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Post by TsarSamuil on Aug 20, 2009 6:10:40 GMT -5
Russia to deliver 8 Su-30MK2 fighters to Vietnam in 2010.
ZHUKOVSKY (Moscow Region), August 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will fulfill a contract on the delivery of eight Su-30MK2 fighters to Vietnam in 2010, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday.
Russia and Vietnam signed a of $500 million agreement on the sale of eight Su-30MK2 fighters in January 2009.
"The contract was signed in January, and we will fulfill it in 2009-2010," Alexander Mikheyev, deputy general director of Rosoboronexport said at the MAKS-2009 air show near Moscow.
Mikheyev said Vietnam had already made several advanced payments under the contract and the deliveries would be made in two batches of four aircraft each.
Su-30MK2 is an advanced two-seat version of the Su-27 Flanker multirole fighter with upgraded electronics and capability to launch anti-ship missiles.
Russia's Federal Service for Military Cooperation said in June that Vietnam had expressed interest in buying additional Su-30MK2 fighters and talks on a new contract could start in the near future.
Military aircraft continue to dominate Russia's arms exports, and are expected to total about $2.6 billion in 2009 sales.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Aug 21, 2009 6:33:34 GMT -5
Take to the skies with MAKS 2009. RussiaToday.com 19 August, 2009, 20:49 www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbrvwmxJbfISu-34 and MIG-29 jet fighters, Black Shark helicopters, and the newest military and civil aircrafts from around the globe on display on the second day of the MAKS 2009 international air show outside Moscow. |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Aug 23, 2009 12:12:46 GMT -5
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcHiCUEJM70&feature=channel_page“MAKS-2009 show has been a success” RussiaToday.com 23 August, 2009, 20:00 The teams at the MAKS aviation and space show have finished their aerobatic displays near Moscow. Multimillion dollar deals have been done and over half a million people have attended the show. The MAKS-2009 has been a successful event by all accounts: both on the business side and on the public appeal side. But for 580 thousand people that visited the event during the week it is the amazing aerial performances which have been the highlight. The Frecce Tricolori, or the “Tricolor Arrows” is the Italian aerobatics team which stunned the crowds at this year’s MAKS show with their spectacular performance, such as painting the grey Moscow skies with the colors of the Italian flag. The Frecce Tricolori is the only aerobatics team in the world that is made up of 10 planes: nine flying together and one more performing solo stunts. As well as displays of the foreign groups, such as the Frecce Tricolori and the Patrouille de France (“French Patrol”) – the aerobatic team of the French Air Force – Russian teams also took to the skies. Russia’s the Strizhi (“Swifts”) and the Russkiye Vityazi (“Russian Knights”) both made an appearance on the last days of the MAKS-2009 show. The “Swifts” wowed the crowds with their stunts and changes in formation, but of course it was the “Russian Knights” that everyone was waiting to see. Tragic loss Earlier reports suggested that the team would not take part because of the death of their commander, Igor Tkachenko, on August 16, when two Su-27 fighter jets of the “Russian Knights” crashed during a final rehearsal ahead of the MAKS 2009 Air Show in the Moscow region. The decision not to cancel their involvement was carried out by Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-General Aleksandr Zelin. The “Russian Knights” closed this year’s show with a one-minute fly-past in memory of their lost commander. Economic crisis not an obstacle Despite the global economic crisis, MAKS-2009 has confirmed its reputation as one of the world’s biggest aviation forums. Over the past six days dozens of major deals were struck on its sidelines. This year’s show has provided deals worth up to $10 billion. Three times the amount generated by the previous MAKS aviation and space show in 2007. In terms of the number of visitors, the show has been quite a success too. Nearly 600 thousand people have visited MAKS-2009, with the majority having flocked in on Saturday and Sunday, despite miserable weather. The final day of the event was opened by the Russian Be-200 aircraft – an amphibian plane, mostly used by the country’s emergency services for putting out fires and assisting in rescue operations. The Sukhoi’s Superjet-100 flying with the company of two MiG fighter jets was another hit of the day’s program. Despite poor weather conditions throughout the show, the event’s organizers are saying they are happy with the way it turned out, and hope to make the next MAKS show in 2011 even more appealing to both the public and the potential customers. “I’m really pleased with this show, and you can see all the action very well,” the MAKS air show’s President, Magomed Tolboev, told RT. “I wish the weather was better, but that’s out of our control. I think in two years we’ll see an even more spectacular show.” There was also an open-air museum available to the public, displaying many Soviet and Russian aircrafts. Among them, the Mil’s helicopters, such as the Mi-28, which has become one of the most marketable Russian helicopters. Mi-28 – legendary workhorse of Russia’s Air force Both sturdy and maneuverable, the state-of-the-art Mi-28N gunship is to become a tried-and-true workhorse of Russia’s Air force. Mi-28 Havoc, as it’s called by NATO, will help to phase out the notorious Mi-24 Hind, aka the bogeyman, which featured in a string of Hollywood action films during the 1980s. In 2006 the new generation attack helicopter was rolled out to the Russian Armed Forces for the first time. 50 more will join active duty by 2010. By 2015, Russia’s Air Force will be completely rearmed with Mi-28s. Mi-28 Havoc Attack Mi-28N helicopters are one of Russia's hottest exports at MAKS – watch the video. www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-08-23/mi-28.html?fullstoryWhat is Mi-28? Its armament together with the durability and reliability of this destroyer make it a truly incredible force. Havoc’s 30-mm cannon only sports a standard caliber, but it is not a standard aircraft weapon. It is capable of destroying practically even heavily armored targets located as remote as four kilometers. “The gunship’s cannon moves in every direction. No matter which way the helicopter flies, I can shoot in different directions, except for the tail,” says test pilot Sergey Siregin. “The gunship can destroy 50% of a moving ground convoy in a single run.” Weapons on the MI-28 are up to three times more powerful than those on NATO gunships. The Mi-28 helicopter has an active defence system which can detect and destroy enemy anti-aircraft missiles. Havoc’s unparalleled robustness is due to its light radar footprint, heavy armour and emergency landing system. The energy absorbing landing gear and seats protect the crew in the event of a crash landing or a vertical fall of up to 12 meters per second. The thermal signature of Mi-28 Havoc is 2.5 times less than its predecessor Mi-24 Hind due to engine exhaust infrared suppressors – a lesson learned the hard way when the Soviet Union was battling Afghanistan. Its engines are separated which eliminates possibility of damaging them simultaneously. General Constructor of the Mil helicopter plant Aleksey Samusenko reveals that Mi-28 was created “specifically for military operations. The design was influenced by our experiences in Afghanistan.” Each wingtip has a dispenser to deflect anti-aircraft missiles. The cockpit windows are plated with flat no-gleam armour glass in addition to a titanium fuselage. It withstands hits of 12.5-mm bullets and 20-mm shell fragments. New composite blends can withstand heat from 30-mm cannon shells. But the creation of gunships started long before the Afghanistan campaign. Gunships in USSR In 1951, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin ordered the construction of a helicopter robust enough to carry troops and weaponry. Mikhail Mil was the only designer who took up the task. Few believed that a designer who did watercolour painting in his spare time would create Russia's best ever attack propeller helicopter. But his creation, the Mi-24 Hind, became Russia’s most effective source of fire support on a battlefield for decades. The new generation Mi-28 gunships can operate in all weathers and at anytime hence the nickname “Night Hunter”. Different versions of Mil's machines are used by armies in over 100 countries. Test pilot Vladimir Kutanin says that he would “eagerly make helicopters for civil use only. Now I am putting my heart and soul into contributing to the new Mi-38 model. It will be more peaceful. It will help prevent emergencies and save people.”
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Post by TsarSamuil on Aug 25, 2009 6:52:08 GMT -5
Russia’s newest record-breaking attacking unmanned plane at MAKS-2009. 16:3424/08/2009 (RIA Novosti) The Dozor-600 is the first Russian unmanned long-range aerial vehicle capable not only of sending back images, but also of carrying weapons. The first specimen was shown at the MAKS-2009.  VIDEO, en.rian.ru/video/20090824/155909204.html |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Sept 4, 2009 10:55:31 GMT -5
PICTURE: Russia unveils AESA radar for PAK FA fighter. Flight Global ^ | August 28, 2009 Russia unveiled the first element of its fifth-generation Sukhoi PAK FA/T-50 fighter during the Moscow MAKS air show, with Tikhomirov's NIIP having exhibited the type's active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The newly unveiled unit is intended for integration with Sukhoi's heavyweight fighter prototype, which air force commander Aleksandr Zelin says is due to fly in November or December. The aircraft was shown to President Vladimir Putin in its assembly phase during his May visit to the KnAAPO production plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Tikhomirov says the AESA antenna entered benchtesting in November 2008, and was mated with the radar's other blocks for an initial integration test "this summer". A second example to be produced for an operational prototype of the T-50 will be completed by mid-2010, it adds. NIIP has not provided any details about the new radar, beyond saying that its antenna contains more than 1,000 solid transmit/receive modules. The design is Russia's second AESA system, following the Phazotron Zhuk-AE being developed for the RSK MiG-35. Outwardly, the T-50 is believed to resemble the configuration of the US Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-22, and will share design features such as internally carried weapons and supercruise performance. The Russian aircraft will also have an integrated on-board sensor and flight control system which will include several radar antennas to provide a 360° coverage. Sukhoi will complete five prototypes for initial testing, including two to be dedicated for ground test activities. Initial trials are scheduled for completion in 2011-12, with the company expecting to produce an initial batch of aircraft for operational trials by 2015. Russia's initial batch of aircraft will be powered by NPO Saturn Item 117 engines, derived from the supplier's AL-31F series. A new engine will be incorporated with later production examples, with this likely to be a design proposed by MMPP Salut and based on the AL-31FM3. India is also seeking its own version of the T-50 under an agreement with Moscow. This is expected to feature some airframe differences and use Indian avionics equipment.  This AESA radar for the PAK FA has an unbelievable range in excess of ~400 km, surpassing the F-22 Raptor's APG-77(V1-2).   The PAK FA will indeed be the Raptor's ultimate rival.  Nice! |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Sept 4, 2009 11:14:17 GMT -5
MAKS 2009: Russia's 5th-Gen fighter jet engine facing problems Domain-B ^ | August 21, 2009 Zhukovsky, Moscow Region: Russia's fifth-generation fighter planes, being developed by the Sukhoi design bureau in collaboration with India's Hindustan Aeronautic Ltd (HAL), is set to start flight trials in November, the Russian air force chief said Thursday. He also revealed that the fighters' engine development programme had run into some problems. Speaking at the MAKS air show outside Moscow, Col Gen Alexander Zelin said: "For the time being, the aircraft will use Saturn engines. There are problems, I admit, but research is continuing." The T-50 Advanced Frontline Aviation Complex (PAK-FA), going by the Russian designation of the 5th Gen fighter, is intended to replace the Russian air force's fourth-generation fighters, namely, the Su-27 Flanker and the MiG-29 Fulcrum. The PAK-FA will also be inducted into the Indian Air Force as a two-seater version, compared to the Russian air force's single-seat version, and it is the Russian version that is due to commence trials later in the year. As the original Sukhoi design was not intended to incorporate a two-seater, the design bureau, along with HAL, is now working on strengthening the aircraft's structure so that it can carry increased weight. Earlier, in May, the Russian air force commander had indicated that three T-50 airframes had already been built, with at least one of these, very likely, a static fatigue test rig. Now, the Itar-Tass news agency quotes Gen Zelin as saying that the second prototype fighter jet was undergoing ''field trials.'' It is not clear what processes it is referring to when it says ''field trials,'' but very likely it is referring to land tests. All three prototypes have been built for land tests and a new one for aerial flights is on its way. Gen Zelin has reiterated time and again that the 5th-generation fighter jet will see its maiden flight later this year, ''in November, or probably in December.'' This is a subtle shift from the September-October period bandied about earlier. Deputy prime minister, Sergei Ivanov, had laid down a fiat in January this year that come what may the fifth-generation fighter jets must start trials this year and be in use by the air force by 2015. T-50 PAK-FA The aircraft is designed to feature a long combat radius, supersonic cruise speed, low radar cross section, super-manoeuvrability, and the capability for short takeoffs and landings. It is expected to have a normal take-off weight of 20 tons, which is smack in between the average normal take-off weight of the two adversary, 5th Gen American fighters - the F-35 JSF (17.2 tons) and the F-22 (24 tons). The new fighter is expected to have a traditional wing form, though Russian experts say that the experience gathered as a result of Berkut's test flights will be taken in consideration when designing the fighter. The Berkut is the only aircraft in fighter history to have a Swept Forward Wing (SFW). It will be equipped with two AL-41F engines being developed by the Saturn scientific and industrial enterprise, an active phased array radar system developed by the Fazatron-NIIR Corporation and high-precision weapons. Interestingly, the new fighter is being sought to be developed from concept to a prototype series in less than 9 years. Historically, fourth and fifth generation fighters have not been created in less than 15 years. It is likely that the problems being referred to by Gen Zelin in the development of the engine may be more finance-related than technical. The Russian government had promised to allocate $1.5 billion for the PAK-FA through 2010. It is not known if it has kept to its promise. Completion of the AL-41F engine programme, according to Rosaviakosmos officials was dependent on cash flows of between $600-800 million. These figures are from tleast two years back, even before prices of resource materials and services skyrocketed around the world before the global crash. It is not evident if the Russian government has stuck to its promise to make adequate resources available. Russian sources have said an improved version of the AL-31F will be used on the prototypes, though these engines have been designed for aircraft heavier than the PAK-FA.  This design would be kewl if it were true  |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Sept 10, 2009 10:29:48 GMT -5
Russia Officially Confirms Plans to Sell MiG-31 Fighters to Syria.
03.09.2009 Source: Pravda.Ru
Russia has officially acknowledged the plans to ship MiG-31 interceptor jets to Syria, the Kommersant newspaper wrote.
Aleskey Fedorov, the head of the United Aircraft-Making Corporation said that the contract from 2007 never came into effect, but the talks were not interrupted.
Until recently, Russia vehemently rejected the rumors about the intentions to sell MiG-31 interceptor jets to Syria. When the subject surfaced again in May 2009, Russia’s defense export giant Rosoboronexport and aircraft-maker MiG released a joint statement in which it was said that Russia had not signed a contract to deliver MiG fighters to Syria.
The Syrian government also said in an official statement that the news about Moscow’s unwillingness to ship the fighters to Damascus was only another attempt to undermine the friendly relations between Syria and Russia.
As a matter of fact, it was supposed that Russia would deliver eight aircraft to Syria. The contract was evaluated at $400-500 million, the Kommersant wrote. The production of MiG-31 aircraft was wrapped up in 1994, and Russia intended to modernize its operating jets to the purpose.
It was reported in May of this year that Russia decided not to ship the batch of MiG-31 aircraft to Syria. The board of directors of Sokol Enterprise, which modernizes the Russian interceptor jets, confirmed the failure of the contract with Syria at the end of April.
Russia’s Rosoboronexport signed the contract with Damascus in the beginning of 2007. It was originally supposed that Russia was going to deliver eight aircraft to Syria in the sum of 400-500 million USD. Sokol started executing the contract in the summer of 2007.
A source close to Rosoboronexport later acknowledged that Russia turned down the contract over the pressure from Israel. A similar story took place with Russia’s intention to sell Iskander missile systems to Syria in 2005. Israel put enormous pressure on Russia, and the contract was officially terminated. Russia’s then-President Vladimir Putin stated during his visit to Israel and he had banned the implementation of the deal.
However, a different source at one of Russian ministries said that the contract had been canceled because of Syria’s financial problems: the country supposedly did not have the money to pay for the cost-intensive military hardware.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Oct 16, 2009 4:31:14 GMT -5
Defense Minister: Bulgaria Needs New Jet Fighters.
Novinite.com
Defense | October 15, 2009, Thursday
Bulgaria needs new multirole jet fighters, and this will be a priority of the Defense Ministry.
Defense Minister, Nikolay Mladenov, announced this Thursday during his visit in the “Graf Ignatievo” airbase.
He expressed his surprise that none of the previous governments had not started procedures for buying new jet fighters, when they knew that the flight capability of the ones the army had would expire in 2012-2014.
“We take very seriously the matter what we will do, so that the Bulgarian Air Force to have planes to fulfill its missions”, Mladenov said.
The military salaries will not be raised in 2010, he added. However, the social benefits the solders have will not be taken away. The Defense Ministry's budget in 2010 will not be reduced, but the exact parameters are still being negotiated.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Oct 16, 2009 4:45:57 GMT -5
LOL! BUY UR OWN SUKHOI POSSIBLE ;D
U.S. Firm Selling Su-27s To Civilians.
Strategypage.com
October 12, 2009
An American company is offering two Su-27 fighters, for the bargain price of $5 million each. The aircraft are demilitarized, but recently refurbished. Since the refurbishment, the aircraft have been in the air only 16 hours, and the engines only have 19 hours of use. The aircraft were purchased, from Ukraine, last year by an American firm (Tac Air), to assist the U.S. Air Force is determining how the Su-27 performs. This work is apparently done, and now the Su-27s are no longer needed. The electronics are up to date, and qualified maintenance services are available, in Nevada (where Tac Air is located).
The two-seat aircraft was refurbished in Ukraine last year, and received further upgrades and modification in the United States earlier this year. There are dozens of flyable demilitarized jet fighters owned by American collectors, and the two Su-27s are expected to sell.
Russia's Sukhoi aircraft company has sold over a billion dollars worth of these aircraft (plus components and technical services for them) a year for the last few years. Sukhoi mainly supplies Su-27/30 jet fighters to India, China, Malaysia, Venezuela and Algeria. The 33 ton Su-27 is similar to the U.S. F-15, but costs over a third less.
Developed near the end of the Cold War, the aircraft is one of the best fighters Russia has ever produced. The government helped keep Sukhoi alive during the 1990s, and even supplied money for development of an improved version of the Su-27, which was called the Su-30. This proved to be an outstanding aircraft, and is the main one Sukhoi produces. There are now several Su-30 variants, and major upgrades. While only about 700 Su-27s were produced (mostly between 1984, when it entered service, and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991), add Su-30 production and you have over 1,000 aircraft (including license built ones in China and India).
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Post by TsarSamuil on Oct 20, 2009 4:38:08 GMT -5
Time is drawing near towards the end of the year n the revealing of the stealth fighter, here's a nice vid in the meantime, made by PowerRussia www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjMhx7gYH8g |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Nov 14, 2009 9:03:56 GMT -5
Get a move on?? Year is soon over...n then this comes along,  ---------------   China Close To Testing Next-Gen Fighter aviation week and space technology ^ | Nov 13,2009 | Bradley Perrett A Chinese fighter of nominally the same technology generation as the Lockheed Martin F-22 will soon enter flight testing, while a jet airlifter larger than the Airbus A400M should be unveiled by year-end. Beijing’s fighter announcement suggests a serious failing in U.S. intelligence assessments, mocking a July 16 statement of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates that China would have no fifth-generation fighters by 2020. Industrial competition looks more remote than strategic competition, however, since China will want to fill domestic requirements before offering the aircraft abroad, even if it judges export sales to be a wise policy. The new fighter “is currently under development,” says Gen. He Weirong, deputy air force chief. “[It] may soon undertake its first flight, quickly enter flight testing and then quickly equip the forces. “According to the current situation, [the entry into service] may take another eight to 10 years,” he adds. No details of the aircraft were given, but it is almost certainly designed for supersonic cruise without afterburning. In April, Adm. Wu Shengli, the navy chief, listed supercruising fighters among equipment that his service needed. Notably, all the other equipment on his wish list looked quite achievable by the end of the next decade, matching the timing that the air force now suggests for the fighter. China classifies aircraft of the F-22’s technology level as fourth-generation fighters, although they are called fifth-generation aircraft in the West. China’s current advanced fighter, the J-10, is locally called a third-generation aircraft, which in Chinese terms means that it is comparable with the Lockheed Martin F-16. Work on “the fourth-generation aircraft is now proceeding intensely,” He says. Whether the upcoming fighter is really comparable with the F-22 remains to be seen. Low radar reflectivity would not be surprising, since aircraft and missiles with stealthy shapes are now popping up in many countries, including South Korea as recently as last month (AW&ST Oct. 26-Nov. 2, p. 42). But sensor performance, information fusion and maximum supercruise speed would also be assessed critically in measuring a claim to have caught up with technology levels that the U.S. did not deploy until 2005. The existence of a Chinese fifth-generation fighter, usually tagged J-XX, has been rumored for years without official confirmation. If the aircraft does go into service before 2020, then at that time China may well have jumped past Britain, France and other Western European countries in terms of deployed, domestically developed combat-aircraft technology. That will depend on how quickly those countries move to field combat drones to replace current strike aircraft, says Andrew Brookes of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Brookes takes seriously the Chinese objective of technology equivalent to the F-22, and he sees no reason to doubt that the F-22 would be the standard against which they would judge their design. The know-how can be imported. “The Russians have the technology and the Chinese have the money,” he says. “If they really set that as a target, then I think they can do it.” The aircraft may not bother Western manufacturers in export markets, Brookes suggests, simply because an equivalent of the F-22 would be a destabilizing export that China would be prefer to keep to itself. Even if China decides that it wants to export the fighter, Lockheed Martin should by then be well entrenched with the F-35, which should be mature and reliable at that point. Other manufactures may not be so well placed, however. Gen. He made his remarks during an interview on China Central Television as part of the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the air force of the People’s Republic of China. (The general’s surname is pronounced as “her” but without the “r.”) China is probably working on two fifth-generation concepts, says Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center. One of those concepts, appearing most commonly in bits and pieces of evidence that have turned up from time to time, would be a heavy twin-engine fighter probably of about the same size as the F-22. The other is a single-engine aircraft probably closer to the Lockheed Martin F-35. Gen. He could be referring to either of the aircraft when predicting an entry into service during the next decade. Fisher’s bet is that he is talking about the twin-engine concept. Like Brookes, Fisher believes China is realistically aiming at the F-22’s technology level. “One has to assume that the People’s Liberation Army is confident in its projections, as it almost never makes such comments about future military programs, especially one that has been as closely held as its next-generation fighter. “As such, one has to be asking very hard questions: How did the U.S. intelligence community get this one wrong? And inasmuch as no one expects the F-35 to replace the F-22 in the air superiority role, is it time to acknowledge that F-22 production termination is premature and that a much higher number is needed to sustain deterrence in Asia?” In his July 16 speech, Gates said that even in 2025 China would have but a handful of fifth-generation aircraft. The new Chinese fighter could come from the Chengdu or Shenyang plants of Avic Defense. Gen. He says the Chinese air force plans to emphasize development of four capabilities: reconnaissance and early warning, air strike, strategic supply, and air and missile defense. The J-10 began large-scale service entry in 2006, state media say. When Wu raised the prospect of a supercruising fighter, an easy answer seemed to be an advanced version of the J-10. That looks less likely now that He describes the future concept as a full generation ahead of the J-10. “I believe the Chinese have a difficult road if their design is tied to the J-10,” says a U.S. Air Force officer involved in the development of the F-35. “Significantly reduced signature requires more than coatings. It requires an integrated design philosophy with the right shaping, the right structure and the right surface coatings.” Fisher assumes that China is developing improved fourth-generation fighters in parallel with the fifth generation. The existence of the airlifter has been known for several years, if only because pictures of it have appeared fleetingly in presentations by the Chinese aviation conglomerate Avic. As expected, it turns out to be a product of Avic’s large-airplane subsidiary, Avic Aircraft and, more specifically, of the subsidiary’s core plant, Xi’an Aircraft. Avic Aircraft General Manager Hu Xiaofeng says the airlifter is in the 200-metric-ton class and will be unveiled at the end of this year. In fact, its design has already unveiled in pictures shown by state media. The four-engine aircraft adopts the universal high-wing, T-tail configuration. The wing is mounted on top of the circular body, rather than passing through a deep segment of it and cutting out much of the usable cross-section. In that respect it is like the A400M, Ilyushin Il-76 and Kawasaki C-X but unlike the C-17, whose embedded wing presents less frontal area. The main gear of the Chinese aircraft is housed in very protuberant sponsons, like those of the C-17. A photograph of the cockpit shows five electronic displays of moderate size and conventional transport-style control columns. Engines are not revealed but would presumably be imported from Russia. A wind-tunnel model shows the engines are enclosed in long nacelles, like those of the Perm PS-90 from Russia. The PS-90 has a standard maximum thrust of 35,300 lb. in its latest version. The C-17, with a gross weight of 265 tons, is powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117 engines of 40,400 lb. thrust. The airlifter’s fuselage appears to be of conventional metal construction. The aircraft will be significantly larger than the A400M, which has a 141-metric-ton gross weight. Hu says it has been independently developed in China. However, his parent company, Avic, has a long history of cooperation with Ukrainian airlifter specialist Antonov. www.sinodefence.com/ |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Dec 5, 2009 6:20:03 GMT -5
Russia gears up for major marketing launch of its Su-35 fighter jets.
Geostrategy Direct ^ | 12/09/2009 | Geostrategy Direct
Russia has launched its Su-35 fighter-jet program. Russia's Sukhoi Co. has begun implementing a contract to deliver the Su-35 to the Russian Air Force. Under the contract signed in August 2009, the Russian Air Force, in the largest purchase in 20 years, would acquire 48 Su-35 fighters.
"Long-term contracts for the fighter aircraft delivery to the Russian Air Force and foreign customers allow Sukhoi Co. to provide for a steady work load of its serial plants by combat aircraft production and shift from modernizing aircraft in the Russian Air Force inventory to manufacturing new products," Sukhoi said. In a statement on Nov. 17, Sukhoi said its plant on Komsomolsk-on-Amur has begun production of component parts. The company said serial production of the aircraft would begin in 2010.
Executives said Sukhoi and Russia's arms export agency, Rosoboronexport, have been briefing potential clients of Su-35. They said Algeria and Libya have expressed interest in the aircraft.
The Su-35 included a new phased array radar system with long-range aerial target detection. The aircraft, with stealth qualities, has been equipped with new air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles.
"The Su-35 is a substantially modernized highly maneuverable multifunctional 4++ generation aircraft employing technologies of the fifth generation," Sukhoi said. "They make it superior to all other fourth generation fighter jets now under development worldwide."
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Post by TsarSamuil on Dec 10, 2009 12:59:57 GMT -5
I'm getting worried that the stealth fighter won't be revealed until next year  -------------------- MiG Corporation is 70 years old. Ria Novosti ^ | 08/12/2009 | Ilya Kramnik On December 8, the Russian aircraft corporation MiG, formerly called the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau, celebrates its 70th anniversary. MiG, one of the most popular Soviet aircraft brands, was known all over the world and came to symbolize just about any Soviet warplane, except long-range bombers, in the West during the Cold War. And in fact, MiG's glory was well-deserved. The MiG Design Bureau pioneered the development of post-war turbojet fighters in the Soviet Union. Its first jet fighter, the I-300 later designated the MiG-9 Fargo, performed its maiden flight on April 24, 1946 and became the first jet fighter to enter service with the Soviet air force. It was followed by the legendary MiG-15 Fagot, which brought lasting fame to the MiG Design Bureau and which served with Soviet and foreign air forces for over 50 years. The hard-hitting MiG-15 had three cannons and won a reputation for its high speed and excellent vertical and horizontal maneuverability. The MiG-15 soon became the main Soviet air-superiority fighter and also entered service with other socialist countries. The fighter's finest hour came during the 1950-1953 Korean War. In October 1950, the Soviet 64th Fighter Corps was assigned to defend logistics support and border facilities in North Korea. Chinese and North Korean air forces also received new fighters. The MiG-15, which was the main Soviet, Chinese and North Korean fighter in that conflict, downed nearly 1,400 U.S. and other UN aircraft. 566 MiG-15s were lost in the war, including 335 Soviet MiG-15 fighters. In all, Soviet fighters downed about 1,100 enemy aircraft at the cost of 120 pilots. The West, which does not like to discuss that conflict, usually recalls the number of downed MiG-15s and the 200-plus North American Aviation F-86 Sabre fighters shot down during the Korean War. The F-86 Sabre, which was the best U.S. fighter of that period, could not cope with the MiG-15, which virtually controlled Soviet, Chinese and North Korean air space. Although the MiG-15 began to be replaced with more advanced aircraft after the war, over 15,000 of these fighters were manufactured, making them the most popular jet-fighter model in history. In fact, the Albanian air force scrapped its last MiG-15 in 2005. Before the advent of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, the MiG-15 and its successors, the MiG-17 Fresco and the MiG-19 Farmer, formed a vital element of Soviet air defense throughout the 1950s. Large fighter units, which had won a formidable reputation in the course of intensive dogfights, became a highly important deterrent at a time when Soviet nuclear weapons were still in the experimental stage and when Soviet long-range bombers were unable to reach the United States on two-way missions. U.S. military planners realized that strategic bomber groups would be sitting ducks in Eastern Europe and Soviet air space, and that a hypothetical nuclear strike was highly unlikely to inflict unacceptable damage on the U.S.S.R. The MiG-21, which first took off in 1958 and whose production was launched in 1959, is still in service. The MiG-23 Flogger fighter and its modified version, the MiG-27 Flogger-D/J, the MiG-25 Foxbat and MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors, as well as the MiG-29 Fulcrum, now being converted into the MiG-35 Fulcrum-F, continue to fly today. MiG-29 tests conducted by the NATO air force revealed that, given equal pilot training, this fighter has an advantage over similar Western aircraft during close-range dogfights, a traditionally strong feature of Soviet warplanes, and during medium-range combat involving air-to-air missiles with a range of 20 to 30 km. Although the MiG Design Bureau faced major problems after the break-up of the Soviet Union, the situation is now improving. The company now repairs and upgrades previously manufactured aircraft for the Russian and foreign air forces. The MiG Corporation continues to sign additional contracts. Federal funding has allowed it to develop the state-of-the-art MiG-35 which, as experts say, has good market prospects. The company is also developing a fifth-generation fighter, due to appear in the next decade. MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti military commentator Ilya Kramnik)  |
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Post by TsarSamuil on Dec 10, 2009 13:25:52 GMT -5
Oooo ffs...
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Russia Delays Test Flight of Stealthy Fifth Generation Sukhoi T-50.
Pravda.Ru
Russia will not test its fifth-generation aircraft this outgoing year. “The tests will begin in 2010,” Vice Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov told reporters Tuesday, RIA Novosti reports.
Ivanov said in May of this year that the test flight of the state-of-the-art aircraft would begin before the end of 2009. Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said in June that the fifth-generation aircraft would be put into service in 2015.
Prime Minister Putin visited Russia’s largest air show MAKS in August and said that the production of the fifth-generation aircraft was a very important direction in the development of the nation’s aviation industry.
Russia ’s Sukhoi design bureau and NPO Saturn have been developing the fifth-generation fighter jet since the 1990s. It will be reportedly possible to use the fighter in all weathers, 24/7. The stealthy jet will be able to fly at an ultrasound speed and possess a highly efficient automated defense system. Only the United States of America has developed a fifth-generation fighter jet.
In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union outlined a need for a next-generation aircraft to replace its MiG-29 and Su-27 in frontline service. Two projects were proposed to meet this need, the Sukhoi Su-47 and the Mikoyan Project 1.44. In 2002, Sukhoi was chosen to lead the design for the new combat aircraft. The PAK FA will incorporate technology from both the Su-47 and the MiG 1.44.
Russia and India agreed in early 2007 to jointly study and develop a Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft Program, FGFA. On October 27, 2007, Asia Times quoted Sukhoi's director, Mikhail Pogosyan, "We [India and Russia] will share the funding, engineering and intellectual property [of the new project] in a 50-50 proportion." The Indian version, according to the deal, will be different from the Russian version and specific to Indian requirements. While the Russian version will be a single-pilot fighter, the Indian variant will have a twin-seat configuration based on its operational doctrine which calls for greater radius of combat operations. The wings and control surfaces need to be reworked for the FGFA. Although, development work has yet to begin, the Russian side has expressed optimism that a test article will be ready for its maiden flight by 2012 induction into service by 2015.
Although there is no reliable information about the jet's specifications yet, it is known from interviews with people in the Russian Air Force that it will be stealthy, have the ability to supercruise, be outfitted with the next generation of air-to-air, air-to-surface, and air-to-ship missiles, and incorporate a fix-mounted AESA radar with a 1,500-element array. The jet will use on its first flights 2 Saturn 117S engines (about 14.5 ton thrust each). The 117S is an advanced version of the AL-31F, but built with the experience gained in the AL-41F program. The AL-41F powered the Mikoyan MFI fighter (Project/Article 1.44). Later versions of the jet will use a completely new engine (17.5 ton thrust each), developed by NPO Saturn or FGUP MMPP Salyut.
On 20 August 2009, Russian Air Force Chief Alexander Zelin said that there were problems with the engines and research was continuing.
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Post by TsarSamuil on Dec 18, 2009 10:22:42 GMT -5
Russian Military Aircrew Numbers Tumble.
Aviation Week and Space Technology ^ | Dec 16, 2009 | Alexey Komarov & Douglas Barrie
Aircrew numbers in the Russian air force are to be cut by 40% as part of a program that will see the service adopt a revised operational-command structure by year-end.
Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin, the air force chief, unveiled the far-reaching plan last summer with the aim of transforming his service into an agile force capable of dealing with more diverse types of threats. Zelin says the new structure will consist of operational commands, air force bases and aerospace defense brigades (to counter aircraft and missile threats).
Existing air force and air defense armies will be replaced with four operational commands with headquarters in St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk and Rostov-on-Don.
The other three organizations will be the long-range aviation command, formerly the 37th strategic air army; the military-transport aviation command, built around the 61st air army; and an operational-strategic command of aerospace defense (the former special missions command with responsibility for defending Moscow and central Russia). The last will coordinate its activity with the space forces, which protects Russia from ballistic missiles as well as potential threats from space.
Thirty-three air bases and 13 aerospace defense brigades will form the core of the renovated air force, which will comprise 180 units and commands instead of the existing 340. Aircrew numbers are to be cut to 7,000 from 12,000, while the officer corps will be reduced to 38,000 from 65,000.
As a result, hundreds of older fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft types will be withdrawn from service as the air force works to improve its overall readiness. The ambition is that by 2020 70% of the combat inventory will consist of either new types or upgraded aircraft.
Delivery of the Sukhoi Su-35S, which is based on the Su-27 Flanker, is due to begin in 2011. The aircraft will give the air force a multirole heavy fighter until the PAK FA enters service during the second half of the next decade. First flight of the PAK FA prototype—the T-50—has likely slipped into early 2010, although officials close to the development say the overall program is now progressing satisfactorily.
In addition, the air force will receive more production-standard Su-34 strike aircraft beginning in 2010, as the type begins to replace the Su-24M Fencer. Upgrade of some of the air force’s MiG-31Bs is ongoing.
The upheaval in the air force mirrors that in the army. Nearly 1,900 army units and commands are being transformed into 172 permanent readiness units and commands, while more than 20 motorized and tank divisions will be replaced by 39 combined arms and two tank brigades.
The changes will facilitate the air force’s being able to concentrate better equipped and trained units at a fewer number of bases, suggest air force sources. They point to Baltimor airfield near Voronezh in central Russia as one potential beneficiary of the consolidation. The intent is to develop the airfield as a major base with several runways up to 3,500 meters (11,480 ft.) long. Once completed, Baltimor will accommodate about 100 combat aircraft.
Other bases have absorbed aircraft and personnel from disbanded units. The military transport aircraft base at Migalovo, near Tver, has absorbed air regiments from Sesha, Smolensk and Krechevitsy. Transport aircraft types moved to Migalovo include the Ilyushin Il-76 and Antonov An-12.
The relocation of aircraft and personnel requires substantial infrastructure development and additional accommodation. The latter concern is likely the defense ministry’s most pressing issue.
Along with an anticipated 28 new-build combat aircraft and the same number of helicopters slated to be delivered in 2010, additional units equipped with Almaz-Antey S-400 surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) are to be formed.
Notionally, a further five air defense battalions are scheduled to receive the S-400 during 2010, but Zelin has already begun to doubt whether this target will be met. The air force has so far equipped two units with the mobile long-range SAM.
Commenting on system trials at the Ashuluk test range in southern Russia, Zelin suggested that while he was generally satisfied, the S-400 “still did not completely match the specification.” Exactly which elements of the system’s performance remain to be fulfilled is not yet known.
Moreover, delivery of the S-400 to the air force is being hampered by production capacity, and the defense ministry has floated the idea of establishing a second manufacturing site.
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