It was reported in August that Russia’s T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter jet had received the serial index of Su-57. The experimental design work on the most advanced fighter jet should be completed in 2019 and its deliveries to the troops should begin at that time. As United Aircraft Corporation CEO Slyusar said, the pre-production batch will consist of 12 such planes.