Russian Air Force News & Discussion

wsb05

Member
... where would that be used? Arctic shelf with flat areas and no roads? I was hoping for anti - ship missile equipped fast ship with some stealth characteristics. A whole class could be created with anti - submarine ships and anti-air ships let alone transport ships for fast response units.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
... where would that be used? Arctic shelf with flat areas and no roads? I was hoping for anti - ship missile equipped fast ship with some stealth characteristics. A whole class could be created with anti - submarine ships and anti-air ships let alone transport ships for fast response units.
Current levels of funding, and willingness by the MoD to risk money on an innovative design wouldn't allow for something on that scale. Also keep in mind, this would be the beginning of a very long process. The current OKRs planned probably wouldn't even result in a production model for the military. Post 2020 we can expect to see some moderately ambitious projects, if the current ones end up successful. Maybe something not dissimilar to the Orlenok class.

A-90 Orlyonok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

EDIT: New EW units just got delivered, the Krasuha-2. 4 units of them. Supposedly they exist to suppress AEW sensors. But it remains to be seen how they actually get used.

http://lenta.ru/news/2013/04/24/krasuha/

Also the A-235 Samolet BMD system begins testing this year. It's the replacement for the A-135 currently deployed around Moscow. A modernized 53T6 missile has been undergoing testing already, and it's possible that it's part of the new system.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
A few updates, the first flight on the PAK-FA by a VVS unit pilot, rather then test pilot.

 

Also Tu-214ON state trials have begun. It will be interesting to see how they go, given that the Tu-214R ran into trouble on its experimental exploitation. Factory flight trials of the second plane are also to start soon.

 

Also another GLONASS launch just finished. The total number of the constellation is 29. 23 are in service, 2 are on technical maintenance, 3 are in reserve, one is the GLONASS-K undergoing tests.

ÀÐÌÑ-ÒÀÑÑ

Also, on the Ground Effect Vehicle program, look at the plans for two arctic brigades, and other units to be deployed north of the Arctic circle. If you're wondering about their use, they could essentially be ground-effect APCs for the Arctic units.
 

wsb05

Member
A few updates, the first flight on the PAK-FA by a VVS unit pilot, rather then test pilot.

*

Also Tu-214ON state trials have begun. It will be interesting to see how they go, given that the Tu-214R ran into trouble on its experimental exploitation. Factory flight trials of the second plane are also to start soon.

*

Also another GLONASS launch just finished. The total number of the constellation is 29. 23 are in service, 2 are on technical maintenance, 3 are in reserve, one is the GLONASS-K undergoing tests.

ÀÐÌÑ-ÒÀÑÑ

Also, on the Ground Effect Vehicle program, look at the plans for two arctic brigades, and other units to be deployed north of the Arctic circle. If you're wondering about their use, they could essentially be ground-effect APCs for the Arctic units.
Exactly my suspicion. Very happy to know :). I still think that these vehicle will be too fragile to be used in close on terrain combat. The idea needs some development. Personally I would tend to assume that ground effect vehicles are best used in the sea where longer distances separate the opponents.
 

Haavarla

Active Member
ÀÐÌÑ-ÒÀÑÑ

Also, on the Ground Effect Vehicle program, look at the plans for two arctic brigades, and other units to be deployed north of the Arctic circle. If you're wondering about their use, they could essentially be ground-effect APCs for the Arctic units.
Does it say where they will be formed? Far-East or Western HQ Command?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Does it say where they will be formed? Far-East or Western HQ Command?
They seemed to imply a special command, but as is all the arctic units are in West MD, centered around Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, and tied closely to Northern Fleet assets. Honestly, I'm not sure if anything will truly materialize on those plans, or if they will just end up re-equipping the 200th MRB with new DT-5 based vehicles, and call it good.

Shots of the first Su-34 handed over this year. It's bort number 34 red, and it's the 34th total Su-34 produced in the program, including prototypes. It's the 21st delivered as of the contract for 32 aircraft. In total this brings the number of in service Su-34s to 27, including the pre-serial prototype used as a training aircraft at Baltimore (Airbase 7000). 11 more Su-34s are to be handed over this year, completing the initial contract for 32 aircraft. Next year deliveries will begin on the bigger 92 aircraft contract.

I really have to wonder what they will do with the other prototypes. They don't have a lot of wear and tear, and many could potentially be brought up to serial condition through an upgrade. Those that can't could at least be used for training purposes. But given VVS inefficiency, it's more likely most of them will rot. We'll see if the Center MD airbase gets a prototype to use for training, along with the serial aircraft.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/515883.html
 
Last edited:

Haavarla

Active Member
Feanor;263541]They seemed to imply a special command, but as is all the arctic units are in West MD, centered around Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, and tied closely to Northern Fleet assets. Honestly, I'm not sure if anything will truly materialize on those plans, or if they will just end up re-equipping the 200th MRB with new DT-5 based vehicles, and call it good.
Ok, thx for the input. I thought this was done earlier, and was merly an shuffle and re-structure of some Regiments down to Artic Brigade size and the re-supply of new equipment.

Edit: Come to think about it, it was press released over a year ago, but perhaps it has not been finished uptil now?

Shots of the first Su-34 handed over this year. It's bort number 34 red, and it's the 34th total Su-34 produced in the program, including prototypes. It's the 21st delivered as of the contract for 32 aircraft. In total this brings the number of in service Su-34s to 27, including the pre-serial prototype used as a training aircraft at Baltimore (Airbase 7000). 11 more Su-34s are to be handed over this year, completing the initial contract for 32 aircraft. Next year deliveries will begin on the bigger 92 aircraft contract.
When you say prototypes, do you mean those eight units back from the 90's?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Ok, thx for the input. I thought this was done earlier, and was merly an shuffle and re-structure of some Regiments down to Artic Brigade size and the re-supply of new equipment.
Well Brigades would be larger then Regiments. But anyways, no new equipment has actually been delivered.

Edit: Come to think about it, it was press released over a year ago, but perhaps it has not been finished uptil now?
It wasn't even really started.

When you say prototypes, do you mean those eight units back from the 90's?
Those. I don't know if there are 8, but yes.

EDIT: Deliveries of Kh-38 GLONASS guided air-ground missiles are set to start next year. These should be the first tactical PGMs that use GLONASS.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Some updates, it looks like the Moscow Region air defense grid is going to be centralized into a single network, under the missile defense shield. The sources talk about missile defense, but they're tying together S-300, S-400, the perspective S-500, the existing A-135, and elements of the A-235 currently undergoing testing, using broadband communications. Currently the S-300/400 systems are linked with the Pantsyr-1, so we're looking at a single network from the tactical to the strategic level. The Buk and prospective Vityaz system are never mentioned, but it's likely they will end up part of the same grid.

Lenta.ru:

Also, some info on the Su-25SM3. Sources claim that the Su-25 will soon gain the ability to operate at night, communicate with UAVs, and hardened comms. However given that the hardened comms (Vitebsk-25) and the night capability is already part of the Su-25SM3, I strongly suspect that the UAV comms are already installed.

Lenta.ru:
 

alexkvaskov

New Member
S
Also, some info on the Su-25SM3. Sources claim that the Su-25 will soon gain the ability to operate at night, communicate with UAVs, and hardened comms. However given that the hardened comms (Vitebsk-25) and the night capability is already part of the Su-25SM3, I strongly suspect that the UAV comms are already installed.

Lenta.ru:
Do the numbers in SM2 and SM3 stand for different build lots of the same upgrade?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Do the numbers in SM2 and SM3 stand for different build lots of the same upgrade?
Uh. I'm not sure I understand your question, and I don't know if an Su-25SM2 variant actually exists. I've seen the index a couple of times, but I've never gotten any substantiation on what it actually represents. The Su-25SM is a glass cockpit, new avionics, night capability, GLONASS, and new PGMs. SM3 is Vitebsk-25, hardened comms, UAV comms, integration of GLONASS guided weapons (Kh-38), and possibly new EW.
 

Haavarla

Active Member
Never seen the Su-25SM2 eighter..:confused:

Could it be a major upgrade proposal that never happend, so they skipped it and just used SM3 instead..?
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Never seen the Su-25SM2 eighter..:confused:

Could it be a major upgrade proposal that never happend, so they skipped it and just used SM3 instead..?
SM3 seems pretty major. So it could've just as easily been a minor upgrade that never happened in favor of a more fundamental one.

The redstars link seems to list SM and SM2 as the same thing, but SM3 as a separate variant. Granted my French is next to non-existent, but that's what it looks like. It'll be interesting how the Su-25SM3 compares to the Su-25UBM, and the currently under developed SEAD platform on the Su-25 basis.
 

Klaus

New Member
@Feanor: You correctly understood the article. Wikipedia also doesn't mention any differences between SM1 and SM 2 standard.

How is it with the Su-27 upgrades? Does the Su-27SM2 differ from the SM 1 variant?

What I also couldn't find out is when the Su-25UBM will finally enter service. Sukhoi has been working on it for several years so it should be ready soon.
 
Top