Russia has unveiled its new fighter aircraft, designed to be the country's response to the latest United States' combat plane. But it has yet to make its maiden flight.

The Multi-Functional Fighter, or MFI, was shown to Russian ministers at an airfield outside Moscow. In the past, the government has abruptly canceled several scheduled public displays of the new aircraft.

It is seen by Russia as providing the basis for the development of a new generation combat planes.

Its builders, MAPO-MiG, say it will be able to outperform the most advanced US fighter the F-22 Raptor.

Like the American fighter, the MFI has a "thrust vectoring" system that allows the plane to make sharper turns than current fighters. It is estimated to have a top speed of Mach 2.5.

It also has similar stealth capabilities, relying on composite materials and a special shape to avoid detection by enemy radar.

The MiG company's director general Mikhail Korzhuyev said that "if this plane was used to beat off the Anglo-American air raids on Iraq, 90% of all the launched guided weapons, including cruise missiles, would be shot down before they reached targets on the territory of Iraq".

However, the new plane, which has taken 12 years to develop, is not expected to carry out its maiden flight until next month. So far, it has only carried runs on the airfield.

Correspondents say the display appeared to be part of at attempt by MAPO-MiG to win government funds needed to finance the tests, which could cost about $45m.

The project was nearly abandoned in the later 1980s because it was considered too expensive.