Russian propaganda photos of a prototype of its Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) stealth fighter show the jet in a striking pixelated camouflage normally associated with armored fighting vehicles meant to fight in urban combat.

Why a stealth fighter supposed to be invisible to radar would need camouflage at all boggles the mind but such is the Russian psyche. Perhaps the T-50 isn't as fast as we think.

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A prototype identified as T-50-9 sporting the fuselage number 509 displayed this eye-catching camouflage paint scheme. The upper fuselage was painted in dark gray while the light blue under fuselage show pixels joining both colors together.

Russian state-controlled media said the prototype with this camouflage made its first flight last April 24 at Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East. The flight remained secret.

Komsomolsk-on-Amur is the site of a major aircraft production plant run by Sukhoi Company, developer of the T-50. This plant, GAZ 126, will produce the T-50 once flight testing of this jet ends. PAK FA denotes the pre-production identification for this fighter.

The fighter will sport the designator "Sukhoi Su-50" once it becomes operational with the Russian Aerospace Forces.

The first photos of T-50-9 in this camouflage scheme, however, were believed taken during the second week of May. Russian media said the photos came from the Zhukovsky Air Base in Moscow Oblast.

The air base is better known in the west for holding "tourist fighter flights" where wealthy westerners once flew Russian fighters and other aircraft for a hefty fee.

Some of the photos of T-50-9 first appeared on Twitter with at least one aerial photo showing "509" lugging two 8,000 liter drop tanks.

Most of the photos so far seen are of good quality. One photo in Russian social media seems to be an official image of the T-50-9 in flight with these two long-range fuel tanks.

PAK FA remains under development, however. The jet should finally see service by 2025 after it receives new jet engines that completed their first ground tests in December 2016.

That is, if Putin's cash-strapped Russia can cough-up the money to finance its most expensive aircraft costing over $100 million each.

The new engine will replace the upgraded Saturn AL-41F1 (izdeliye 117) turbofan engine currently powering the 12 prototype T-50s under evaluation.

TagsSukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) stealth fighter, T-50-9, pixelated camouflage, Sukhoi Company