Russian Air Force News & Discussion

[Haavarla]

Which Russian aircraft are currently equipped for aerial refueling? The ones I'm aware of are the Bear, Blackjack, Fencer, Fullback and Mainstay.

The Backfire, does have its plumeting in place, its only the refueling pivot that has been removed due to START II threaty.

 

[Klaus]

The MiG-29SMT can definitely be refueled in flight.Afaik the probe is mounted on the right side of the aircraft's nose. From 2016 onwards they'll get another 16 of them for about 28 Mio. $ each, although I don't understand what's the point of that when the MoD has decided that the MiG-35 has to be ready only some months later.

 

[Feanor]

Oke, thanks, it was because of that in August 2009 Russian Minister of Industry and Trade announced that the manufacturing of the Il-96 would be cancelled (except the cargo version), that i thought that production has been ended.

Yes but it never really took effect because the president's office kept buying flying command posts on the Il-96 airframe.

 

[swerve]

Doh!

Either use it as a common platform for command posts, AEW, tankers, etc., or close it down.

 

[Feanor]

Doh!

Either use it as a common platform for command posts, AEW, tankers, etc., or close it down.

I don't think the Russian military wants or needs a wide-body airliner for those purposes. The tanks and AEW already use the Il-76 and will continue to do so. Military long range ELINT is on the Tu-214 airframe.

Air command posts for the president use the Il-96. It's as much an industrial support program as it is a procurement of a necessary asset.

 

[alexkvaskov]

although I don't understand what's the point of that when the MoD has decided that the MiG-35 has to be ready only some months later.

They're supporting a broke and weak KB.

 

[swerve]

I don't think the Russian military wants or needs a wide-body airliner for those purposes. The tanks and AEW already use the Il-76 and will continue to do so. Military long range ELINT is on the Tu-214 airframe.

Air command posts for the president use the Il-96. It's as much an industrial support program as it is a procurement of a necessary asset.

It decided to stick with the Il-76 airframe, because that's what it had been using for many years. It's inferior for the tanker & AEW roles, but not necessarily so inferior that it was worth spending money to keep the Il-96 in production & develop tanker & AEW variants..

But if the Il-96 is being kept in production anyway, then one might as well take advantage of it.

 

[Haavarla]

Today this happend at Zhukovsky near Moscow:

fotografersha:

Sukhoi Company (JSC) - News - News

 

[Haavarla]

They're supporting a broke and weak KB.

Define broke..


MiG revenues up 68% in 2013 - IHS Jane's 360

 

[alexkvaskov]

Define broke..


MiG revenues up 68% in 2013 - IHS Jane's 360

Indeed that was a poor term I used. I meant to say that Mig has few orders relative to Sukhoi and the Russian MoD is supporting them by procuring the 35.

 

[StobieWan]

Sukhoi Company (JSC) - News - News


Prototype will be put back into service.

What's the status of PAKFA with protoypes right now? Have they got anything flying with production engines yet?

 

[Haavarla]

No new engine instaled yet. It was to be tested in 2014(Test bench probably). Or it could be deleyed back to 2015.

They are all flying on the interim 117 engines.

I think two of them are partizipating in the Weapons AF trials right now.

 

[colay]

Talk about bad timing..,the jet was performing a demo for an Indian,delegation when it caught fire. Not the kind of impression they wanted to make, specially given the recent negative FGFA reporting in the Indian media.

 

[StobieWan]

Are any of the airframes actually definitive items that could proceed to production?

Last I heard, one of the prototypes had been grounded for cracks, not sure where that leaves the remainder of the fleet.

 

[Haavarla]

To clarify your earlier question Stobie, here is an link where you can actuall see what kind of T-50 are engaged in the Weapons trials:

The Aviationist » Stunning image of two Russian T-50 stealth planes during weapon integration tests

Sukjhoi has sent the 53 and 54 to weapons trials. It is performed at another Air Base, i believe.

The remaining T-50 are still doing test flight at Zukovsky Moscow.

 

[Haavarla]

A new batch of Hellducks delivered to VVS:

New Batch of Su-34 Front-Line Bombers Transferred to the Russian Air Force

 

[Feanor]

It decided to stick with the Il-76 airframe, because that's what it had been using for many years. It's inferior for the tanker & AEW roles, but not necessarily so inferior that it was worth spending money to keep the Il-96 in production & develop tanker & AEW variants..

But if the Il-96 is being kept in production anyway, then one might as well take advantage of it.

The Il-96 shouldn't be kept in production. It's a question of politics and prestige. It's the only wide-body airliner Russia produces. Honestly it's a Soviet-style wide-body passenger plane that has little to no role in the current Russian government air fleet.

Honestly the VVS needs to pick one large airframe and use it for everything, from AEW, to flying command post, to long-range ELINT, to tankers, etc. Instead they have Tu-214s for some roles, Il-76s for others, and it looks like the zoo will only increase in size as new passenger planes become available (SSJ-100 and MS-21 for example).

 

[Klaus]

Apparently 3 Su-34 have been delivered, at least I've found no other number. That means that there are 42 of them in service now.
As Ukraine and Russia are in a state of conflict now, can the delivery of Ukrainian engines for the Yak-130 production still be secured?

 

[swerve]

The Il-96 shouldn't be kept in production. It's a question of politics and prestige. It's the only wide-body airliner Russia produces. Honestly it's a Soviet-style wide-body passenger plane that has little to no role in the current Russian government air fleet.

Honestly the VVS needs to pick one large airframe and use it for everything, from AEW, to flying command post, to long-range ELINT, to tankers, etc. Instead they have Tu-214s for some roles, Il-76s for others, and it looks like the zoo will only increase in size as new passenger planes become available (SSJ-100 and MS-21 for example).

I agree entirely that they should pick one airframe - and that the Il-96 would have been a good choice, Too late now, though, I think.

 

[Klaus]

Russia's armed forces will receive a total of 146 Ka-52 attack helicopters until 2020, ruaviation reports. In this number the 32 Ka-52K Katran for the navy are apparently not included as the order for these has not been signed yet (?).

About 150 Ka-52 Alligator combat helicopters will be delivered to Russian Ministry of Defense during the period until 2020 - News - Russian Aviation - RUAVIATION.COM

As far as I know 56 have been delivered so far, one was lost in an accident.