Russian Air Force News & Discussion

Feanor

Feanor

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They're planning to maintain basically current numbers of Su-25SMs in service. Iirc 36 aircraft have been upgraded as of 2010, and another contract for 36 to be upgraded by 2013 signed. Another iirc 80 were to be upgraded in the 2013-2020 timeframe. So that would total out at 152 airframes. Before the reforms there were listed 7 operational regiments of Su-25. 7x24=168 So we're looking at a minor net decrease. The Su-25UB will be replaced (presumably on a 1 for 1 basis) by new-built Su-25UBMs.
 
Klaus

Klaus

New Member
Ok, then the situation is not as bad as I thought.
I just wonder what will happen to the new Su 25UBMs when the single-seaters
will be retired. The navy could possibly get some to act as trainers for the Su 30
and its Su 27 (if the latter remain in service).

Are the 9 (?) Su 25Ts, which the VVS received in the 1990s, still operational?
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Staff member
Klaus said:
Ok, then the situation is not as bad as I thought.
I just wonder what will happen to the new Su 25UBMs when the single-seaters
will be retired. The navy could possibly get some to act as trainers for the Su 30
and its Su 27 (if the latter remain in service).

Are the 9 (?) Su 25Ts, which the VVS received in the 1990s, still operational?
Click to expand...
I suspect the single-seaters will not be retired for quite some time. Russia nowhere near proficient enough with PGMs or UAVs to start phasing out the Su-25 in favor of those. The Navy won't need Su-25UTG trainers because they have a contract for 20 MiG-29K and 4 KUB to serve as trainers. The Su-30SM purchases the AVMF is currently planning will similarly not need trainers because the SM is a two-seater. Perhaps when the time does come the UBMs will simply be the last of the Su-25s to get phased out.

EDIT: Here's a few more shots of Su-35S bort 04 red.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/182397.html#cutid1
 
Haavarla

Haavarla

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  • #544
Nice.
Does all serial Su-35S come with that gray paint in the leading edge flaps.. its even all the way to the Lerx too.
It could be just additional paint to hinder wear and tear or it could be some kind of RAM coating.
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Apparently the VVS is purchasing a new long-range cruise missile. This may be the Kh-555 or Kh-101/102. It may be something else. It may even be a Brahmos purchase for the VVS.

Lenta.ru:

Well they are desperately in need of conventional cruise missiles. Coupled with the recent 3-year contract for S-400 missiles, they're finally purchasing modern munitions. Something they're badly in need of.
 
Haavarla

Haavarla

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  • #546
The Su-30SM deal has been inked.
Congrat to Irkut and Sukhoi.. once again.

Lenta.ru:

The RuAF/RuN re-armament phase seems to be going along quite nicely.
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Haavarla said:
The Su-30SM deal has been inked.
Congrat to Irkut and Sukhoi.. once again.

Lenta.ru:

The RuAF/RuN re-armament phase seems to be going along quite nicely.
Click to expand...

Jesus christ you're fast. They're re-arming pretty fast, but they're buying aircraft of the same generation as what they currently operate. Given that they have surplus Flanker airframes as is, I really have to wonder about the wisdom.

Lenta.ru:

What I have to wonder is where they're going. Are 12 still going to the BSF? Because they certainly need them. It would make sense if current AVMF Su-24Ms and Su-27s were replaced with Su-30s. PacF should still have a squadron of Fencers, and BaltF has a squadron of Flankers.
 
Haavarla

Haavarla

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I just tinking out loud here.. but isn't it a chance the rest of the 30SM's might get another RuN assignment, eighter in the Far-East Russia or up in the Barent-Sea region?

So whats next here, a followup deal on the Su-35S?

Its official now, the Su-35S-04 has been delivered for the State Trials.

http://www.sukhoi.org/news/company/?id=4809
 
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Feanor

Feanor

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Haavarla said:
I just talking out loud here.. but isn't it a chance the rest of the 30SM's might get another RuN assignment, eighter in the Far-East Russia or up in the Barent-Sea region?

So whats next here, a followup deal on the Su-35S?

Its official now, the Su-35S-04 has been delivered for the State Trials.

ÎÀÎ "Êîìïàíèÿ "Ñóõîé" - Íîâîñòè - Íîâîñòè êîìïàíèè
Click to expand...
I heard a very sensible suggestion on a Russian blog, that perhaps two SM squadrons will be used to replace Fencers in AVMF service, and the others will be used as combat trainers for Su-35S. After all 4 Su-30M2s is hardly enough for a fleet of 48 Su-27SM, 12 Su-27SM3, and 48 Su-35S, all single seaters. That's 9 squadrons of aircraft. If the 30 SMs are distributed as follows 12 BSF, 12 PacFleet, and 6 combat trainers, then they will have 10 combat-trainer Flankers, for a fleet of 9 squadrons. Makes sense to me.

Then again, we don't know. There may be follow on deals for the Su-30SM too, including forming pure Su-30SM squadrons in the VVS. There may be follow-on Su-35S deals that will require greater numbers of combat trainers.
 
Haavarla

Haavarla

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W

Wall83

Member
So now the following numbers has been orderd from Sukhoi and MiG?

48 Su-35S
12 Su-27SM
4 Su-30M2
20 MiG-29K
4 MiG29KUB
32+92(?) Su-34
30 Su-30SM
?? Su-25
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Staff member
Wall83 said:
So now the following numbers has been orderd from Sukhoi and MiG?

48 Su-35S
12 Su-27SM
4 Su-30M2
20 MiG-29K
4 MiG29KUB
32+92(?) Su-34
30 Su-30SM
?? Su-25
Click to expand...
There were statements that they intend to order 16 Su-25UBM, and had a contract for modernizing 36 Su-25SM.

Also allegedly the first Su-25SM2 or SM3 (unclear) was spotted at Kubinka. Basically an upgrade on the Su-25SM with additional guided munitions capability.

Haavarla said:
You were quite right in your post Feanor.
Alexey Fedorov himself confirm that the VVS su-30SM will help train pilots for future singel station fighters to come.
Click to expand...
Zelin's interview implied the same.
 
Klaus

Klaus

New Member
In AIR International 4/2012 there are only some news articles concerning Russia and a longer one about the T 50.

The total number of Su 25s to be upgraded is 116. 36 Su 25SM1/2 have already been delivered, while another 80 SM3s will be handed over from this year on.

The Aviastar plant is going to produce 10 new An 124 for the VVS.

T 50 Prototype 1 has apparently been grounded after cracks have been discovered on the aircraft. It seems that the T 50s airframe is not robust enough for high angle-of-attack maneuvers. Therefore the fourth prototype will feature a strenghened structure to avoid such problems in the future. T 50-4 is planned to join the others later this year.

A small part of the Su 24 force will remain in service after 2020. This will probably comprise about 60 aircraft.
 
W

Wall83

Member
So when looking at the present picture, how will the Russian Air Force look like in numbers by 2020-2025?

152 Su-25
129 Su-34
~60 Su-24
~50 Su-35
~60 Su-50 PAK FA
~50 Su-30
?? MiG-29
?? Su-27
?? MiG-31
 
Feanor

Feanor

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Staff member
Haavarla said:
A nice link to the Mig-29SMT Sqadrons in action.

sandrermakoff -

Feanor, does it says anyting about the Average Flight hour for these units?
Click to expand...
112 annually.

Klaus said:
The Aviastar plant is going to produce 10 new An 124 for the VVS.
Click to expand...
Wasn't it 20?

A small part of the Su 24 force will remain in service after 2020. This will probably comprise about 60 aircraft.
Click to expand...
They are likely to be the M2s.

Wall83 said:
So when looking at the present picture, how will the Russian Air Force look like in numbers by 2020-2025?

152 Su-25
129 Su-34
~60 Su-24
~50 Su-35
~60 Su-50 PAK FA
~50 Su-30
?? MiG-29
?? Su-27
?? MiG-31
Click to expand...
There will be ~100 MiG-31. There may be over 50 Su-35s, possibly as many as 100. There will be at least 28 MiG-29SMT/UBT, and probably ~60 Su-27SM/3.

EDIT: A better shot of the Su-25SM2 at Kubinka, Bort 02 Red. The paint scheme for it closely mimics the new Fullbacks. I wonder if only new and modernized aircraft will get it, or if they will start applying it to all in service planes. It'd look pretty weird on say a MiG-31.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/188047.html
 
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Klaus

Klaus

New Member
According to two articles, published on RIAN and ruaviation some time ago, the plan is to have 96 Su 35 and MiG 31 each by 2020.
In addition to the 60 Su 27SM already in service further upgraded aircraft will be handed over this or next year already, so perhaps 80 to 100 might remain in service.
The MiG 29s are mostly planned to be phased out, except from the 34 SMT/UBT and the MiG 35, assuming that the latter will be ordered at all.

@Feanor: the article mentioned that the VVS will receive 10 new-built An 124, together with some repaired aircraft, so the total number could be 20.
 
W

Wall83

Member
So MiGs will be a rare sight in the future Russian military.

Thats a big change in comparesment with 1950s to the late 80s when MiG were pumping out fighters like crazy.
 
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