Russian Air Force News & Discussion

[Klaus]

The current state arms program for 2011-2020 states that the VVS are obliged to buy 48 MiG 35s. This is particularly interesting as there is no official date for service-entry yet. It should enter service in 2014, but no one knows, whether this will be possible.

The latest AIR International (08/2012) features several news articles concerning Russia:
The new attack-aircraft I mentioned in an earlier post will not be a completely new design, but an extensively modified two-seat Su 25. The Ulan-Ude plant has already agreed to produce the aircraft. It shall enter service in 2020.
Because of this work on the planned Yak 131 has been stopped. The aircraft is said to have been eliminated from the competition because of its insufficient armor/ pilot protection.
The total requirement for the Ansat-U is reported to be 40 units. About half of them have already been delivered.

 

[Haavarla]

The AL-31FM2 engines are coming along nicly according to Salut Chief designer, Gennady Skirdov.

FSUE

 

[Feanor]

The new attack-aircraft I mentioned in an earlier post will not be a completely new design, but an extensively modified two-seat Su 25. The Ulan-Ude plant has already agreed to produce the aircraft. It shall enter service in 2020.
Because of this work on the planned Yak 131 has been stopped. The aircraft is said to have been eliminated from the competition because of its insufficient armor/ pilot protection.

The Su-25UBM and the perspective ground-attack project are supposed to be different aircraft. They also have different service entry dates.

 

[Klaus]

The article doesn't mention the Su 25UBM. Apparently there's another version being developed, which is planned to feature completely new electronics and new weapons.
2020 would also be a bit early for a completely new aircraft.

 

[Feanor]

The article doesn't mention the Su 25UBM. Apparently there's another version being developed, which is planned to feature completely new electronics and new weapons.
2020 would also be a bit early for a completely new aircraft.

Well lets consider that 2020 may be an overly optimistic date, and lets consider that development may have began a couple of years ago. It's entirely possible to develop an entirely new CAS aircraft loosely based on the Su-25, with a time frame of 15 years, given adequate funding.

 

[Klaus]

The problem is to define what means "new". Most likely all electronics and weapons systems (or most of them) will be newly developed, but how much of the Su 25s layout will be used for the new aircraft is an open question. It could resemble its predecessor in terms of size, maximum speed, etc., but will probably feature lower observability.
But to find out what it will really look like, we're gonna have to wait for some years.
IMO the Su 25 is a good basis for the development of a new CAS-aircraft as it has an ideal size and is quite agile.

 

[Haavarla]

There are some stuff about VVS comming to RF 2013 over the net.

Guess who's coming to Red Flag? If you said the Russians, you're right... - The DEW Line

Anything to take seriously?

 

[ADMk2]

There are some stuff about VVS comming to RF 2013 over the net.

Guess who's coming to Red Flag? If you said the Russians, you're right... - The DEW Line

Anything to take seriously?

Likely co-ordination practice for future joint UN no-fly type ops. I think it VERY unlikely Russia would bother sending jets to Red Flag just to play Red Air. They'll be flying and operating alongside Western forces, just like everyone else does I'd suggest.

No doubt we all want to see SU-35/PAK-FA v F-22A/F-35 type fights so we can all argue over the meaningless results til the cows come home, but it's not going to happen...

 

[Comrade69]

How does red flag work? Isn't it all dogfighting because I remember reading about something where they dont use their radar, at least not to the full capabilities

 

[Haavarla]

For any rookie pilots going to RF, there are a certain crawl-walk-run development in the daily exercises.

They start off easy, and as each day progress, the missions gets more and more complex with more units involved.

The type of mission are multiple and variable.
Its DACT with both defence and offence mission, ground attack etc etc, the list is long.

 

[ADMk2]

How does red flag work? Isn't it all dogfighting because I remember reading about something where they dont use their radar, at least not to the full capabilities

Nah, it simulates the full spectrum of conflict, so you see C-130's there doing the airlift thing, rescue helos, the full works.

Of course most are only interested in which nation's fighter jets defeated which other's fighters jets under certain conditions (which are generally ignored by most internet users, who care about national pride more than the actual circumstances of the engagement) and thereby use these "results" as proof of some point.

It's not intended as a chest thumping my fighter of choice is X times better than yours scenario, but it is invariably taken that way by those who want it too...

 

[Feanor]

Likely co-ordination practice for future joint UN no-fly type ops. I think it VERY unlikely Russia would bother sending jets to Red Flag just to play Red Air. They'll be flying and operating alongside Western forces, just like everyone else does I'd suggest.

No doubt we all want to see SU-35/PAK-FA v F-22A/F-35 type fights so we can all argue over the meaningless results til the cows come home, but it's not going to happen...

They wouldn't send Su-35S. They would send Su-27SM3 at best. Probably the regular SMs from the Far East. They've already used those in joint exercises with the US.

 

[Haavarla]

Any chance they send over some Su-34?


Hopefully VVS have the sense of sending younger pilots over to RF.

And not those 'old Jockeys', which have instructure, test or display status.
The pay back value would not be any good if they do.

Perhaps in the planning and logistic chain, VVS will learn a good deal, seeing how US/NATO operate their AF.

It do cost a lot of bucks to participate with lots of ground crew, flying time and equipment.
Its an valuable event and chance for VVS pilots and airmen to learn and grow in their career.

We did see Russian special troops training with US in US this year, and an ever growing joint exercises in both Navy and AF, so i think VVS coming to RF is only a natural development on the road.

http://russianmilitaryphotos.wordpr...he-us-russian-joint-exercises-at-fort-carson/

Hopfully this will happend, but i'm not that optimistic though..

 

[Haavarla]

As a suspected all along, the VVS going to RF was grozzly exaggerated.

It could however mean that VVS will send some observers to RD 2013..


On another note!
And this is quite the laugh

FARNBOROUGH: Yak-130's engine intakes cause confusion

No doubt this will be the story around the Yak/Russia table rest of the year.
I find this to be both entertaining and embarresing..
perhaps ignorance is the reason behind this.

 

[Feanor]

The Barnaul-T PVO C4ISR system, currently undergoing experimental exploitation in the iirc 18th MRB, is up for state trials. If it succeeds it will enter mass production for the PVO SV, and possibly the PVO VKO.

Lenta.ru:

Another interesting piece of news, Russia's next maritime patrol aircraft will be developed together with Italy.

The aircraft will be Russian, but some of the systems will be supplied by several Italian companies. This makes a lot of sense, given that Russia has no current design for a future maritime patrol aircraft. There is currently a tender ongoing for selecting an aircraft to base it on (Tu-214, An-148, or Be-200).

Lenta.ru:
*

EDIT: Thales TopSight helmet sights have been purchased for the MiG-29K in AVMF service.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/287671.html

The same ones used on the Indian MiG-29UPG upgrades. This is another noteworthy inroad for Thales. The path is a true and tried one, the same as the TIs. First it gets used in an export contract, then the domestic variant of the product gets it. Next they'll be setting up license production.

 

[Haavarla]

Venezuela seeking Su-35 in their inventory.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120719/174673843.html

If this is true, i'm a little surprised.
First of all, the VeAF have some troubled history maintaining their Su-30.
The Su-35 comes with even more complex systems, it might make them even more suceptible to heat/humidity etc etc.. it will force the VeAF to build better infrastructure for their fighter inventory.

And second, there is the fly away price.. the Su-35S don't come cheap.

 

[Haavarla]

If Irkut can hold this planned time line, they will get the better of their competitors.
Not only will it be a adv trainer, but fully combat ready as well.

Irkut To Add Attack Capabilities To Yak-130 Trainer

Irkut Plans Yak-130 Sensor Upgrade | Defense | RIA Novosti

Do i see the Philippine grabing the Yak-130 in their tender?

On another note. Two Su-30SM will be delivered soon. And it seems they will get a moderate system upgrade.
http://www.ruaviation.com/news/2012/7/19/1108/

 

[Feanor]

Venezuela seeking Su-35 in their inventory.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120719/174673843.html

If this is true, i'm a little surprised.
First of all, the VeAF have some troubled history maintaining their Su-30.
The Su-35 comes with even more complex systems, it might make them even more suceptible to heat/humidity etc etc.. it will force the VeAF to build better infrastructure for their fighter inventory.

And second, there is the fly away price.. the Su-35S don't come cheap.

Rumor is, they're hoping for another export credit from Russia. They've recently received a credit line from China, and used it to buy half a billion dollars worth of Chinese armored vehicles and other ground equipment. I think they hope that this will generate sufficient pressure and incentive for Russia to extend another credit line, to keep the Chinese off the Venezuelan market.

And of course Rosoboroneksport is pushing hard for Su-35S exports because the entire project is desperately dependent on a production run of several hundred aircraft to avoid being a financial disaster. Ever since the Libyan contract fell through, the Su-35S has been in need of a pilot export customer.

 

[Haavarla]

RusAF 100th Anniversary at Zhukovsky coming up in three weeks.

Rumours has it, that we'll see three T-50 flying in formation.
God forbid if i turns out to be four T-50..

 

[Feanor]

Here's some shots of the Ansat-U being used at the Syzransk rotary pilot school.

bmpd - "

I wonder if the type will get a bigger run.