The Rosoboronexport State Corporation will demonstrate the latest Russian combat aircraft, military air transports, air defense systems, and space exploration developments to its foreign partners in the course of the 48th International Paris Air Show – Le Bourget to be held from 15 until 21 June, 2009.
“Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2009 celebrates its 100th anniversary, thus, our programme is going to be even more intensive than before,” Rosoboronexport Deputy Director General and head of the delegation Alexander Mikheev said. “We will hold negotiations with our partners from Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa to discuss crucial issues of bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation”.
Russia is a traditional participant in the Paris Air Show Le Bourget, one of the world’s largest air shows. The Russian exhibition will be sponsored by the Rossiyskie Tekhnologii State Corporation. In addition to Rosoboronexport the air show will also see participation of the Sukhoi Company, the MiG Corporation, the IRKUT Corporation, the Ilyushin Company, the Vertolety Rossii Company, the Moscow-based Mil Helicopter Plant, the Kamov Company, the Kazan Helicopter Plant, the Rostvertol Company, the Ulan-Ude Aircraft Plant, the Avionika Consortium, and other well-known national defence contractors.
Participants in and guests of Paris Air Show 2009 will be able to examine cutting-edge Russian developments, including the Su-35 4++ generation multi-role super-manoeuvrable fighter, designed to establish air superiority and deliver air strikes against ground- and surface-based targets by day and night in adverse weather (the Su-35 boasts flight characteristics similar to those of fifth-generation fighters). The aircraft, fitted with 12 pylons, is capable of carrying a combat load of eight tons, thus, it can be armed with a wide range of guided and unguided weapon systems.
The Russian side will also demonstrate the MiG-35 single-seat and the MiG-35D twin-seat multi-role tactical fighters, featuring a high combat efficiency, an outstanding performance, and remarkable reliability and safety. The operational costs of the aircraft are relatively low. HOTAS (Hands On Throttle and Stick) controls are another crucial feature, inherent in the aircraft.
Visitors of the show will also see the Yak-130 combat trainer, fitted with a re-programmable remote control system, which allows pilots to undergo basic and advanced training in flying all existing and future fighters (Russian Su- and MiG-family aircraft, Mirage 2000, F-16, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35, etc.). The Yak-130 will enter the inventory of the Russian Air Force as early as 2009.
The Russian exposition will also present a whole scope of helicopters: the Mi-35M combat transport (the world’s only combat helicopter, capable of discharging troop carrier, transportation, and medevac tasks), the Ka-52 attack helicopter, and the Mi-26 heavy-lift transport helicopter, which has proved its worth in the course of various man-caused and natural disasters, as well as other rotary-wing aircraft.
Russia will also have on display the following air defence systems: the S-300VM (Antei-2500) mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, capable of killing stealth-technology targets; the Buk-M2E multi-channel medium-range SAM systems, capable of simultaneously engaging 24 targets, approaching from any direction, at a range of up to 50 km; the cutting-edge Tor-M2E SAM system, capable of simultaneously destroying both air-to-surface precision-guided munitions (PGM), and their platforms; as well as the Igla-S man-portable air defence system (MANPADS), the Nebo-SVU mobile radar (boasting unrivalled capabilities), the Kredo-1E radar, etc.
Experts will undoubtedly be interested in modern Russian aircraft and helicopter engines, avionics laboratory test equipment, flight data acquisition, processing and analysis systems, airfield equipment, and training aids, which reduce flight crew training costs several-fold, cut down the training period 1.5- to two-fold, and husband service lives of expensive aircraft.
Rosoboronexport also attaches much importance to repairing and upgrading arms and materiel exported earlier, including Soviet-vintage weapon systems, and will offer corresponding repair and modernisation programmes at Paris Air Show 2009. The urgency of the issue results from the attempts of a number of foreign operators to upgrade such arms and materiel without the participation of Russian experts. The Russian side is totally against this approach both from the commercial and the legal viewpoint, not to mention the technical aspect. In this light Russia intends to pursue a strict policy of changing the situation at hand. The problem cannot be solved in any other way, which is unfortunately proved by severe accidents and crashes, involving “independently modified” aircraft.
Key lines of defence cooperation include prospects of establishing licensed-production and assembly facilities, building arms and materiel service centres, and cooperating in Earth remote probing and space exploration. For instance, Rosoboronexport has established cooperation in research and development and space exploration with such European states as France, Italy, Germany and Spain. Corresponding bilateral contracts have been signed and are being fulfilled.
Foreign partners have expressed their interest in Rosoboronexport’s proposal, envisioning payments for arms exports in the form of counter purchases of corresponding national products or resource development quotas.
At the present time Rosoboronexport’s short-term contract portfolio exceeds US $25 billion. The corporation actively promotes the entire range of defence-related and dual-purpose products, technologies, and services in the international arms market, but special efforts are focused on aviation (in 2008 aircraft accounted for 56% of the overall arms exports, and air defence system exports amounted to 17%).
“The demand for Russian aircraft and helicopters grows despite the ongoing global financial crunch. It makes us feel special obligations and responsibility both as a supplier, and as a reliable time-tested partner,” head of the Rosoboronexport delegation Alexander Mikheev emphasised. “We take every necessary measure and constantly revise every line of defence cooperation, which nowadays actively expands, among other things due to developing relations with NATO member-states.”
