OBORONPROM group february 2009 • Special edition for Aero 2009

MIL ULAN UDE KAZAN KUMERTAU “PROGRESS” ARSENIEV “VPERED” MOSCOW STUPINO MACHINE-BUILDING R.E.T. KRONSTADT HELICOPTER HELICOPTER PLANT AVIATION PLANT HELICOPTER PLANT AVIATION PLANT AIRCRAFT COMPANY MACHINE-BUILDING PRODUCTION ENTERPRISE AIRCRAFT REPAIR SERVICE COMPANY PLANT AND OVERHAUL PLANT advertising Sukhoi fighters in India [p.8]

Vikramaditya back in water [p.12]

New helicopters entering service MiG-35 [p.28] OBORONPROM United Industrial Corporation OJSC 27, Stromynka str., Moscow, 107076, e-mail: [email protected] favourite of MMRCA tender [p.18] www.oboronprom.ru

Russian airliners production in 2008 [p.38]

february 2009 Editor-in-Chief Andrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin Columnist Alexander Velovich

Special correspondents Alexey Mikheyev, Vladimir Karnozov, Victor Drushlyakov, Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev, Dear reader, Alina Chernoivanova, Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva, Dmirty Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov, You are holding a new issue of the Take-Off magazine, a supplement Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski, to Russian national monthly aerospace magazine VZLET. This issue has Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi been timed with 2009 to be held in the “capital city” of India’s aviation – . Design and pre-press Grigory Butrin By tradition, the aerospace show in Bangalore has been attended by numerous Russian participants and businessmen. Small wonder, since Web support India has long been among the main partners of our country in the field Georgy Fedoseyev of arms trade, specifically, in aerospace sphere. Translation Russian aircraft have been delivered to India for almost half century. Yevgeny Ozhogin Since the 1960s, the bulk of the ’s fighter and fighter- bomber fleets has been made up by MiG and Sukhoi warplanes, with a Cover picture large number of the MiG-21 fighters and MiG-27 fighter-bombers were Piotr Butowski made by India under Soviet licence and assembly of one of the world’s best fighters, the Su-30MKI, having kicked off in India recently. Publisher Licence production of the Russian combat aircraft is only one of the signs of the surging cooperation between the two countries. Ten years ago Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, a developer and manufacturer of cutting-edge BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, Director General launched its operations. Later on, a range of other important agreements Andrey Fomin concerning joint aerospace programmes have been signed with an intergovernmental agreement on co-development and co-production of Deputy Director General Nadezhda Kashirina the prospective fifth generation fighter by Russia’s Sukhoi company and India’s HAL corporation is one of the most important among them. Marketing Director At present, Russia’s MiG Corp. is fulfilling the contract on developing, George Smirnov manufacturing and delivering a batch of MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters to the to equip the air wing of the Vikramaditya Director for international projects carrier now under repair and modernisation in Russia also. The Alexander Velovich customer’s representatives have been immediately engaged in the programme. Next key steps along the path of the Russian-Indian military- technical cooperation may be the acquisition of advanced MiG-35 News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial Generation 4++ fighters offered by Russian side for the IAF tender for staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press 126 medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA). All these programmes releases of production companies as well as by using information of Russian-Indian aerospace cooperation became the main topics of this distributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti, issue. By tradition, you can find also here a brief rundown on some other RBC news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru, recent news and achievements of the Russian aerospace industry over www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites past several months. Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied I wish all the exhibitors and visitors of Aero India 2009 interesting with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis. meetings, useful contacts and lucrative contracts! See you again at next Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items. air shows!

The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of Sincerely, observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004 Andrey Fomin © Aeromedia, 2009 Editor-in-chief Take-Off magazine P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia Tel. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19 Fax +7 (495) 644-17-33 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.take-off.ru contents CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES ...... 4

Beriev and Vega carry on with AEW systems Ka-226T is ready for Indian tender february 2009 AL-55I trials on MiG-AT started First An-74TK-300 built for Libya Indian An-32 upgrade may start this year

4 Sukhoi fighters in India Sukhoi fighters have flown in the Indian skies for 40 years. The story dates back to the late ‘60s, when the Indian Air Force bought a large batch of Su-7BMK fighter-bombers that became the first supersonic strike aircraft in service with IAF, giving it new tactical qualities, and proven themselves in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war conflict. Su-7BMK had long been the mainstay of IAF’s fighter-bomber fleet, but time flies and they started being phased out gradually in the mid-’80. Nonetheless, IAF did not abandon the Sukhoi brand name. Moreover, Sukhoi jets are the service’s backbone now. The unique Su-30MKI supermanoeuvrable multirole fighter, which has spawned a whole family of derivatives and sold well on the global market, owes its emergence to an Indian order. The Su-30MKI has been in service with IAF since 2002 and repeatedly displayed its superiority to the cream of the crop of West European and US fighters on several combined exercises. To cap it all, the Su-30MKI has become, essentially, Sukhoi’s first project implemented through large-scale cooperation with manufacturers of both the customer country and major third-party companies. Mention should be made that the Su-30MKI delivery was just the first step towards the Russian-Indian cooperation in warplane development. The scope of the cooperation expanded with the kick-off of the large-scale Sukhoi licence production programme, under which HAL was to make 140 Su-30MKIs in India. A new phase of the 8 cooperation may be the unprecedented contract for joint development of a fifth-generation multirole fighter by Sukhoi and HAL, which is being drafted now.

Vikramaditya gets launched while Indian pilots master MiG-29K The implementation of the Russian-Indian contract on overhauling and upgrading the Admiral Gorshkov through-deck aircraft carrying cruiser, which is turning into a classic aircraft carrier and will be commissioned by the Indian Navy as Vikramaditya, passed another key milestone on 4 December 2008. On that day after three years of repairs in a drained flooding dock of the Sevmash yard, the ship got back in its element – the dock 12 was flooded and the carrier was taken out of it to the fitting-out wharf of the Severodvinsk-based company for completion and outfitting. There have been important developments out of Moscow as well. Indian military pilots have begun to learn the ropes on the main weapon of the advanced Indian aircraft carrier – the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB carrierborne fighters. Last year, the Lukhovitsy Production Centre of the MiG Corp. built, tested and prepared the first four production aircraft for delivery. In November and December, the warplanes were used heavily in Lukhovitsy as part of the conversion training of the lead team of Indian pilots who had completed their ground school and sharpened their flying skills in piloting the fighter on the high-tech MiG-29K simulator developed and made by the MiG Corp. under the same contract.

Su-30MKI + BrahMos = new capabilities of Indian Air Force Today, Su-30MKI two-seat multirole supermanoeuvrable fighters are the image warplanes of the Indian Air Force and the cutting-edge weapon in the service’s inventory. To date, Irkut Corp. has delivered over 50 aircraft 16 like that to IAF, while the ongoing licence production of the fighter by HAL’s manufacturing plants, coupled with new deliveries from Russia, will enable IAF by the middle of next decade to operate as many as 230 aircraft, most of which will have remained in the inventory until 2030–40. The Su-30MKI programme is not sitting on its hands. Because the Su-30MKI production and deliveries are to go on for at least five years more and its service for at least a quarter of the century, the question of its further refinement is on the agenda now. Fitting the IAF Su-30MKI fleet with the sophisticated BrahMos-A precision-guided long-range multirole air-to-surface missile under development by the Russian-Indian joint venture is seen as a priority as part of such work. The venture has developed and delivered the shipborne and land-based BrahMos missile systems to the Indian Navy and Army. What new capabilities can the BrahMos offer, once fitted with the Su-30MKI?

MILITARY AVIATION ...... 18

MiG-35: favourite of MMRCA tender 28 August 2007 saw the official kickoff of a largest-scale combat aircraft acquisition tender – the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme estimated at $11 billion and providing for the Indian Air Force to buy 126 medium multirole fighters. On that day, the Indian government issued official request for proposals to the bidders. The preliminary stage shortlisted several contenders for the multibillion-dollar order. Six companies from the , Western and Russia indicated their willingness to throw their hats in the ring – and with their F-16 Block 70 and F-18E/F fighters, SAAB offering 18 its Gripen IN, Eurofighter with its EF2000 Typhoon and MiG Corp. with its MiG-35 fighter. According to expert opinion, the Generation 4++ MiG-35 multirole fighter under development by MiG Corp. will become among the favourites of the Indian tender. The MiG-35 demonstrator was derived from the MiG-29M2 prototype two years ago. It was displayed at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore in February 2007, having become one of its zests. At the same time, the US and West European fighters offered by the competitors are very formidable rivals, and a minor upgrade of the current MiG-29 would not be enough to beat them in the tender. Therefore, despite the MiG-35’s similarity of appearance to the current production-standard MiG-29, its design and capabilities embody several drastically novel features attributing the fighter to Generation 4++.

2 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contents

Advanced helicopters entering service 28 Mi-28N and Ansat-U cleared for fielding while Ka-52 enters production On 26 December 2008, the Russian Helicopters’ Flight Test Centre in Chkalovsky, Moscow Region, hosted the final meeting of the enlarged session of the State commission that considered the outcome of the official trials of the advanced Mil Mi-28N and Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopters and Ansat-U trainer helicopter and the status of their production. During the session, the report on the successful completion of the Mi-28N and Ansat-U official trials was signed and the “confirmation of the suitability of the helicopters and all of their components for entering service with the Russian Defence Ministry and for launching their production” was issued. At the same time, the first stage of the official trials of the Ka-52 helicopter was pronounced a success, which served the base for issuing a positive preliminary opinion recommending the manufacture of a pre-production batch.

Bombs without rival 32 Bazalt’s weapons surpass JDAM and JSOW Despite the growing importance of the role of guided missiles, ‘iron’ bombs remain in the inventories of the air forces throughout the world. One of the ways to enhance the capabilities of air bombs is the fitting them with special tail kits increasing their accuracy and range or the developing of advanced cluster bombs with homing submunitions. The best-known results of such modernisation are US smart bomb JDAM and glide bomb JSOW. However, they have run into worthy competition on the global market – air bombs from the Bazalt state scientific production company that has for decades been a leader in developing air bombs of all types.

Yak-130 clears another test phase Su-25 upgrade goes on in Kubinka

CIVIL AVIATION...... 36

Two Sukhoi SuperJets under certification tests

36 In the run-up to recovery Russian civil aircraft industry in 2008 By tradition, early in the year we analyse the basic results produced by the Russian aircraft industry in making and selling airliners and transport aircraft in the previous year. The establishment of the United Aircraft Corporation and forming its range of models as well as several recent contracts and agreements signed with 38 Russian and foreign customers served the reason for hoping for a considerable improvement in this field starting from 2008. However, last year’s results indicate that, unfortunately, it would be a bit premature to say that the Russian commercial aircraft makers have passed the turning point. Although there have been objective and subjective reasons to that, the fact is that the advanced civil aircraft output and deliveries have not improved substantially and the Russian aircraft industry built in 2008 mere 13 new planes, of which only six have been delivered to Russian customers. But last year revealed some positive trends, albeit timid ones. The aircraft industry managed to deliver six new airliners of the Tu-204/214 family following a long lull, the kicked off its certification test programme and some progress was made in exporting Russian civil aircraft, with new prospects cropping up. Let us not lose heart and let us see what the Russian aircraft industry managed to accomplish last year and what can be expected from it in the near future.

INDUSTRY ...... 44

Tikhomirov’s radars: from phased array to AESA 44 Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely A key component of formidable combat capabilities of advanced fighters is the sophisticated fire control system wrapped around an efficient radar. All Sukhoi Su-27/Su-30 family fighters – both exported and in service with the Russian Air Force – are fitted with fire control systems developed by the Tikhomirov-NIIP research institute. Tikhomirov-NIIP became a pioneer in developing phased-array radars. Its first airborne phased-array radar debuted on the MiG-31 interceptor, and starting with the Su-30MKI these radars have been equipping Sukhoi fighters. Last year, the advanced Su-35 multirole fighter entered the trials, with Tikhomirov-NIIP developing the Irbis-E passive phased array radar – the most refined in its class – to fit it. As far as the future fifth-generation fighter is concerned, the company is developing its first active electronically scanned array radar (AESA). To learn the status of the programmes, Take-off’s editor Andrey Fomin met Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely who was kind enough to grant us an interview.

Ivchenko-Progress advanced aero engines

JSC “558 Aircraft Repair Plant” www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 3 contracts and deliveries | news in brief Beriev and Vega carry on with AEW systems III MiG Corp. has launched work under the 7 March 2008 contract on upgrading 64 MiG-29 fight- ers in service with the Indian Air Force. Last summer, the first six IAF fighters were ferried to Russia for upgrade, with four MiG-29 singleseaters coming to MiG Corp.’s Production Centre in Lukhovitsy and two MiG-29UB combat trainers to the Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod. The upgrade will furnish the IAF MiG-29s with advanced Phazotron-NIIR Zhuk-M2E radars, advanced NIIPP infrared search and track (IRST) sensors, up-to-date navi- gation, display and communica- tions gear and an expanded array of weapons. The first six upgraded fighters are slated for delivery in late 2009. The rest of the aircraft Rami Mizrahi are to be upgraded in India. The Vega radio-electronic con- the Phalcon radar from Elta has been the A-50EI aftersales maintenance III cern has maintained a long-time mounted and tested on it. The flight system for IAF. The ARMS-TASS news agency partnership with Beriev company trials of the first A-50EI carrying the Vega’s chief also said the com- reported on 6 December 2008 in developing airborne early warn- Israeli-made Phalcon radar kicked off pany in cooperation with Beriev car- that during Russian President ing and control systems (AEW&C). in Tel Aviv on 5 June 2008. ried on with upgrading the airborne Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to India, The A-50 AEW&C aircraft devel- According to Vega’s chief warning and control systems of the the Indian Defence Ministry’s oped by the tandem have been in Vladimir Verba speaking at A-50s in service with RusAF. The acquisition department and service with the Russian Air Force Gidroaviasalon 2008 airshow last first aircraft has been upgraded and, corporation for almost a quarter of century (by September, the first A-50EI is slated according to Mr. Verba, “is undergo- clinched a major deal on 80 Mil the way, last year marked the 30th for delivery to India in the beginning ing the official trials with success”. Mi-17V-5 helicopters for the anniversary of the maiden flight of 2009 (the aircraft will arrive to Vega’s leader did not go into detail, Indian Air Force. The con- of the first prototype A-50 that the customer directly from ). confining himself to a statement tract was signed in a ceremony took place on 19 December 1978). The remaining two aircraft will be that “the upgraded system will be attended by the Russian President These days, Beriev and Vega have delivered during the subsequent two on a par with the best international Dmitry Medvedev and Indian been cooperating in two principal years. The second A-50EI airframe achievements in the field, and they Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. fields – the A-50EI programme for made its maiden flight in Taganrog surpass their Western-made ana- The deliveries of all 80 machines the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the on 11 January 2009 and is slated to logues in a number of ways”. produced by Kazan Helicopters A-50 upgrade programme for the be transferred to Israel for Phalcon In addition, Vega also works on are slated for 2010–2013. Russian Air Force. system installation soon. Vladimir other types of AEW systems. “At III Take-off has already covered the Verba stressed that “there may be present, the Vega concern has been status of the Russian-Israeli-Indian more orders for the aircraft”. During working proactively on developing An important result that contract on three A-50EI aircraft for the Gidroaviasalon 2008 show, such a system based on a medi- crowned Russian President IAF, estimated at $1.1 billion. As is Beriev, Rosoboronexport, Perm um-haul aircraft due to the inter- Dmitry Medvedev’s official visit to in November 2008 known, the first A-50EI derived by Motors and Vega clinched a deal est shown by several Southeast was the Russian-Brazilian Beriev from a TAPC-built Ilyushin on launching the establishment of countries”, Vladimir Verba said. A.F. military technical cooperation Il-76TD airlifter airframe and fit- intergovernmental agreement. ted with four PS-90A-76 engines The memorandum signed by from Perm Motors completed its presidents Dmitry Medvedev and maiden mission in Taganrog on Luis Inacio da Silva includes an 29 November 2007 and was ferried to agreement on delivery of 12 Mil Israel on 20 January 2008 for installa- Mi-35M attack helicopters being tion of the radar system and conduct produced by Rostvertol plant of the full set of improvements and to the Brazilian Air Force. The tests. The guidance and communica- agreement became the first deal tions equipment for the aircraft was on Russian combat helicopters for supplied by Russian concern Vega.

Brazil. The aircraft is now in Israel where Rami MIzrahi

4 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | news Ka-226T is ready for Indian tender

It became known in September tender were issued to Eurocopter, last year that the Kamov com- Bell Textron, MD Helicopters, pany, a subsidiary of the Russian AgustaWestland and Kamov who Helicopters holding, was gearing offered their AS550, Bell 407, up for competing in a major ten- MD520N, A109 (A119) and Ka-226T der issued by the Indian Defence models respectively. The final deci- Ministry earlier last year and esti- sion on the winner is slated to be mated to be worth almost $2 billion taken in 2010 after comparison for replacing the obsolete Cheetah tests of all the helicopters offered and Chetak light helicopters in for the tender. the Aviation’s and Kamov joins the tender as a Air Force’s (IAF) inventories with division of the Russian Helicopters advanced light multirole machines. holding company, pitching its Indian Defence Ministry officially upgraded Ka-226T helicop- stated its decision on issue a new ter that differs from the earlier helicopter tender in April 2008, Ka-226 model in being powered several months after the $600 mil- by Turbomeca Arrius 2G1 engines.

lion programme on buying and The engines boost the machine’s Mikheyev Alexey licence-producing 197 Eurocopter performance, especially when AS550C3 helicopters for the Indian operating in the ‘high and hot’ $95 million loan. The measures ordered, including firm orders for Army Aviation had been cancelled environment. A prototype Ka-226T being taken may result already by 40 machines. Following an addi- in December 2007 (60 machines was re-engined with Turbomeca late 2011 in KumAPP churning out tional work under the updated were to be imported, with the rest Arrius as far back as late 2004. The up to 70 Ka-226s annually, includ- specification, an updated contract to be licence-produced by India’s prototype’s tests have displayed ing at least 50 Ka-226Ts. Under the with the company HAL corporation). The Indian mili- a considerable improvement in its company’s business plan, KumAPP for 40 Ka-226AG is to be signed. tary’s requirement for advanced flight characteristics. will have built 398 machines by In addition, helicopters of the light helicopters have now been To implement the programme, 2020, with their worth estimated at type remain in demand with the estimated at 384 units, of which Russian Helicopters is launching $4–5 million. Russian Emergencies Ministry, 259 are to be received by the Army the Ka-226T large-series production According to Kamov com- Federal Security Service and Aviation and 125 top go to IAF, with on the premises of another of its pany Executive Director Roman Ministry of Interior. Negotiations the offsets hiking to 50 per cent. A subsidiaries, the Kumertau Aircraft Chernyshev, in addition to the also are in progress with several considerable part of the helicopters Production Plant (KumAPP). potential lucrative Indian con- foreign customers, covering, inter is to be licence-produced by HAL. To this end, Vnesheconombank tract, the Ka-226 order book alia, the Ka-226’s licence produc- Requests for proposals for this in September 2008 issued it a includes 120 more aircraft tion abroad. A.F. AL-55I trials on MiG-AT started

MiG-AT prototype No. 823 (side The first stage of the AL-55I flight convergent jet nozzle. Its takeoff HAL to power its HJT-36 trainers number 83) with one of its organic test programme implies 30 test flights thrust equals 1,760 kg. NPO Saturn’s under NPO Saturn’s international French-made Larzac engines had on MiG-AT No. 823. According to spokesperson stressed that the basic contract that came in force on been replaced with an advanced NPO Saturn’s spokesperson, six mis- engine core could be used to derive 1 August 2005. NPO Saturn and NPO Saturn AL-55I completed its sions had been flown by 19 August a family of four various applications UMPO joint stock companies have maiden flight from LII’s airfield in 2008, during which the AL-55I’s with a thrust varying from 1,700 to teamed up on the parity basis to Zhukovsky (Moscow Region) on start-up at various altitudes and its 3,500 kg to be competitive on the productionise the prototype engine 28 July 2008. The plane was flown by operation in various modes, includ- Russian and foreign markets. batch, have the engine certificated MiG Corp. test pilot Oleg Antonovich. ing in the negative g-load mode, were The AL-55I is under development and provide its licence production On the 31 min maiden mission tested. The test missions were flown on order from Indian corporation in India. A.F. at an altitude of up to 3,000 m on both engines and on the AL-55I and at a speed of up to 610 km/h, alone. With the Larzac running, the Antonovich tested the powerplant in AL-55I was used for start-up tests various modes. According to MiG in autorotation mode. The AL-55I Corp. Chief Designer – MiG-AT pro- proved the manufacturer’s perform- gramme manager Vassily Shtykalo, ance rating in all operating modes. the AL-55I operated smoothly and Test pilot Oleg Antonovich specifi- proved all of manufacturer’s per- cally mentioned the excellent con- formance rating, the aircraft systems trollability of the new engine. worked like clockwork too and the The AL-55I is a twin-shaft turbofan

mission task was fulfilled. with the subsonic non-variable-area Mikheyev Alexey www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 5 contracts and deliveries | news First An-74TK-300 built for Libya

A new administrative air- craft, An-74TK-300D (c/n 22-03), designed for export to Libya, made its first flight from the airfield of the Kharkov State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC) on 21 November 2008. The aircraft was flown by the crew made up of Antonov’s lead- ing test pilot Alexey Kruts (pilot), KSAMC’s leading test pilot Vadim Balaban (co-pilot), navigator Dmitry Chernyshov and leading flight test engineer Sergey Chernyshov. An-74TK-300D c/n 22-03 is the

first aircraft completed over the Andrey Marienko past three years by the compa- ny facing considerable problems. Ukrainian-made satnav gear, powerplant layout (the engines have derailed their assembly. The aircraft The previous KSAMC-built aircraft, with the Buran research insti- become under-wing) and improved include two more An-74TK-200S An-74T-200A (c/n 19-04), was tute, Orizon-Navigation, UkrNIIRA, cruising speed and range. The first medevac planes for Libya, an made and exported to Egypt as far Aviacontrol JSC and other Ukrainian plane (c/n 19-10, UR-YVA) first flew An-74TK-300 for the Laotian govern- back as September 2005. The recent avionics manufacturers. on 20 April 2001 and was delivered ment, a couple of An-74TK-200A An-74TK-300D was completed at The new An-74TK-300D was to the Ukraina state-owned aviation transports for the Egyptian Air Force, the expense of KSAMC with the given Ukrainian registration UR-PAV company in January 2004. several planes for a Sudanese air proactive assistance of the Motor for the duration of the trials. The KSAMC now has contracts for a company, etc. Hopefully, the return Sich joint stock company that pro- aircraft will be delivered to the dozen An-74-family aircraft, awarded of Anatoly Myalitsa to KSAMC as vided two D-36 Series 4A engines, Libyan customer once it has com- by several foreign customers. All of Director General and the measures as well as Antonov and other part- pleted its factory and certification the aircraft have been at different being taken to improve the situation ners under the programme. The tests. It is the second aircraft of the stages of completion in the assem- at the plant will, at long last, kick-start aircraft is fitted with an improved An-74TK-300 version, differing from bly shop, but the financing prob- the assembly and launch timely deliv- navigation suite wrapped around the An-74T baseline model in the lems plaguing the company have not eries of the aircraft. A.F. Indian An-32 upgrade may start this year

talks with on the terms of the the service life and overhauling 40 programme on the upgrade and life aircraft by the manufacturer and the extension of the whole fleet of Indian rest by the BRD-1 plant in the city of An-32s. Kanpur in India. The avionics upgrade Due to delays in deciding on the is to include installation of the Russian-Indian MTA medium trans- TCAS/ACAS II system, EGPWS port aircraft development programme system with two multifunction dis- and due to the Indian An-32s having plays, ELT emergency beacon, GPS/ approached the limits of their serv- GLONASS satnav receiver, new VOR/ ice lives by 2005, the overhaul, life ILS gear, upgraded weather radar extension, operability and reliability with the multifunction display and improvement as well as upgrade of is also to include improvements to

Andrey Fomin the An-32s under the current ICAO the shortwave and VHF/UHF com- standards have become an Indian Air munications with provision of wire- Ukrainian aircraft industry sources airfields in mountainous terrain at up Force (IAF) priority. less intercom for all crew members. say Ukraine and India are close to to 4,200 m above sea level. The hard The requirements, which had The hydraulic, fire suppressant and making an agreement on upgrading work from 1984 to 1990 resulted in been coordinated with the Antonov oxygen systems and crew seats are the Indian An-32 aircraft fleet. the delivery to India of 118 An-32s design bureau at the time, boiled to be upgraded as well. Since its inception, the An-32 has developed by the Antonov design down to extending the service life Now, plans are being drawn up been linked with India, which govern- bureau and built by the Aviant plant from the current 25 years to 40 to upgrade several An-32 batches. ment in the late ‘70s issued tenders in Kiev. The flight operation of the years, assigned life up to 20,000 hr Each of the five-ship batches is to for the development of a medium planes proved to be successful and (15,000 landings) and time between be upgraded in 180 days. With the transport aircraft designed to oust in September 2001, following the overhaul up to 4,000 hr (3,500 land- upgrade complete, the Indian aircraft the obsolete DC-3 and C-119 freight- approval by the Indian parliamentary ings). The 105 An-32 modernisation will have remained in service until ers and capable of operating from defence committee, India launched programme provided for extending 2031 or longer. N.P.

6 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | cooperation Sergey Krivchikov SUKHOI FIGHTERS Sukhoi fighters have flown in the Indian skies for 40 years. Mention should be made that the Su-30MKI delivery was just the The story dates back to the late ‘60s, when the Indian Air first step towards the Russian-Indian cooperation in warplane Force (IAF) bought a large batch of Su-7BMK fighter-bombers development. The scope of the cooperation expanded with the that became the first supersonic strike aircraft in service with kick-off of the large-scale Sukhoi licence production programme, IAF, giving it new tactical qualities, and proven themselves under which HAL was to make 140 Su-30MKIs in India. A new in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war conflict. Su-7BMK had long phase of the cooperation may be the unprecedented contract for been the mainstay of IAF’s fighter-bomber fleet, but time joint development of a fifth-generation multirole fighter by Sukhoi flies and they started being phased out gradually in the and HAL, which is being drafted now. “A high technological level mid-’80. Nonetheless, IAF did not abandon the Sukhoi brand in terms of both airframe designing and individual aircraft systems name. Moreover, Sukhoi jets are the service’s backbone has been reached within the Su-30MKI licence production by now. The unique Su-30MKI supermanoeuvrable multirole India. Therefore, our cooperation with India will allow the success fighter, which has spawned a whole family of derivatives of the fifth-generation aircraft development programme”, Sukhoi and sold well on the global market, owes its emergence to Director General Mikhail Pogosyan says in this connection. an Indian order. One could add that Mikhail Pogosyan’s donning the second hat in The Su-30MKI has been in service with IAF since 2002 and late December 2008 as Director General of MiG Corp., which aircraft repeatedly displayed its superiority to the cream of the crop of have been operated extensively by India for over 45 years, signified a West European and US fighters on several combined exercises. decisive step towards setting up within the United Aircraft Corporation To cap it all, the Su-30MKI has become, essentially, Sukhoi’s (UAC) a single combat aircraft division specialising in developing and first project implemented through large-scale cooperation with making tactical warplanes, on the one hand, and towards facilitating manufacturers of both the customer country and major third-party more proactively the promotion of Russian fighters of both makes on companies. the market, particularly, in India, on the other hand.

8 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | cooperation

soon afterwards. The aircraft would be good stead to the pilots of more sophisticated shipped by sea from the aircraft factory combat aircraft. in Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Bombay (Mumbai) and, once assembled, be fielded New times – new planes with IAF air squadrons from March 1968. India indicated its interest in buying IAF’s conversion to the advanced warplane Su-27-family fighters as far back as the mid-‘90s. was very quick: a second squadron got its Su-7Bs The IAF chief of staff first publicly voiced the in July and a third one in August of the same service’s intent to procure aircraft like that in year. During the next year, India ordered more February 1994. The statement was followed by a aircraft, driving the total number of Su-7Bs up series of visits by Indian delegations to Moscow to 140. Overall, the Sukhoi fighter-bombers and , reciprocated by a group of Russian were fielded with six IAF air squadrons within leaders and experts to a plant of Indian aircraft 18 months, affording the units drastically novel manufacturer HAL in Nasik in January 1995. fighting capabilities. Nasik was eyed as a possible licence production IAF used its Su-7BMK supersonic site at the time. fighter-bombers in the close air support (CAS), The Indians took interest in the upgraded air superiority, strike and tactical reconnaissance twin-seat fighter that had been advertised since roles. The aircraft bought about supersonic 1993 as Su-30MK – the aircraft differing from speeds to IAF, because they could accelerate to the Su-27SK production export variant in 1,700 km/h and had high rate of climb – over extended range and endurance owing to the 150 m/s. midair refuelling capability and an impressive In spite of the Su-7B had been operated by weapons suite including air-to-surface homing 15 air forces worldwide by the early ‘70s, it is the precision guided munitions, in addition to its IAF aircraft of the type that saw the baptism of two crewmembers instead of one. fire. This happened in December 1971, when The delivery from Irkutsk to India was the six Su-7BMK squadrons were committed supposed to commence soon after the signing to the quickly escalating conflict between of the contract. The customer first was to be India and Pakistan. During the fortnight-long provided with production two-seat Su-30K hostilities, the Sukhois, which were used in the twin-seat fighters still lacking new PGMs. With ground attack, counter-air, CAS and tactical the tests over, they were to be followed by recce roles, logged about 1,500 sorties, having Su-30MK multirole aircraft. During the talks, displayed good enough survivability. Damaged Sukhoi design bureau leaders offered the Indians Andrey FOMIN Su-7BMKs are known to have safely returned not to limit themselves to the demonstrator to base after being hit by Sidewinder air-to-air variant of the Su-30MK, rather to buy a far missiles. more formidable aircraft. A number of advanced solutions being tested on then-latest Su-27 derivatives could determine its capabilities. The solutions included an improved aerodynamic configuration with the canards, a sophisticated fly-by-wire control system and a thrust vector controlled (TVC) engines. As a result, India IN INDIA could get a fighter second to none worldwide in terms of manoeuvrability and tactical performance. India took the offer with enthusiasm and agreed to finance the development of the dedicated Indian version designated as Su-30MKI. At the same time, it made a few additional requests. The principal of them were about the internalisation of the fighter’s avionics suite that was to include bharat-rakshak.com French, Israeli and indigenous Indian systems in addition to the Russian ones. The non-Russian 40 years of keeping company with Sukhoi With the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war over, the gear was to include the navigation, display and Sukhoi’s first aircraft adopted by IAF Su-7BMK fighter-bombers had remained electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems, was the Su-7B supersonic jet-powered IAF’s frontline aircraft for over a decade. Still, with the computer system to be wrapped around fighter-bomber. In summer 1966, the India time had its course, and they started retiring Indian-made processors. turned to the Soviet government for this gradually in the ‘80s. The last Su-7BMK For Indian pilots to convert to the new aircraft, and a year later, a group of Indian squadrons converted to the more advanced fighter as soon as possible, the programme pilots flew a number of familiarisation MiG-27M fighter-bomber in 1984–85, with was to be phased. At the first stage, they were sorties on the Su-7B that impressed them the type’s licence production mastered by India to learn flying production-standard Su-30Ks. much. The first contract on 90 Su-7BMK some time later. The Sukhoi fighter-bombers Then, as the advanced systems got tested, India single-seat fighter-bombers and Su-7UMK contributed much to IAF, and the experience was to take delivery of the aircraft ever more two-seat combat trainers for IAF was signed gained from operating them later stood in resembling the Su-30MKI standard from batch www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 9 contracts and deliveries | cooperation Sergey Krivchikov to batch. This approach was stipulated by the gear – the Tikhomirov-NIIP Bars customer-selected foreign-made systems with contact made in Irkutsk on 30 November 1996 phased-array radar, UOMZ OLS-30I the Russian avionics”. on delivery of 40 Su-30MKIs to India, with the infrared search-and-track (IRST) sensor customer to receive the first eight fighters in the and helmet-mounted target designator. Deliveries and exercises Su-30K configuration. The display system (three multifunction An-124 Ruslan freighters airlifted the first Four sorties by An-124 Ruslan airlifters LCDs for the pilot and four for the weapons batch of 10 production-standard Su-30MKIs brought the first eight Su-30Ks from Irkutsk to systems officer is supplied by Thales () to India during June through August 2002. India right on schedule, in spring 1997, and they and the inertial and satellite navigation systems On 27 September, Pune hosted their were formally adopted by IAF in a ceremony at as well. The head-up display (HUD) is made service-entry ceremony attended by the Indian Pune air base on 11 July 1997. in Israel. defence minister. The pilots already qualified The first Su-30MKI prototype was completed The Su-30MKI’s computer system employs in flying the Su-30Ks based at the same airfield at the same time the first Su-30K batch was two Indian digital processors from Defence were cleared for mastering the new type. Owing shipped to India. The aircraft first flew on 1 Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), to this solution, IAF personnel were quick to July 1997. The thrust vector control, advanced a subsidiary of the governmental Defence master the Su-30MKI. At the Aero India 2003 aerodynamic configuration and efficient FBW Research and Development Organisation air show, Indian pilots flew Su-30MKIs, control system furnished the Su-30MKI (DRDO). The same company developed an displaying the that only Russian test with the unique manoeuvrability. Test pilot effective radar warning receiver (RWR), Tarang. pilots had performed on the aircraft like that Vyacheslav Averyanov learnt to pull off a set of The communications aids and IFF systems are before. aerobatic on the Su-30MKI, which no other Indian-made too. They were developed by the The second batch of 12 Su-30MKIs delivery aircraft in the world could repeat. He displayed Hyderabad Division of HAL. took place in December 2003, with the last the aerobatics brilliantly at the Aero India air The ECM system was ordered from Israel. In 10 aircraft arriving in late 2004. Thus, all show in Bangalore in early December 1998, addition, to enable the aircraft to operate round 32 Su-30MKIs and 18 Su-30Ks were delivered delighting the crowd. the clock in the ground attack mode, it is to be under the 1996 and 1998 contracts. The delivery When the deal was made, Su-30MKI fitted with the Israeli-made Litening podded of the second and third batches prompted prototypes were supposed to start testing optronic targeting/navigation system. the Su-30MKI conversion of another IAF advanced foreign-made avionics already The rest of the avionics are Russian-made. squadron. in 1998. However, the customer took time Russia also integrated all the foreign-made In 2004, IAF Su-30MKI pilots learnt midair to decide on the final configuration of the avionics. refuelling from Ilyushin Il-78MKI tanker avionics suite. The test schedule slipped as “No air force in the world has fielded a planes that had been delivered by the a result, and a decision was taken to adjust production-standard fighter powered by Aircraft Production Corp. not long before that. the delivery schedule. At the same time, a engines with thrust vector control. The Bars Following a years-long interruption, there was a contract was signed in December 1998 on radar uses the phased array. Finally, Russia has combined Indian-US exercise that year, during shipping an additional 10-ship Su-30K batch for the first time exported the aircraft whose which Indian pilots on Su-30Ks beat USAF to plug the gap between the deliveries of the avionics suite resulted from cooperation with F-15Cs both hands down in mock battles. It is first eight Su-30Ks and early Su-30MKIs. Indian, French and Israeli compnaies”, says believed that the result would have been even These aircraft were delivered in 1999. Alexander Barkovsky, technical director, Sukhoi more impressive, had the Indians used their design bureau, about the peculiarities of the Su-30MKIs at the exercise. This was proven a International avionics Su-30MKI programme. “The Sukhoi design few years later, when IAF Su-30MKIs locked The final decision on the foreign-made bureau has done a huge job in cooperation horns with up-to-date US and West European components of the avionics suite was taken with the subcontractors that exceed 100… warplanes in mock battles as part of combined in 1998. In line with the customer-approved At the development stage, the design bureau exercises in India and abroad. configuration of the fighter, the core of its established close cooperation with an Indian For instance, IAF’s Su-30MKI fighters fire control system was to be Russian-made development team in Moscow to integrate the displayed their superiority over USAF fighters in

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the course of Exercise Cope India 2005 in India The first Su-30MKIs assembled at Phase I in the history of the defence cooperation of from 7 to 18 November 2005, according to the of the licence production from kits supplied Russia and India in terms of technology. The Boston newspaper Christian Science Monitor from Russia were complete in autumn 2004. programme is bringing the technological base citing the participants in the exercise. “Russian The lead HAL-assembled fighter flew its of the Indian and Russian aircraft industries fighter Su-30MKI is better than main US fighter, maiden mission on 1 October 2004, and the closer – from design schools of thought to the F-15C Eagle. The air forces of the countries acceptance of the first two licence-produced production technologies”. According to operating the Sukhoi enjoy a certain superiority Su-30MKIs took place in a ceremony in Nasik Mr. Pogosyan, the Russian participants in and may threaten the US air preponderance in on 28 November of the same year. The number the Su-30MKI programme “have gained the future”, ironically, the Americans themselves of licence-produced Su-30MKIs in the IAF the unique experience in integrating the best drew the categorical conclusion, having admitted inventory exceeded two dozen in 2007. The foreign products in the combat aircraft field – the superiority of the Su-30MKI over the F-15C same year saw the signing of two more contracts the experience that can be used under any other during Indo-US Exercise Red Flag held last on beefing up IAF’s fleet of the aircraft of the joint programme pursued together with India, August in the United States. type. In exchange for 18 Su-30Ks returned including, possibly, the development of the Under the scenario, the Su-30MKIs fought to Russia, India received the same number of fifth-generation fighter. The latter necessitates dogfights and medium-range engagements, Su-30MKIs in 2007 under one of them and is huge financial and technological resources. simulating missile launches against aerial and taking delivery of extra 40 fighters of the type It is such a daring programme that is in the ground targets. Despite their operating with one now under the other. interest of our strategic partnership”. Thus, hand tied behind their back (IAF command The success of the licence production Sukhoi’s leader made it clear that Russia and ordered the pilots not to use their radar programme will allow IAF to operate by the India could develop and make combat aircraft equipment in full so as not to reveal its actual later 2010s a fleet of as many as 230 Su-30MKI of the next generation together. capabilities), the Su-30MKIs kept on beating fighters, most of which will have remained in In this respect, the signing of the the opposition. service until 2030–40s or longer, influencing Russian-Indian intergovernmental agreement the balance of forces in the region heavily. on joint development and production of the Licence production The Su-30MKI programme is not twiddling future multirole fighter on 18 October 2007 At the same time with the completion of the its thumbs, rather progressing steadily. The became a milestone. Sukhoi and HAL 1996 contract, HAL’s plant in Nasik launched first aircraft imported by India are undergoing were earmarked as contractors under the the licence production of the Su-30MKI in 2004. modernisation of their fire control software to agreement. Since then, Indian delegations Overall, 140 fighters shall have been built there the new-build fighter standard. Plans provide have repeatedly come Russia, visiting both under the contract made on 28 December 2000. for introducing more sophisticated avionics Sukhoi and KnAAPO, with the latter having Along with the planes, HAL, supported by and expanding the weapons suite to incorporate been making the early Russian fifth-generation Russian companies, is productionising the cutting-edge precision guided weapons. Special fighter prototypes since December 2007. AL-31FP engine and associated avionics. mention should be made in this connection Sukhoi’s representatives, in turn, have been HAL is learning to licence-produce the about the recently-spurred programme on several times in India, visiting HAL. The Su-30MKI in a phased manner with the gradual equipping IAF’s Su-30MKIs with another recent talks have hashed out the basic issues transition to its own production. The first phase fruit of the Russian-Indian cooperation – the of joint advanced aircraft development and provided for Indian assembly of all-Russian unique BrahMos supersonic antiship missile production, and the parties may make a final fighters. At the second phase, the customers developed by the Indo-Russian BrahMos contract in this field in the near future. The receive ready-made components and systems, Aerospace joint venture. Russian-Indian next-generation combat units and parts at the third phase and only aircraft programme implies not only joint materials and raw materials at the fourth one, From import and licences to joint development funding, but joint production by Sukhoi while the manufacture of the parts, units, At the Aero India 2007 air show, Sukhoi’s and HAL as well. Co-produced aircraft are components and systems and the final assembly Director General Mikhail Pogosyan said, expected to be delivered not only to India, but take place in India. “The Su-30MKI programme is unprecedented to third countries as well. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 11 contracts and deliveries | project

VIKRAMADITYA GETS LAUNCHED while Indian pilots master MiG-29K

Gorshkov changes hands The implementation of the Russian-Indian contract on overhauling and As is known, the contract signed upgrading the Admiral Gorshkov through-deck aircraft carrying cruiser, on 20 January 2004 by the then Russian which is turning into a classic aircraft carrier and will be commissioned Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov and his by the Indian Navy as Vikramaditya, passed another key milestone on 4 December 2008. On that day after three years of repairs in a drained Indian opposite number of that time, flooding dock of the Sevmash yard, the ship got back in its element – the , stipulates overhaul and dock was flooded and the carrier was taken out of it to the fitting-out wharf retrofitting of the decommissioned Russian of the Severodvinsk-based company for completion and outfitting. This through-deck cruiser Admiral Gorshkov, became possible also because the seemingly deadlocked Russian-Indian conduct of all relevant tests and training talks on revision of the contract value, which turned out to be far higher of her Indian complement and technical than stipulated by the 2004 deal, have displayed some progress – India has personnel. Over two dozen subcontracts on agreed to discuss the Vikramaditya price increase in principle and a team of delivery of advanced weapons and equipment, experts is to arrive to Russia to discuss contentious issues. Now, there is a set up technical and tactical training system reason to hope for resolution of most of the thorny issues and for the ship to and establish a simulator base in India join the Indian Navy eventually. However, the Vikramaditya will hardly have were signed under the package contract. set off for the Indian Ocean before 2012 (the initial date was 2008). Among them, contracting the MiG Corp. There have been important developments out of Moscow as well. Indian military pilots have begun to learn the ropes on the main weapon of the on developing and delivery of 16 MiG-29K advanced Indian aircraft carrier – the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB carrierborne and MiG-29KUB fighters with an option for fighters. Last year, the Lukhovitsy Production Centre of the MiG Corp. 30 more aircraft to be delivered prior to 2015 built, tested and prepared the first four production aircraft for delivery. In has been a most important one. November and December, the warplanes, some of which had been given the The conversion of the ship had been peculiar Indian Navy paintjob, were used heavily in Lukhovitsy as part of the planned to be completed within 52 months conversion training of the lead team of Indian pilots who had completed their from the date the contract came into effect ground school and sharpened their flying skills in piloting the fighter on the (9 April 2004), i.e. the aircraft carrier had high-tech MiG-29K simulator developed and made by the MiG Corp. under been slated for commissioning with the the same contract. Indian Navy in August 2008 (e.g. this was said by the Indian Defence Ministry news

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the ship’s equipment, making the rigging, the contract was signed, no comprehensive erecting warehouses and drawing up relevant survey of defects was performed, no documentation. equipment was dismounted and no laboratory In addition to the overhaul of the hull tests of the cables were done… Essentially, proper, the key measures to be taken during we are building a new aircraft carrier at the the conversion of the Project 1143.4 Admiral open-air slipways of Sevmash… and the work Gorshkov through-deck cruiser into the has been funded only by means of internal Project 11430 Vikramaditya aircraft carrier crediting over the past two years”, Sevmash (she was named after a legendary ancient Deputy Director General Sergey Novosyolov Indian king who ruled from 375 to 413 told the media. A.D. and whose name is Sanskrit for ‘mighty To assess the real amount of the work done as the Sun’) included the dismounting of all and pending, Indian delegation would come offensive and defensive missile and gunnery to Sevmash one after another. The money weapons and obsolete radar and electronics, issue had remained unresolved for a long time, introduction of an advanced flight deck with and, therefore, Russian Defence Minister the ski-jump ramp in the bow and arresting Anatoly Serdyukov led a delegation to New gear, as well as installation of sophisticated Delhi in September 2008 to participate in shipboard systems, equipment, air defence another session of the intergovernmental weapons, etc. military technical cooperation commission. Serdyukov had to discuss with his opposite Heart of matter number A.K. Antony several complicated Unfortunately, the optimistic hopes of issues at once – reappraisal of the aircraft our partners were not destined to come true carrier contract, cooperative development so quickly: the work on overhauling and of the fifth-generation fighter and medium converting the ship dragged its feet, and Russia airlifter, etc. has put off the term of delivery from 2008 to Meanwhile, according to several Russian 2012. The main cause of that is believed and Indian media, the sum of additional to be the lack of money for overhauling payments had grown up to $2.2 billion by and upgrading the ship, since the cost of the time the new Russian president, Dmitry that proved to be far greater than expected. Medvedev, went on his official visit to India, This led to the Russian military and political during which the Gorshkov issue was to be leaders deciding to present the customer with discussed too. Nonetheless, in the run-up to the fait accompli, asking it to pay $1.2 billion the Russian president’s visit on 2 December Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV more – the sum of the error made when 2008, the governmental Security Committee

Sergey Kuznetsov the initial agreement was signed. At first, approved the request of the Indian Defence New Delhi dug in its heels unwilling even Ministry to hold talks on revising the cost release dated 21 July 2004). The first batch of to discuss any additional payments, but then of work under the contract. An Indian Navy the 16 MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighters softened its approach and agreed to pay about spokesman told the Indian Express daily ordered had been planned for delivery in $600 million of the original billion-plus sum, that the new (or additional, to be precise) 2007–09. going for as many as $800 million February agreement with Rosoboronexport was to be The value of the contract accounted for 2008. The sum resulted from the ‘independent signed within three months after the approval $1.67 billion, of which sum about $750 estimate’ by Indian experts of the amount of by the committee. million were earmarked for the ship herself. work needed to be done under the contract The carrier was to be given to India free indeed. Vikramaditya back in water of charge, and the money were paid only In November 2008, Sevmash head Nikolay As was said above, Sevmash launched the for her overhaul and retrofitting as well as Kalistratov said in his interview with the preparations for overhauling the Gorshkov for modifying shore installations and ship RIA Novosti news agency, “The work on and dismounting her obsolete systems and repair facilities in Indian cities, devising the ship will be completed in 2010, and the weapons as far back as 2004 following the the maintenance, repair and overhaul trials will begin in 2011, with the ship to Russian-Indian contract coming into force. (MRO) documentation, training the crew be delivered to the Indian Navy in 2012”. They were conducted when the ship was still and technicians, providing after-sales and Mr. Kalistratov added that the ship was afloat by the fitting-out wharf. Then she was warranty services and supplying spares, tools 49 per cent complete at the time. However, taken to the flooding dock and had rested and accessories for 20 years of the carrier’s the work was to be completed only in case of upon a solid base since December 2005 when service. The contract for developing and the full-fledged financing of the effort by the the water was drained from the flooding delivering 16 MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB customer. He also mentioned that the work dock: the dock work had been under way aircraft was worth $740 million. done by Sevmash by then had been worth there for almost three years, with the upgrade On March 2004, Severodvinsk, where the over $1.7 billion, i.e. a billion more than the of the upper deck through installation of the Gorshkov had been stored prior to overhaul sum stipulated by the 2004 contract. bow ski-jump ramp running concurrently. and upgrade since July 1999, hosted the “An aircraft carrier like that costs between Initially, the ship was to be brought back official ceremony of handing the ship over three and four billion dollars on the market. to the fitting-out wharf in November 2006 to the Indian Navy. Almost at once since The overhaul being performed by Sevmash following the completion of the hull work, the signature of the contract, Sevmash totals 60–70 per cent of the cost of a new large-scale gear installation and basic life launched work, setting up new bays to repair aircraft carrier – roughly $2 billion… When support systems assembly. However, it turned www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 13 contracts and deliveries | project out to be that the amount of overhaul work of the ship instead of a bottle of champagne Meanwhile, near Moscow… had been underestimated and the money paid traditional to the Western naval ceremony. While the above transformation of the by the Indian side insufficient for completing “We hope that this beautiful reliable former Gorshkov into the Vikramaditya was the conversion planned. ship will be in service for a long time to taking place in the northern Russian city of Consequently, the contractor managed to glorify the friendship between Russia and Severodvinsk, the lead team of Indian pilots start taking the ship out of the flooding dock India”, Sevmash Director General Nikolay in the Moscow Region started mastering the only in late autumn 2008. The flooding Kalistratov stressed. “However, our leaders main weapon of the future Indian aircraft of the dock started on 11 November, and need to come to an agreement and find funds carrier, the MiG-29K multirole carrierborne 25 November saw the Vikramaditya’s keel for completing the job”. fighter. lift off the dock’s supports and the ship Thus, probably the most difficult and As was reported by Take-off, the MiG ‘taste’ water for the first time in the three labour-intensive phase of overhauling and Corp. built two MiG-29K/KUB prototypes years. Then, the company had to wait for converting the former through-deck cruiser and submitted them for trials in 2007. The fine weather for 10 more days to take the has been completed. The ship has begun to MiG-29KUB two-seat prototype with ship out of the dock, because the difficult operation was made even more difficult by the carrier’s large dimensions: the distance between her sides and the walls of the dock measured just a few metres when she was being taken out. Finally, the time came, and the aircraft carrier was tugged out of the flooding dock on 4 December 2008 to the fitting-out wharf. Interestingly, the Vikramaditya, the future joy and pride of the Indian Navy, was launched on the Indian Navy Day celebrated on 4 December to commemorate that day in 1971 when the Indian Navy raided the enemy coast and defeated the enemy’s main force in the Karachi Naval Base during the Indian-Pakistani war. “We are certain that the aircraft carrier will become the flagship of the Indian Navy”, Commodore Sailidran Madusudanan, head of Mikheyev Alexey Sergey Kuznetsov Alexey Mikheyev Alexey the Indian Navy monitor team in Severodvinsk, look like a typical aircraft carrier intended side number 947 flew its maiden flight on emphasised on the day the carrier was taken to for short takeoff and arrested landing flight 20 January and the MiG-29K single-seat the fitting-out wharf. operations of supersonic fighters, with her prototype first flew on 25 June 2007. While In the run-up to filling the flooding dock flight deck area increased, ski-jump ramp they were undergoing tests and debugging with water, the Indian Navy monitor team had installed, etc. In addition, quite a job has been of their systems, construction of the early conducted in the dock a traditional ceremony done to install part of the shipboard systems, production fighters for the customer was in – a praying rite to the god named Ganesha: the prepare the installation of various types of full swing at the MiG Corp.’s Lukhovitsy future operators of the aircraft carrier placed equipment, paint ship structures, etc. Aircraft Production Complex. The first lamps, incense sticks, fruit and flowers beside Now, the aircraft carrier is in Sevmash’s production MiG-29K completed its maiden the ship so that the Indian god was kind to the fitting-out wharf, and gantry cranes will load sortie in Lukhovitsy on 18 March 2008, and Vikramaditya and her complement. Then, the heavy and bulky equipment and some other as many as four production fighters – two Indian sailors broke a coconut against a side work will be done in the coming months. single-seaters and two twin-seaters – had

14 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | project been assembled and check-tested by autumn the military’s request for 30 carrierborne sea and simulating the bow section of the 2008. The twin-seaters were used in autumn MiG-29Ks more (the paper mentioned flight deck. Goa Shipyard Ltd. has been by the Indian naval pilots to start their flight 29 aircraft) that would enable the Indian building it with assistance on the part of the training following the completion of their Navy to activate three MiG-29K/KUB air Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development ground school for the aircraft that was new squadrons totalling almost 50 aircraft in the Agency (ADA). to them. By then, the pilots had logged the future. However, to turn the option into a Should the programme on the Indian required ‘flight’ hours on the MiG-29K flight firm order, the parties will have to iron out variant of the Nitka facility be a success, simulator developed by the MiG Corp. under their disagreements over the growing cost the country will become the third one in the same contract and being among the best of the deal, just like they did as far as the the world to have a land-based carrierborne ones in its class, by the way. Vikramaditya is concerned. pilot training facility like that. The other The first four production MiG-29Ks and two facilities are in the United States and MiG-29KUBs are slated for delivery in early Indian Nitka Ukraine. 2009. Within the year, they will be followed In November 2008, the mainstream Meanwhile, plans for building a similar by more production aircraft now in various Indian media reported that to speed up the training facility in Russia have been unveiled stages of construction at the MiG Corp.’s training of naval pilots, the Indian Navy recently. On 15 January, the ITAR-TASS plant in Lukhovitsy. The whole of the first command was pondering the construction of news agency quoted its source in the Russian contract for 16 fighters could be fulfilled this a land-based training facility of its own for Navy’s Main Staff as saying that the country year. More Indian naval pilots are to convert the MiG-29K/KUB and future naval version could have a ‘Nitka’ of its own already in to the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB in India. of the Indian-made Tejas light combat 2011. “In line with the decision taken by the However, the location for ski-jump-assisted aircraft (LCA) pilots to train in carrierborne Russian government, the feasibility study takeoff and arrested landing training has not operations. Previously, New Delhi had and design work are under way to establish been selected yet: this can be done so far only planned to have its carrierborne MiG pilots a land-based carrierborne pilot training facility in the town of Yeisk ( Region). The efforts have been funded, and the facility will be built in three years”, the Russian Navy Main Staff source told ITAR-TASS. “The construction of the facility will enable this country to get rid of its dependence on Ukraine in terms of training pilots for the Admiral Kuznetsov through-deck cruiser. For years, we have had to lease the only Soviet-built carrierborne aviation training facility near the town of Saki in the Crimea”, the sources said, according to the news agency. It is worth mentioning that the facility in Yeisk will be able to be used by foreign customers’ personnel as well, because arresting gear should be part and parcel of any land-based flight deck simulator; however, it is unlikely that the arresting gear similar to that being fitted to the Vikramaditya will emerge in Goa in the coming years.

Instead of the afterword On 6 January, a number of the Indian media, quoting ‘reliable sources’ in the Indian Navy command, reported that New Delhi had decided to dispatch a team of experts to Moscow in the near future, with the experts “authorised to resolve the at the famous Nitka facility in the Crimea, trained by Russian instructor-pilots at the problem of the price” of the Vikramaditya but according to media reports, a decision has Nitka facility near the Crimean town of Saki aircraft carrier. A major Indian newspaper, been made to build similar training facilities (Ukraine). Hindu, wrote about it in detail, in particular. in both Russia and India (see below). On 9 November, the Times of India daily According to Hindu, if the problem is It looks like India is going to make a reported that the training facility was to resolved, top Indian leaders will come to new contract for additional MiG-29K/KUB be erected in the maritime state of Goa Russia to determine the final terms of the fighters under the option for 30 aircraft near Indian Navy Station (INS) Hansa additional agreement and delivery date. more, provided for by the 2004 contract. For where the fighter and training air squadrons Hopefully, following many months of instance, on 19 September 2008, the Indian operating Sea Harrier STOL fighters are talks, the Gorshkov issue will be settled and Express daily quoted its sources in the Indian based along other units. According to the the carrierborne MiG fighters will make it Naval Staff is saying that the government’s Times of India, the training facility will to the flight deck of the carrier in several Defence Acquisition Committee had approved be fitted with a ski-jump ramp facing the years. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 15 contracts and deliveries | weapons Today, Su-30MKI two-seat multirole supermanoeuvrable fighters are the image warplanes of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the cutting-edge weapon in the Andrey Fomin service’s inventory. To date, Irkut Corp. has delivered over 50 aircraft like that to IAF, while the ongoing licence produc- tion of the fighter by HAL’s manufactur- ing plants, coupled with new deliveries from Russia, will enable IAF by the mid- dle of next decade to operate as many as 230 such aircraft, most of which will have remained in the inventory until 2030–40. The Su-30MKI programme is not sitting on its hands with the cur- rent fighters received by IAF differing from the first batches of the early 2000s in a more capable fire control system owing to advanced operating modes and enhanced avionics. Because the Su-30MKI production and deliveries are to go on for at least five years more and its service for at least a quarter of the century, the question of its further refinement is on the agenda now. Fitting the IAF Su-30MKI fleet with the advanced BrahMos-A precision-guid- ed long-range multirole air-to-surface missile under development by the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace is seen as a priority as part of such work. The venture has developed and beeing delivering the shipborne and land-based BrahMos missile systems to the Indian Navy and Army and now developing its airborne version. So, what new capabilities can the BrahMos offer, once fitted to the Su-30MKI? Su-30MKI + BrahMos = new capabilities of Indian Air Force First, a few words are due about the mis- tries set up the BrahMos joint venture (the Following the Indian Navy’s footsteps, the sile itself. The development of the BrahMos name is the abbreviation of the names of the Indian Army adopted the ground-to-ground versatile multirole supersonic cruise mis- Indian and Russian rivers Brahmaputra and version. The first launches of the mobile sile, capable of taking out radio-con- Moskva respectively) that pooled personnel system took place in December 2004, and in trast targets up to 300 km, has become of NPOMash and India’s Defence Research May 2006, the Indian Army awarded the con- a most significant Russian-Indian arms & Development Organisation (DRDO). tract for the first BrahMos battalion operating development programme of late. This The first test launch of the BrahMos the mobile variant based on the Tatra truck’s year, the programme marks its tenth anni- cruise missile by an experimental ground wheeled vehicle licence-produced by Indian versary: the BrahMos development deal launcher took place on 13 June 2001, and industry. Deliveries of the BrahMos surface- was clinched in July 1999, succeeding the the first sea launch by the INS Rajput guid- to-surface version to the Indian Army kicked February 1998 intergovernmental agreement. ed missile destroyer followed on 13 February off in 2007. The missile was co-developed by Russian 2003. Following the completion of the test “Our missile is, essentially, universal”, says and Indian designers as a derivative of the programme, the BrahMos missile system’s Dr. Sivathanu Pillai, head of Indo-Russian Yakhont antiship missile from NPOMash antiship version entered service with the joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, “and the (Reutov, Moscow Region), in several vari- Indian Navy and fitted Rajput-class GM tests we have subjected it to have been used ants at once – the naval (for surface ship and destroyers, with surface ships in other class- a universal missile effective against various submarine basing), land-based (for mobile es (destroyers and frigates) to be equipped types of targets. Simply put, the BrahMos is and stationary launchers) and air-launched with it later. The same missile system may effective against radio-contrast targets – both ones. To run the programme, the two coun- equip Indian Navy submarines as well. ground and naval. The current seeker with

16 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | weapons

improved software does not require modi- software package of the missile’s control sys- a long range, if the weapon’s software is set fications to the hardware to attack surface tem to fit the avionics suite of the carrier. The accordingly. threats”. air-launched variant’s launch weight dropped Today, the Su-30MKI carries the Kh-59ME The launch weight of the naval and down to 2,500 kg with the warhead weight missile with TV-command guidance to deal land-based variants stands at about 3,000 kg, and maximum range remaining the same – with such threats. The Kh-59ME’s maxi- with the warhead weighing in the neighbour- 300 kg and 290 km respectively. Initially, mum range is 115 km, subsonic flight speed hood of 300 kg. The weapon is launched the Su-30MKI is supposed to carry a single equals Mach 0.72–0.88, launch weight meas- from its launch tube and carries a combined BrahMos-A on the weapons station between ures 930 kg and warhead weight accounts guidance system ensuring INS-controlled its engine nacelles. Later, the maximum load for 280 kg or 320 kg depending on its type. flight with initial leg updates and terminal could be increased to three missiles through Thus, introducing the BrahMos-A into the homing by means of the active radar homer. addition of two missiles mounted under wing upgraded Su-30MKI’s weapons suite may The propulsion plant comprises the booster (the company has displayed a Su-30MKI extend the fighter’s reach for radio-con- motor and ramjet engine propelling the mis- model with three BrahMos missiles at several trast ground targets by 2.5 times, while sile to a supersonic speed of Mach 2.8–3. The international air shows). slashing the reaction time by far (the mis- maximum range accounts for 290 km. The So, how can the fitting of the Su-30MKIs sile’s speed of flight towards the target is BrahMos measures 8.4 m in length and 0.6 m with BrahMos missiles benefit IAF? As is 3.5–4 times higher) and sharply improving in diameter. known, by now the Su-30MKI’s weapons the carrier aircraft’s survivability both through With the Army version of the BrahMos suite includes only one type of antiship guid- launching at standoff range and maximising adopted for use, the company focused its ed missiles, the Kh-31A, with a range of the launch-and-leave capability. efforts on developing the air-launched vari- 70 km. The Kh-31A has a launch weight of Adding the BrahMos-A to the IAF ant. “Next field for us to explore is the 610 kg and a 94kg warhead and rushes to Su-30MKI’s weapons suite may be regarded development of the air-launched variant to the target at Mach 3 owing to its combined as a phase of a further upgrade of the fighter, fit the fighter fleet of the Indian Air Force. rocket/ramjet engine. being pondered by India. Keeping in mind We set our choice on the Su-30MKI and The BrahMos-A antiship missile’s intro- that the fighter fleet will remain in produc- have already completed the bulk of R&D. A duction into the Su-30MKI’s weapons suite tion in India for at least five years, design- number of sceptical military experts doubted will give quite a boost to IAF’s ability to deal ers are looking into equipping them in the that a massive missile like that could be inte- with large-size naval threats both owing to future with a more powerful fire control grated with fighters. However, we presented the threefold-plus increase in the lethality of radar featuring enhanced tactical perform- our calculations, and IAF commanders were the warhead over the Kh-31A and due to the ance, new combat modes and, in the longer satisfied with them. Therefore, we have start- fourfold hike in max range. The latter con- run, the AESA. The improvements, coupled ed testing relevant equipment, and I am cer- sideration, coupled with the high supersonic with beefing the Su-30MKI’s weapons suite tain we will succeed”, Dr. Pillai said. flight speed, will allow, on the one hand, the with BrahMos-A versatile supersonic cruise In the future, the air-launched version of reaction time against surface threats to be missiles with the 300km range, will enhance the BrahMos could be adapted to other types reduced and, on the other, the launch air- IAF’s ability to repeal any naval and air of carriers, e.g. the Il-38SD and Tu-142ME craft’s survivability to be enhanced because aggression. maritime patrol aircraft. The former can the standoff missile will be launched outside Adaptation of the BrahMos-A to IAF’s haul two such missiles and the latter up to the reach of the enemy’s longest-range SAM Su-30MKIs will allow their carriage by other six. However, the advanced cruise missile’s systems and fighter planes. In such a case, Indian platforms as well with minimal modi- priority platform earmarked by IAF is the when the target range exceeds the maximum fication. It also opens bright vistas for fitting Su-30MKI multirole fighter. acquisition range of the launch aircraft’s the weapon to other Su-30-family warplanes The BrahMos air-launched version devel- radar, the BrahMos-A’s guidance system will that are being exported to several countries opment dates back several years. The efforts be fed target designation by a AEW&C plane now. have been focused on introducing a more or helicopter, naval patrol aircraft nearby or BrahMos Aerospace head Dr. Pillai said simple and lighter booster motor and a new shipborne radars. on 22 October 2008, that the Indian Air nosecone as well as tailoring the missile for Given the BrahMos’s versatility in terms Force intends to field the early BrahMos-A the fighter (unlike the naval and land-based of targets it can handle, the BrahMos-A air-launched missiles by 2012, while the first variants, the air-launched weapon will be air-launched variant can be also employed launches by Su-30MKIs may take place prior used without launch tubes) and modifying the against large radio-contrast ground targets at to 2011. Andrey Fomin

www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 17 MiG-35 favourite of MMRCA tender Andrey FOMIN

28 August 2007 saw the official kickoff of a largest-scale combat aircraft acquisition tender – the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme estimated at $11 billion and providing for the Indian Air Force (IAF) to buy 126 medium multirole fighters. On that day, the Indian government issued official request for proposals (RFP) to the bidders. Before that, only requests for information had been issued. The preliminary stage shortlisted several contenders for the multibillion-dollar order. Six companies from the United States, Western Europe and Russia indicated their willingness to throw their hats in the ring – Lockheed Martin and Boeing with their F-16 Block 70 and F-18E/F fighters, SAAB (Gripen International) offering its Gripen IN, Eurofighter with its EF2000 Typhoon and MiG Corp. with its MiG-35 fighter. According to expert opinion, the Generation 4++ MiG-35 multirole fighter under development by MiG Corp. will become among the favourites of the Indian tender. The MiG-35 demonstrator was derived from the MiG-29M2 prototype (No. 154) two years ago. It was displayed at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore in February 2007, having become one of its zests. At the same time, the US and West European fighters offered by the competitors are very formidable rivals, and a minor upgrade of the current MiG-29 would not be enough to beat them in the tender. Therefore, despite the MiG-35’s similarity of appearance to the current production-standard MiG-29, its design and capabilities embody several drastically novel features attributing the fighter

Piotr Butowski to Generation 4++.

www.take-off.ru military aviation | project

Tasks and objectives - supermanoeuvrability through the use of not fold. The advanced wing allows two more The MiG-35 multirole tactical fighter is the reduced longitudinal stability aerodynamic hardpoints to be fixed on its lower surface. designed for round-the-clock elimination of configuration, fly-by-wire control system and As a result, the MiG-35 will be able to haul aerial and surface threats in any weather in powerful engines, especially if the latter are various air-launched weapons with a total the face of the enemy’s active and passive fitted with the thrust vector control system; weight of 6,500 kg on 11 hardpoints – 10 electronic countermeasures (ECM). Its - extended range by means of a larger under the wing and one under the belly. The objectives include aerial threat interception, internal and external fuel capacity and the aircraft also will feature enlarged vertical tails air superiority, interdiction, suppression of in-flight refuelling capability; of modified configuration and ditch the air enemy air defences, close air support and - high survivability due to reduced brake, whose job will be shouldered by the naval threat elimination. observability, up-to-date self-defence suite, differentially-deflected rudders. The MiG-35 is being derived from the aircraft system redundancy, etc.; MiG-29K multirole carrierborne fighter - enhanced reliability owing to time-proven Powerplant developed on order from the Indian Navy technical and design solutions, integral systems The MiG-35 will be powered by upgraded and, together with it, will make up the family ’health’ monitoring and failure forecasting. RD-33MK engines featuring a far of MiG-29 tactical fighter new-generation extended life (assigned life – 4,000 hours, derivatives, which entered production in Design features time before first overhaul – 1,000 hours) 2006. The family is expected to be made up In terms of design, the MiG-35 is a derivative and an afterburning thrust of 9,000 kgf of by at least four commonised versions – of the upgraded two-seat MiG-29M2 fighter each (5,400 kgf each at maximum rating). the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB multirole that was, in turn, derived in 2001 from the At the customer’s request, the fighter can shipborne fighters in the single-seat and MiG-29M prototype (No. 154). It has an be fitted with RD-33MKV thrust vector two-seat configurations respectively and upgraded sharp-LERX aerodynamic control engines whose nozzles can swivel the single-seat MiG-35 and twin-seat configuration and a quadruple-redundant 3D ±20° all-aspect. Thrust vector control engines MiG-35D multirole tactical fighters carrying digital fly-by-wire control system ensuring good have been refined on the MiG-29M-OVT the new-generation avionics and weapons stability and controllability in the manual and prototype (No. 156). The RD-33MK differs suites. In addition, to meet the requirements automatic flight modes, including automated from the production RD-33 Series 3 in both of some of the customers, there will be mid-air refuelling and supermanoeuvrability at an extended service life and the BARK-42 production of the MiG-29M and MiG-29M2 poststall angles of attack. digital automatic monitoring and control multirole tactical fighters commonised At the same time, the MiG-35 will be system usage, and are fitted with so-called with the MiG-35 and MiG-35D in terms radically different from both the production smokeless combustors as well. The RD-33MK of airframe and basic aircraft systems, but MiG-29 and MiG-29SMT, on the one was developed by the Klimov company in St. featuring somewhat more modest capabilities hand, and the MiG-29M and MiG-29M2 Petersburg and has been in full-rate production in terms of avionics and weapons that are to prototypes, on the other, in terms of by Chernyshev MMP since 2006 to fit the be commonised with the MiG-29SMT and manufacturability. It will embody large welded MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters on MiG-29K/KUB. structures of the basic airframe load-bearing order from the Indian Navy. Klimov works to Each pair of the fighters features a elements and feature a radically increased hone the engine still further, which could yield 90-per cent or more degree of commonality, use of composites. On the one hand, this will a version boasting even better characteristics. with the singleseater and twinseater having the allow a hike in its assigned life and service life The MiG-35 is to be fitted with the same design of their fuselage forward sections (up to 6,000 flight hours and 40 years) and, on advanced KSA-33M double accessory gearbox and cockpit canopy with the singleseater’s the other, this will facilitate the reduction in with sharply enhanced reliability equipped rear combat station occupied by an extra its radar signature. with advanced VK-100 turbine starters. The fuel tank or additional avionics units, if the An advanced larger wing has been accessory gearbox was developed by Klimov customer wishes so. developed to fit the MiG-35. Its span and and manufactured by Krasny Octiabr. Compared to the existing MiG-29, the basic design are similar to those of the wing of The fighter’s internal fuel capacity is to new features of the MiG-35 and MiG-35D the MiG-29K/KUB, but the wing has more increase by about 1.5 times over that of the are going to be the following: modest high-lift devices and, naturally, does standard MiG-29 (up to 4,800 kg) through Sergey Krivchikov www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 19 military aviation | project Zhuk-AE – the AESA radar for MiG-35 A feature of the MiG-35 multirole combat Having pondered several designs of the AESA, diameter – about 500 mm) and having 680 aircraft setting it apart from the previous Phazotron-NIIR Corp. decided to reduce the technical TRs, was made in 2006, completed the test members of the MiG-29 family is its multimode risk and speed up the development by borrowing programme at Phazotron-NIIR’s test bench and active phased-array radar – the Zhuk-AE. The some technical solutions and systems proven in was fitted to the MiG-35 demonstrator. FGA-29’s radar was developed by the Phazotron-NIIR the Zhuk-family radars, e.g. the computing system flight tests began in summer 2008. Its air target corporation, with its first example fitted to the comprising the data processor and signal processor, acquisition range is expected to measure 130 MiG-35 technology demonstrator in late 2006. km in the forward hemisphere and 60 km in The Zhuk-AE AESA radar’s basic strengths over the rear hemisphere while surface targets are the exiting slotted-array radars (e.g. the Zhuk-ME to be detected at the range up to 200 km. The of the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29K/KUB fighters) maximum beam deflection angle is ±60 deg. in is an expanded waveband, a greater number and elevation with max pulse power of acquired and tracked threats, simultaneous stands for 3.4 kW. Operating in the air-to-air lookup/lookdown capability, an extended mode, the Zhuk-AE will be able to automatically acquisition range, enhanced terrain-mapping acquire and track at least 30 threats, while resolution, etc. The principal advantage of the being able to simultaneously engage 2–6 of AESA (including that over the existing passive them with dogfight and medium-range missiles, phased-array radars) is a quantum leap in keeping an eye on the airspace at the same

survivability and reliability, which is due to the Piotr Butowski time. The radar will also be able to cue radar very philosophy of AESA. Unlike all other type homing missiles on to the targets, feed target of airborne radars, AESA consists of about exciter with the synchroniser, etc. The main radically designation to the helmet-mounted sighting 1,000 self-contained transmit/receive modules novel and the most sophisticated module of the and indication system, etc. In the air-to-ground (TR). Therefore, failure of several dozens or radar is the phased array proper, which includes the mode, it will be able to pinpoint moving and even hundred of TRs due to a technical glitch or radiating field of radiating elements, up to thousand static surface threats, generate firing solutions combat damage entails no failure of the whole TRs connected with them, cooling system, power for air-to-ground missiles and guided bombs radar. distribution and TR control system, microwave with various guidance systems and map the At the same time, developing an AESA is very energy TR distribution system used of subsequent terrain in several modes. difficult thing to do in terms of technology due amplification and phasing, backup power supply and There are plans to switch later to a larger-diameter to the need of developing relatively inexpensive beam control unit. Based on an extensive research AESA (about 700 mm), with the number of TRs to reliable miniature TRs. Phazotron-NIIR, whose into the phased array design for the Zhuk-AE radar, slightly exceed 1,000 and the acquisition range to radars fit all MiG-29s took up the development of a choice was made of the equidistant hexagonal extend to 250 km in air-to-air and air-to-surface such a radar to equip the MiG-35. -based radiating module distribution, with a decision taken modes. Concurrently, the computer system and Micran company and Semiconductor Instrument to make TRs in groups of four. wide-band exciter are to be improved. Such a Research Institute were contracted to develop and The first version of the Zhuk-AE radar, designated modified version of the Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) will fit manufacture the TRs. FGA-29, measuring 600 mm in diameter (array the production MiG-35 fighters.

In the cockpit of MiG-35 reconfiguring the existing fuel cells within technology demonstrator the airframe and introducing new ones. In addition, the aircraft will have an integral in-flight refuelling system and larger drop tanks (capacity of the underbelly tank will rise from 1,520 to 2,150 litres with MiG-35 will be able to carry up to five drop fuel tanks). The single-seat variant has an extra fuel cell of about 620 litres in place of the backseater’s combat station. Fitted with the PAZ-MK detachable refuelling unit, the MiG-35 fighter will be able to top up other aircraft of the type in flight.

New-generation avionics suite The new-generation avionics suite of the MiG-35 fighter is an open-architecture design using a MIL-STD-1553B-compliant multiplex data bus. This provides the aircraft with multirole combat capability and simplifies integration of new Russian and foreign avionics and weapons, including podded ones. The HOTAS capability is designed to control weapons. The MiG-35’s fire control system is

Sergey Krivchikov wrapped around the advanced Zhuk-AE

20 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | project Fifth-generation optronics on board MiG-35 fighter Top left: OLS-UEM forward-looking IRST capable of scanning airspace, acquire and track aerial targets within the ±90 deg. bracket in azimuth and within –15/+60 deg. bracket in elevation. The IRST comprises the infrared, TV and laser capa- bilities. The rear-hemisphere aerial target acquisi- tion range is 45 km, while the front-hemisphere one stands at 15 km, with the laser rangefinder ranges threats out to 15 km. Bottom left: OLS-K all-round look-down IRST. It comprises the IR and TV sensors, laser range- finder/target designator and laser spot sensor. The devices acquires tank-sized targets at 20 km and boat-sized ones out to 40 km, with the rang- ing distance being up to 20 km. The OLS-K IRST paints ground targets with the laser beam for pre- cision-guided munitions (PGM) and detects hostile Piotr Butowski Piotr Butowski laser illumination. The IRST pod weighs 110 kg. Top: Missile warning system. The aircraft car- Bottom: Laser warning system which detects ries two modules for the lookup and lookdown hostile laser illumination within the 1.06-1.57 functions behind the cockpit canopy and in a micrometres. The aircraft mounts two laser conformal container under the left engine nacelle warning system modules – one in each wingtip respectively. The detection range for incoming providing virtually 360 deg. coverage. Their air-to-air missiles is 30 km, SAMs – 50 km and laser detection range equals 30 km, with the shoulder-fired SAMs – 10 km. The hardware weight accounting for 800 g. weighs 9.5 kg. Piotr Butowski Piotr Butowski

AESA radar, OLS-UEM forward-looking those of the fifth-generation aircraft airborne dispenser. The MiG-35’s wingtips and tips IRST system, OLS-K 360-deg. lookdown systems. of its vertical tails house the antennas of the IRST in a conformal pod under the straboard The PrNK-35 targeting/navigation suite L-150 ELINT station from the Avtomatika air duct and a helmet-mounted target from the Ramenskoye Instrument Design design bureau (). The sensors of the designation and indication system. The Bureau (RPKB) comprises up-to-date inertial NIIPP-produced missile warning system are Phazotron-NIIR corporation is developing and satellite navigation aids. The aircraft fitted to the upper fuselage behind the cockpit the Zhuk-AE AESA radar and the NIIPP offered for the IAF tender is to have its and in the conformal container under the Semiconductor Device Research Institute is navigation and communication suites fitted left air duct. The sensors of the NIIPP laser handling the development of the OLS-UEM with both Russian and foreign systems, i.e. the warning system are at the ends of the wingtips. and OLS-K optronic systems and a number latter including those from French companies The ECM station from the Kaluga-based of optronic self-defence sensors as well. At Sagem or Thales and India’s HAL and Bharat. KNIRTI Radiotechnical Research Institute is the customer’s request, the upper mentioned In terms of the cockpit management system housed both by the fuselage (high-frequency optronics set can be replaced with the layout, the MiG-35 and MiG-35D are similar units) with the antennas in the LERXes and upgraded KOLS-13SM IRST and podded enough to the MIG-29K and MiG-29KUB fuselage tail section and by a pod attached Sapsan-E IR/laser targeting system from the (the pilot is provided with three large 6x8” under the left wing panel (medium-frequency UOMZ Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant. multifunction liquid-crystal displays and a units). The MiG-35 offered for the IAF tender is wide-angle head-up display; the rear seat of At the Bangalore air show in February to be fitted with the Topsight helmet-mounted the twinseater is furnished with four LCDs), 2007, it was announced that MiG Corp. target designator from Thales (France). Using but its LCDs’ resolution and operating speed and Italian company Elettronica S.p.A. a similar helmet-mounted target designator is to be enhanced. reached agreement and cooperated under development by Geofizika (Moscow) is The self-defence suite includes the L-150 on adapting Elettronica S.p.A’s being mulled over. Mention should be made ELINT station, missile launch warning and ELT/568(V)2 active jammer to the MiG-35. that the characteristics of the MiG-35’s AESA laser illumination warning receivers, SAP-518 The jammer comprises several units – the radar, optronic systems, helmet-mounted and KS-418 active ECM stations (both main unit with two HF emitters is situated designator and cockpit display system meet integral and podded ones) and a chaff/flare in the aft-cockpit bay and the emitting www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 21 military aviation | project antennas in the LERXes, with another Weapons options In the future, the MiG-35 can be equipped unit in the fuselage tail section with its On air-to-air missions, the MiG-35 relies on with prosprective precision guided weapons. antenna in the right fin under the rudder, the RVV-AE medium-range active radar-guided For instance, the MiG Corp.’s advertisements while the additional unit is podded under missiles and R-73E dogfight IR-guided missiles. at ILA 2008 in June 2008 read that the the left wing panel and fitted with the According to MiG Corp.’s advertisements MiG-35’s weapons suite would incorporate medium-frequency emitter (its antennas circulated at the ILA 2008 air show in Berlin, the advanced Kh-38ME modular tactical are set in the front and rear tips of the they are supposed to be complemented by air-to-surface missiles with a range of pod). The technical matters of adapting the advanced RVV-SD medium-range and 40 km (Kh-38MAE active radar homing, the ELT/568(V)2 to the MiG-35 have been RVV-MD short-range air-to-air missiles. Kh-38MTE thermal-imaging, Kh-38MLE resolved, and the Italian system will be To deal with ground targets, it uses the semiactive laser guided and Kh-38MKE fitted to the fighter if the customer wishes Kh-29TE TV-guided missiles, KAB-500Kr satnav-cued terminally-guided missiles); so. The defence aids suite of IAF’s MiG-35 (OD) and KAB-1500Kr TV-guided bombs or Kh-59MK2 missiles with the 285km range fighter may be equipped with Indian-made KAB-500L and KAB-1500L-F laser-guided and combined satnav/optical terminal systems as well. bombs along with such ‘dumb’ weapons as guidance system to take out ground targets To enhance pilot training and flight 80mm and 122mm S-8 and S-13 rockets and with present coordinates; 3M-14AE active safety, the MiG-35 will be outfitted with 100-1,500kg gravity bombs. Elimination of radar-homing cruise missiles with the 300km the -B-35 flight data recorder, naval threats is achieved by means of Kh-31A range as well as Kh-59MK and 3M-54AE1 SVR-23M1K video recorder and Trenazh-29 and Kh-35E antiship missiles. Hostile radars active radar-homing antiship missiles weapon simulation and effectiveness control are dealt with by using Kh-31P antiradiation with a range of up to 300 km. The guided system. missiles. bomb inventory may be beefed up with the

Tactical Missiles Corp. offers new weapons for MiG-35 fighters

Last year, the Tactical Missiles Corp. launched Kh-38ME a campaign to promote a number of latest air-launched precision guided munitions on the market. The weapons promoted include the new-generation Kh-38ME air-launched modular guided missile and several heavy upgrades, including Kh-59MK2 air-to-surface missile with a self-contained target area recognition capability as well as KAB-1500LG-F-E laser beam-riding smart bomb. All these weapons will be incorporated in MiG-35’s weapon suite being available for other new Russia’s combat aircraft as well. Among the latest designs from Tactical Missiles Corp., the family of new-generation Kh-38ME

modular multirole short-range air-to-surface Yerokhin Yevgeny missiles under development by the corporation’s head plant that are designed to kill a wide The Kh-59MK2 can be used in any season, platform travelling at a speed of Mach 0.5–0.9. range of armoured, hard and soft single and under the 10-3–105 lux condition and in any The target aspect angle at launch may be up to multiple ground targets and surface threats in terrain. The weapon is designed to kill a wide ±45 deg. After launch, the Kh-59MK2 will fly at the littorals as well. The model line includes four range of static ground targets with known a speed of 900–1,050 km/h and at an altitude of basic versions with combined guidance systems: coordinates, including those with no radar, 50–300 m depending on the relief. Kh-38MLE (with INS and semiactive laser homing infrared and optical signatures. The missile is Tactical Missiles Corp. recently also provided head), Kh-38MKE (with INS and satnav update a fire-and-forget weapon reliant on autonomous information on an advanced 1,500kg guided bomb, capability), Kh-38MTE (with INS and heat-seeker), target area identification. The low-altitude route the KAB-1500LG-F-E with the gyro-stabilised laser and Kh-38MAE (with INS and active radar homer). is downloaded to the missile together with homing head (its predecessor, the KAB-1500L, Over time, the Kh-38ME missiles are to oust the its mission. The Kh-59MK2’s navigation and mounts the so-called ‘feathering’ gimballed laser corporation’s existing versions of the Kh-25M and self-contained control system is wrapped around homer). The 1,525kg bomb with the 1,170kg HE Kh-29 ASMs from Russian warplanes’ weapons the strapdown inertial navigation system, satnav warhead (HE fill weighs 440 kg) is reported to suites. In terms of the dimensions, the new receiver and optronic system. It provides a be designed for eliminating stationary surface weapon is to occupy a niche between them, with circular error probable (CEP) of 3–5 m. The pinpoint targets (reinforced-concrete shelters, the Kh-38ME’s launch weight to equal 520 kg. Kh-59MK2 will have a launch weight of up to railway and motorway bridges, military and Its 250kg warhead is to have various types of 900 kg, with the weight of the penetrator-type industrial installations, ships, ammunition dumps, payload. The missile measures 4.2 m in length or cluster bomb warheads to be 320 kg and rail junctions, etc.). The CEP is 4–7 m. The bomb and 310 mm in diameter. Its maximum firing range 283 kg respectively. The missile is 5.7 m long, is 4.28 m long and 580 mm in diameter with the will be 40 km. with its diameter measuring 380 mm (nose 0.85m and 1.3m wing span in the folded-wing Another Tactical Missiles Corp. novelty is section – 420 mm) and its wingspan standing and extended-wing configurations respectively. the Kh-59MK2 medium-range air-to-surface at 1.3 m. The maximum range is estimated at The KAB-1500LG-F-E is released from an altitude missile being derived by the Raduga JSC from 285 km. The weapon can be fired within the ranging from 1 km to 8 km at the carrier’s speed the Kh-59MK radar homing anti-ship missile. 200–11,000m altitude bracket with the launch from 550 to 1,100 km/h.

22 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | project Sergey Krivchikov advanced KAB-1500LG, KAB-500LG and section, advanced cockpit management under construction now at MiG Corp.’s KAB-250L semiactive laser-homing smart system and a number of avionics systems. plant in Lukhovitsy. Its maiden flight is slated bombs and KAB-500S-E and KAB-250S-E All of these are to be embodied in the future for this year. satnav-guided smart bombs. The number of production MIG-35 and MiG-35D fighters. Production of the MiG-35 fighters is to be hardpoints on the MiG-35 will increase to 11 In 2006, the advanced OLS-UEM IRST was run by the team that is manufacturing now and its maximum payload to 6,500 kg. fitted to and tested on the plane, followed by the MiG-29K/KUB fighters ordered by the The MiG-35 is to retain the 30mm GSh-301 the OLS-K pod-mounted optronic targeting Indian Navy. Some large airframe parts are integral rapid-fire automatic cannon standard system. Early 2007 saw the aircraft fitted to be made by the Sokol plant in Nizhny to all MiG-29-family fighters. with a Zhuk-AE AESA radar demonstrator. Novgorod, with the rest of them and the final After a variety of bench and ground tests assembly to be handled by the MiG Corp.’s Flying crew training and aircraft maintenance last summer flight testing of the new radar Production Centre in Lukhovitsy. To train flying and ground crews in operating onboard MiG-35 demonstrator began. Under the terms of the tender, the winner and maintaining the MiG-35, a multilevel The first flight of the MiG-35 demonstrator shall make the lead batch, and the remaining training regimen is to be established to make fitted with the full-scale Zhuk-AE 85 per cent of fighters shall be assembled use of an automated interactive training system AESA radar equipped with the full set of in the customer country. According to the and procedural, flight/navigation, combat and transmitter/receiver modules, including turning Indian press soon after the tender’s RFP was integrated simulators. In addition, the MiG it on in flight, took place in late October issued in August 2007, a final decision on Corp. offers to introduce its Il-103 initial 2008. MiG Corp. test pilot Mikhail Belyayev, selecting a winner and launching the fighter’s and MiG-AT basic training aircraft to the who piloted the demonstrator together with production shall have taken place prior to flying crew training arrangements. The final Nikolay Diorditsa, said, “The radar produced 2012–14. Until then, the contenders will conversion and training of flying crews can be good results from the outset. We are certain have had to clear several stages of comparative conducted using the MiG-35D twinseaters. of its great capabilities. The radar fitted with and evaluation tests. In mid-January 2009, To ensure effective MiG-35 operation, the AESA operates in various modes in a the IAF chief of staff Air Chief Marshal Fali personnel training and logistics, an stable manner, acquiring and tracking aerial Homi Major said that the service was going information system compatible with NATO and ground targets. The flight and ground to launch the comparative tests of all the standards is being introduced. Spare supply tests have proven that the concept and basic six aircraft in April or May this year. The and service provision are to rest on the technical solutions had been right and that tests will result in a shortlist of two to three direct-to-home principle at regional MRO the operability and effectiveness of the radar’s contenders. centres. The MiG-35 is to be subject to subsystems were as good as required. The final decision is to be taken based on-condition maintenance, which is to allow Given the high degree of commonality on the final evaluation of the remaining a considerable reduction in the operating between the MiG-35 and MiG-29K, a large contenders. That stage will mostly be costs of the customer. part of the test flights completed under focused on the commercial side of the deal, the carrierborne fighter’s test programme, particularly, offset programmes offered by Programme status including those involving the MiG-29M2 the seller, which at the Indian government’s By the year of 2007 the MiG Corp. has prototype, MiG-29SMT and MiG-29UB request should total 50 per cent of the prepared a technology demonstrator under the flying testbeds as well as MiG-29M-OVT contract’s value. With a decision taken, a MiG-35 programme. It has been converted supermanoeuvrable prototype, could be taken contract is to be awarded to a winner that from the MiG-29M2 (No. 154) twinseater into account of MiG-35 certification tests. will deliver 18 fighters to IAF, with the used heavily in 2002–06 to hone the design The technology demonstrator is to be remaining 108 to be licence-produced by and aerodynamics of the new forward fuselage followed soon by the first MiG-35 prototype Indian corporation HAL. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 23 military aviation | project MiG-35 multirole fighter distinctive features Drawing by Alexey Mikheyev

Elimination of upper air intakes (foreign objects damage protection grills introduced in main air ducts)

Pilots cockpit new information management system with three multifunctional colour liquid crystal displays and wide-angle head-up display in the forward cockpit and four multifunctional colour LCDs in the second one

Unified forward fuselage section for both single-seat and two-seat aircraft (in the single-seat version the second pilot’s cockpit is replaced with an additional fuel tank/optional equipment units)

OLS-UEM forward-looking optronic search-and-track system with IR, TV and laser range-finder/ target illumination channels

Integrated in-flight refueling system Strengthened undercarriage providing take-off at max T/O weight of 23,500 kg and landing with max landing weight of 16,800 kg Kh-29T/TE TV-guided air-to-surface missile

Integrated GSh-301 cannon of 30 mm caliber Kh-38МE tactical with ammo load air-to-surface missile of 150 rounds

Zhuk-AE multimode active phased array radar KAB-500Kr TV-guided bomb

24 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | project

Increased internal fuel tanks RD-33MK upgraded turbofans of approx. 1,5 times higher with 9,000 kgf thrust in full afterburner mode, BARK-42 fuel capacity if compared with digital automatic monitoring and control system and production MiG-29 fighters extended life (assigned life 4,000 hours, time before first overhaul 1,000 hours). Under the customers request, MiG-35 could be fitted with RD-33MKV thrust vector Wing of greater span control engines whose nozzles can swivel ±20° and area all-aspect featuring 10 hardpoints for different weapons

KSA-33M advanced double accessory gearbox with enhanced reliability and advanced VK-100 turbine starter

Quadruple-redundant three-axis digital fly-by-wire control system ensuring good stability and controllability in the manual and automatic flight modes, including automated in-flight refuelling and supermanoeuvrability at poststall angles of attack

RVV-AE medium range 3M-14AE active active radar-guided radar-guided air-to-air missile cruise missile

Kh-31A antiship active radar-guided missile

Kh-59MK2 satnav-optronic guided air-to-surface missile

Kh-35 antiship active radar-guided missile KAB-500S-E satnav-guided bomb KAB-500LG laser-guided bomb www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 25 military aviation | project MiG-35 multirole fighter technology demonstrator Drawing by Andrey Zhirnov

MiG-35 basic specifications (with MiG-35D data in brackets)

Crew ...... 1 (2) Overall length, m ...... 17.3 Wingspan, m ...... 11.99 Height, m ...... 4.5 Takeoff weight, kg: - normal ...... 17,500 (17,800) - maximum ...... 23,500 Maximum combat load, kg ...... 6,500 Maximum speed, km/h: - at sea level ...... 1,400 - at high altitude ...... 2,100 Service ceiling, m ...... 17,500 Maximum g-load ...... 9 Maximum range, km: - without drop fuel tanks ...... 2,000 (1,700) - with 3 drop tanks ...... 3,000 (2,700) - with 3 drop tanks and 1 mid-air refuelling ...... 6,000 (5,700)

26 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | project

www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 27 military aviation | report ADVANCED HELICOPTERS ENTERING SERVICE Mi-28N and Ansat-U cleared for fielding while Ka-52 enters production

Yevgeny YEROKHIN

On 26 December 2008, the Russian Helicopters joint stock company’s Flight Test Centre in Chkalovsky, Moscow Region, hosted the final meeting of the enlarged session of the State commission that considered the outcome of the official trials of the advanced Mil Mi-28N and Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopters and Ansat-U trainer helicopter and the status of their production. During the session, the report on the successful Alexey Mikheyev Alexey completion of the Mi-28N and Kazan Helicopters Ansat-U official trials The expanded session of the state by the Oboronprom corporation’s Russian was signed and the “confirmation commission was attended by Russian Defence Helicopters subsidiary set up as a managing of the suitability of the helicopters and all of their components for Ministry and defence industry representatives company under the Russian president’s decree entering service with the Russian and chaired by Russian Air Force commander in 2006. The Russian Helicopters company Defence Ministry and for launching Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin. In his opening has established control over all major Russia’s their production” was issued. At address, the service chief said, “The Air helicopter manufacturers, came up with a set the same time, the first stage of the Force has seen a historical phase in the of helicopter models approved by the customer official trials of the Ka-52 helicopter Army Aviation development – the phase of and launched helicopter development, was pronounced a success, re-equipping and fielding advanced aircraft, production and sales programmes. As far which served the base for issuing which will allow the branch to complete its as the Defence Ministry is concerned, the a positive preliminary opinion upgrade by 2015–20”. company’s priorities are the advanced main recommending the manufacture of The more proactive productionising of the combat helicopter from Mil, the Mi-28N, for a pre-production batch. advanced machines and preparations for their the Russian Defence Ministry, Kamov Ka-52 service entry has resulted from the efforts made combat helicopter for special forces and the

28 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | report Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny Alexey Mikheyev Alexey advanced Kazan Helicopters Ansat-U trainer The decision on adopting the helicopter Arsenyev, Russian Far East, has completed designed for initial flight training. The three for service is expected in the near future. the productionising of the Ka-52 in 2008, machines underwent stringent official tests last The Mi-28N has been productionised by having submitted the second prototype and year, with the Mi-28N and Ansat-U intended the Rostvertol joint stock company and the the preproduction machine of the type. to complete them before 2008 year-end so Ansat by the Kazan Helicopters. The state In addition to the above rotorcraft, the as the machines start fielding in 2009. The commission also recognised “the successful Russian Defence Ministry will continue objective was met. completion of the official trials of the Ka-52 to buy production-standard Mi-8MTV-5 The state commission at its 26 December combat helicopter. Proceeding from the troop-carrying helicopters made by the session approved the reports on the successful results of the trials, a preliminary opinion was Kazan Helicopters. According to RusAF completion of the Mi-28N and Ansat-U issued as to the feasibility of manufacturing commander Col.-Gen. Alexander official trials and confirmed “the suitability the Ka-52 pre-production batch”. The Zelin, upwards of hundred combat of the helicopters and all of their components Ka-52’s official trials are set to be completed and trainer helicopters are slated for for entering service with the Russian Defence in 2009, after which its fielding may begin. delivery in the coming four years. He Ministry and for launching their production”. The Progress aircraft plant in the town of believes this will “increase the combat www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 29 military aviation | report

helicopter, the Mi-28N, was represented by two preproduction batch machines (side numbers 35 and 36, the latter having a

Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny mast-mounted radar, which has not become part of the production model yet, and defence aids suite pods at the wingtips). The Ka-52 designed for “special units of the defence ministry” was represented by both prototypes (side numbers 061 and 062, with the latter fitted with its organic surveillance and targeting systems and defence aids suite that will be integrated with production machines in the future). The displays also included an Ansat-U trainer helicopter, a Mi-8MTV-5 troop carrier and a Kamov Ka-252RLD radar picket helicopter (side number 232). The latter came as a surprise to the media people Ka-252RLD prototype present. According to the explanatory note nearby, it was equipped with “the radar system handling target acquisition and capabilities of the Army Aviation by Mi-8MTV troop-carrier helicopters prior data-linking target data to ground command 2.5–3 times through the introduction of to 2012. posts”. The Ka-252RLD is a derivative “the capability of fighting round the clock The session of the state commission of the Ka-31 radar picket helicopter (two in all weather and in mountainous and flat was accompanied by the demonstration machines like that have been operationally terrain”. According to the Vedomosti daily, of the helicopters in question to the evaluated by the Russian Navy and then a the defence ministry plans to buy about 50 attendees and mass media at the static nine-ship batch was exported to the Indian Mi-28N and 12 Ka-52 combat helicopters, display area of the Flight Test Centre. The Navy) but can be operated by the Army as as well as 12 Ansat-U trainers and up to 30 Russian Army’s prospective main combat well.

Ansat-U trainer helicopter main data Length (excl. rotors), m ...... 11.18 Ansat-U Main rotor diameter, m ...... 11.5 Overall height, m ...... 3.5 The Ansat-U trainer helicopter has been derived cargo in the cabin or 1,300 kg cargo slung under Normal take-off weight, kg ...... 3,000 under the specifications requirement by the Russian its belly. The Ansat prototype completed its first Max take-off weight, kg ...... 3,300 Defence Ministry from the production-standard hover on 17 August 1999 and its first pattern flight Max payload weight, kg: - in the cabin ...... 1,000 Ansat light helicopter in full-rate production on 6 October 1999. The results produced by its - at the store...... 1,300 by the Kazan Helicopters. The trainer version’s tests earned the Ansat light multirole helicopter its Max speed, km/h ...... 280 key features making it different to the baseline AP-29 air rules-compliant type certificate issued Cruising speed, km/h ...... 250 Hovering ceiling, m ...... 3,300 model are the two sets of flight controls (the by IAC’s Aircraft Registry on 29 December 2004. Operation ceiling, m ...... 5,700 baseline Ansat is flown by a single pilot), relevant In 2004–06, six production-standard Ansats were Range (5% fuel reserve), km ...... 635 modification to the integrated fly-by-wire system exported to South Korea that became the launch Powerplant ...... PW-207K and wheeled landing gear instead of the ski-type customer for the machine. Take-off power, hp ...... 2x630 one. The prototype of Ansat-U trainer helicopter The Ansat’s baseline model, which has been kicked off its trials in April 2004. It flew to the in production by Kazan Helicopters since 2004, Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre for its is designed to seat nine passengers, 1,000 kg of official tests in October 2006 and completed Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny

them with success on 25 November 2008. As was announced at the HeliRussia 2008 air show in Moscow, the manufacturer snagged an order for the first batch of 12 Ansat-Us, of which at least six may be delivered to the Russian Air Force already

Alexey Mikheyev Alexey this year.

30 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | report

The Mi-28N is a derivative of the Mi-28 combat Mi-28N combat helicopter main data helicopter featuring radically advanced integrated Length (excl. rotors), m ...... 17.01 avionics allowing it to operate round the clock. For Main rotor diameter, m ...... 17.2 Mi-28N Overall height this purpose, the Mi-28N’s avionics suite includes (excl. mast-mounted radar), m ...... 3.82 The Russian Air Force chose the Mi-28N two-seat the OPS-28 optronic surveillance/targeting Empty weight, kg ...... 8,600 Normal take-off weight, kg ...... 11,000 night-capable combat helicopter as the basic Army system with the optical, TV and thermal-imaging Max take-off weight, kg ...... 12,100 Aviation attack helicopter designed to replace the capabilities integrated with the laser rangefinder Max combat load weight, kg ...... 2,300 Mi-24 family helicopters in service since the earlier and ATGM control system. The Mi-28N’s avionics Max speed, km/h ...... 305 Cruising speed, km/h ...... 270 1970s. The first Mi-28N assembled at Rostvertol suite also includes the TOES-521 flight turreted Hovering ceiling, m ...... 3,600 plant completed its maiden flight on 25 March 2004, optronic system. To enhance the chopper’s Operation ceiling, m ...... 5,700 Range becoming the second prototype of the type. The day/night and all-weather performance, it is to (5% fuel reserve), km ...... 450 first prototype built by the Mil Moscow Helicopter be fitted with the N025 mast-mounted radar Ferry range Plant first flew as far back as 14 November 1996. from the State Ryazan Instrument Plant (GRPZ). (with drop tanks), km ...... 1,100 Powerplant ...... TV3-117VMA Take-off power, hp ...... 2x2,200

However, the radar is at the development and test

Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny stage so far. In 2005–07, the Rostvertol plant made seven low-rate initial production Mi-28Ns, with the full-rate production kicking off in 2007. The first two production-standard Mi-28Ns were delivered to RusAF on 22 January 2008 and were assigned to the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok. Rostvertol built and delivered two more production machines to Torzhok during the last year. With the official trials report signed on 26 December 2008, the Defence Ministry is going to take delivery of 10–15 production Mi-28Ns a year.

Ka-52 combat helicopter main data Last year, the Progress plant in the town of Arsenyev Length (excl. rotors), m ...... 14.2 made the second prototype that became the standard Main rotor diameter, m ...... 14.5 Ka-52 Overall height, m ...... 4.9 for future production machines of the type. Normal take-off weight, kg ...... 10,400 In 2006, the Russian Defence Ministry chose The Ka-52 features Kamov’s speciality coaxial Max take-off weight, kg ...... 11,300 the Ka-52 multirole combat helicopter, featuring main rotor configuration and has retractable tricycle Max combat load weight, kg ...... 2.300 the most sophisticated and effective avionics and landing gear. This affords it excellent flight and Max speed, km/h ...... 310 Cruising speed, km/h ...... 270 weapons suites and several unique flight and tactical technical characteristics, on the one hand, and Hovering ceiling, m ...... 3.900 characteristics, for service with special forces of allows it the ease of operation, on the other. The crew Operation ceiling, m ...... 5.300 Range the Russian military. The Ka-52 is a derivative of made up of the pilot and weapons system operator (5% fuel reserve), km ...... 520 the Ka-50 single-seat attack helicopter adopted for is seated side by side in K-37-800 ejection seats. Ferry range service with the Russian Army under the presidential Such an arrangement allows the full command of (with drop tanks), km ...... 1.080 Powerplant ...... TV3-117VMA decree dated 28 August 1995. the advanced ergonomics of the cockpit, simplifies Take-off power, hp ...... 2x2,200 The Ka-52’s prototype did its first hover on 25 June the interaction between the crewmembers, ensures 1997 and its first pattern flight on 13 August 1997. an excellent field of view and a very high probability Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny

of survival in battle or in an emergency and makes it possible for the machine to be used for training and conversion with ease. The ceremony of launching the Ka-52’s production at the plant in Arsenyev took place on 29 October 2008. The plant had built the first LRIP machine by then. Now, three next aircraft are being assembled and will be delivered during the year. The Ka-52’s

Alexey Mikheyev Alexey official tests are set to be complete in 2009. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 31 military aviation | weapons Viktor Drushlyakov

Yevgeny YEROKHIN, Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV BOMBS WITHOUT RIVAL Bazalt’s weapons surpass JDAM and JSOW

In 1921, Italian General Giulio Douhet PBK-500U: Russian response to JSOW published his famous work “The Bazalt launched development of the advanced Command of the Air”, in which he gliding cluster-bomb dispenser as far back as the maintained that the previous means mid-1990s to enhance RusAF’s effectiveness and of armed warfare were to yield to the main and decisive means of the combat capabilities. However, the programme was future war – aviation. The subsequent affected by the economic turmoil in the country decades proved the quickly rowing and has been re-energised and completed only might of aviation, availability of which recently. Flight tests of the advanced weapon at became a must for victory. In the late the State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk began 20th century, USAF Chief of Staff Gen. last year and the official trials are supposed to Ronald Fogleman stated, “Today, we do take place in 2009. If they prove to be a success, not have to occupy an enemy country to the fielding of the PBK-500U with the Air Force attain strategic victory. We can reduce may launch already in 2010. the enemy’s combat capabilities and Bazalt’s advanced gliding cluster bomb is, often defeat his armed forces from the essentially, a Russian analogue of the American air”. JSOW weapons system. Bazalt’s earlier However, the warplane in itself is RBK-500 disposal CBU as well as fragmentation, just a high-tech delivery platforms for weapons. It is the latter that inflict concrete-busting, shaped-charge, incendiary, damage on the enemy. Despite the cluster, homing and mine submunition growing importance of the role of modules for the KMGU airborne container are guided missiles, ‘iron’ bombs remain an effective means to destroy hostile aircraft, in the inventories of the air forces missile systems and armoured vehicles. The throughout the world. One of the ways lethality of such weapons is several times as that to enhance the capabilities of air bombs of monoblock bombs. With the same calibre, is the fitting of them with special tail kits RBK and PBK need 10 times less munitions installations with the radar or infrared signature increasing their accuracy and range to destroy similar targets, with their yield being giving them away against the underlying terrain or the developing of advanced cluster adaptable to a specific target. in the face of clutter and countermeasures from bombs with homing submunitions. The advanced PBK-500U gliding cluster an altitude ranging from 100 m to 14,000 m at The best-known results of such bomb packing SPBE-K homing submunitions the carrier aircraft’s speed varying from 700 km/ modernisation are US smart bomb JDAM and glide bomb JSOW. However, is derivative of the RBK-500 series of h to 1,100 km/h. The weapon’s range is about they have run into worthy competition disposable cluster bomb units, ensuring more 50 km if released from an altitude of 10 km. on the global market – air bombs from effective application by tactical aircraft. It The CBU is 3,100 mm long and 450 mm in the Bazalt state scientific production is designed for all-weather round-the-clock diameter. company that has for decades been a standoff employment with precise delivery of The baseline model has its submunitions leader in developing air bombs of all submunitions to the target. The gliding CBU dispenser fitted with the inertial navigation types. has a calibre of 500 mm and kills armour, SAM system (INS) and a GPS/GLONASS systems, command posts and other military satnav receiver to ensure accurate delivery

32 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | weapons

of submunitions to the target area. This is FAB-500M62 with MPK model an all-passive guidance package requiring no information contact with the target neither before, nor after the release, which is important for the survival of the launch platform and for mission accomplishment. The PBK-500U is a launch-and-leave weapon. The PBK-500U can be fitted with various cluster submunitions or monoblock warheads. The baseline model is fitted with SPBE-K combined heat-seeking/radar-homing submunitions wiping out a wide range of military weapons systems and vehicles in various types of terrain. According to Bazalt representatives, even rather old homing submunitions, such as SPBE-D, remain superior to many western analogues, while the new-generation SPBE-K does not even have rivals abroad. A single CBU packing such submunitions can knock off up to six armoured vehicles – both those emitting in the infrared part of the spectrum and those emitting nothing. The SPBE-Ks can be applied against enemy tanks in a close-range armoured free-for-all, since it has the

identification friend-or-foe (IFF) capability. Yerokhin Yevgeny

According to Bazalt’s Director General control package under the JDAM programme Vladimir Korenkov, in future the PBK-500U is involves factory assembly, and any factory to be fitted with an efficient motor, which will assembly jacks up the costs. Bazalt offers a considerably extend the weapon’s controlled cheaper and more flexible variant: the modular flight distance while retaining its precision. This design allows assembly of smart bombs in the PBK-500U variant will be comparable to the required configuration at the airfield, rather US-made JSOW-ER. than at the factory. “Development of similar-performance Tailkitted HE bombs: gaining wings missiles or smart bombs to handle the same Another interesting field of Bazalt’s work is tasks would have cost 50 times more”, says the development of special commonised set of Bazalt’s Director General Vladimir Korenkov. gliding and control kits to be added to ordinary At present, the design that has advanced free-fall bombs, e.g. HE bombs and cluster farthest is the one providing the tailkitting of bomb units. Bazalt’s Director General Vladimir a most mass-produced Russian bomb, the Korenkov told Take-off that his company’s FAB-500M-62, remaining in the inventory of development of special commonised glide and many air forces throughout the world. guidance kits has been in full swing to fit them There are four different baseline upgrade to gravity bombs and disposable cluster-bomb variants. The first one provides for equipping dispensers. One or more kit comprising folding a bomb with the so-called ‘simple’ kit. This wings and guidance, navigation and satellite is a purely aerodynamic solution allowing update packages will be attached to a bomb the bomb to self-stabilise and offset the wind OFZAB-500 depending on the mission. Such kits may be drift and providing for attaching only a simple

Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny fitted to the existing dumb bombs in RusAF’s glide-and-guide module to the bomb’s body inventory and all of the future ones. According without any electronic modules. The kit’s cost The submunitions are expected to be extremely to Bazalt’s chief, the programme will enhance will be within the cost of the weapon itself. Aerial effective even against future armoured threats. the precision and functionality of gravity bombs bombs in such a configuration can be used at a A single PBK-500U can wipe out a six-vehicle and, depending on the type of kits, create, range of 6–8 km but from a minimum altitude tank platoon on the battlefield. The CBU’s essentially, precision-guided weapons released of 50–100 m, rather than 3,000-4,000 m usual version filled with BETAB-M concrete-piercing from low altitude at a standoff range. for ‘dumb’ HE bombs and making the aircraft submunitions is superior to all known analogues Such an approach to aerial bombs upgrade vulnerable to hostile air defences. too. have been used by the United States deriving The second option goes for using the The advantages offered by the commonised the GBU-31, GBU-32, GBU-38 and other standard-issue glide-and-guide module and the gliding CBU over an air-to-surface missile smart bombs from the production Mk-82, small-size INS unit, the latter allowing the handling similar tasks are its lower cost, Mk-83, Mk-84 and a number of other 500, bomb’s in-flight stabilisation and arrival to the much heavier warhead totalling more than 1,000 and 2,000lb gravity bombs under the target area. This variant will ensure a release 70 per cent of the PBK-500U’s weight and JDAM programme. However, Bazalt’s upgrade range of 12–15 km while retaining the required multiple-kill-per-pass capability. costs far less. Mounting the new guidance and accuracy. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 33 military aviation | weapons

The third version provides for beefing is much cheaper than the cost of advanced best weapon in its class offered on the global up the INS-based kit, whose accuracy smart bombs and guided missiles”. market today”. is not too high, with extra drives and a The bombs upgraded by Bazalt will feature In addition, a new field of Bazalt’s marketing GPS/GLONASS satnav receiver. The the following characteristics: 400 mm in work on the arms market of Asia Pacific and solution will allow release at a range of diameter, 645–2,000 mm in wingspan and South Asia is the promotion of the OFZAB-500 40–60 km depending on the carrier aircraft’s 3,000 mm in length. The ‘winged’ bomb will HE/fragmentation/incendiary bomb. “This is flight mode and speed and will ensure a weigh up to 540 kg, with its warhead weighing the most formidable HE/incendiary bomb with circular error probable (CEP) of at least 10 m. 300 kg. the FAE filler in its class”, stressed Korenkov, The fourth variant’s kit comprises “Actually, the single weapon combines three a pulsed ramjet engine in addition to the Oldie goldies functions – powerful explosive effect exceeding glide-and-guide module and guidance However, foreign air forces, including that of HE bombs of the same weight by an package and will have a range of 80–100 km. those of South Asian countries, may also average of 60 per cent, fragmentation effect Upgraded bombs in the ‘glide-and-guide take interest in such traditional air-launched (high-speed fragments) and incendiary effect”. module + INS/GPS’ and ‘glide-and-guide weapons as the ODAB-500PMV fuel-air Since the bomb can be used against military module + INS/GPS + engine’ configurations explosive (FAE) and OFZAB-500 industrial installations, infrastructure and gain new characteristics turning them into HE/fragmentation/incendiary bombs. materiel on the battlefield, the OFZAB-500 full-fledged standoff PGMs producing a “The ODAB-500PMV FAE bomb is an turns into a versatile weapon, in fact. It has greater bang for a far smaller buck. “An up-to-date weapon made by our company been productionised and, speaking of IAF, advantage of winged and tailkitted bombs and being in service with the Russian Air can replace a whole range of the Russian or is the payload weight totalling in the Force. We hope that it will enter the inventory foreign-made air weapons in the inventory”. neighbourhood of 70 per cent of the launch of several foreign air forces; for instance, Another promising sphere of the weight as opposed to 15–20 per cent of a we have familiarised Indian experts with it Russian-Indian cooperation may be the similar-purpose missile”, Vladimir Korenkov recently”, Bazalt Director General Vladimir reconditioning and upgrade of IAF’s assault told our correspondent. “As far as the new kit Korenkov told Take-off. “We have shown fragmentation air bombs and FAE bombs to cost is concerned, the tailkit would cost only them the ODAB-500PMV in action, and ensure their release from any altitude and by 5 to 10 times more than the bomb, which according to Indian experts, the bomb is the any carriers, including combat helicopters.

www.bazalt.ru

34 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | news Yak-130 clears another test phase

The Interfax-AVN news agency reported on 12 January that the Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced combat trainer had completed another phase of its official trials, under which its basic weapons suite was tested. The latter is made up of R-73 air-to-air missiles, 80mm aerial rockets, a total of 3,000 kg of air bombs 50 to 500 kg in calibre and the 23mm GSh-23 auto- matic gun in UPK-23-250 gun pod. The trials took place in the State Flight Test Centre (GLITs) of the Russian Defence Ministry in Akhtubinsk, and involved the three existing examples

of the aircraft – No. 01, 02 and 04. Sergey Kuznetsov

Yak-130 No. 04 was assembled by the basic aircraft for Russian Air the Sokol aircraft plant in Nizhny Force pilots to train on. RusAF has Novgorod and flown for the first time ordered a 12-ship batch, which con- last July. It has been flown in GLITs struction by Sokol is under way. since early autumn 2008. Concurrently, the Irkut According to Interfax-AVN, the Corporation’s aircraft plant in the three Yak-130s logged about 240 city of Irkutsk (Irkut being the par- test sorties in 2008. The Yak-130 ent company to the Yakovlev design official test programme is slated to bureau as well) is launching full-rate be completed by late 2009, after production of aircraft of the type which deliveries of production air- for export. Irkut is fulfilling the first craft may start. As is known, April contract for 16 Yak-130s for the

Sergey Kuznetsov 2002 saw the Yak-130 selected as Algerian Air Force. A.F. Su-25 upgrade goes on in Kubinka

6 December 2008 saw the first the plant teamed up with Sukhoi Test Centre (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk. same year. However, actually, the flight of the first upgraded Sukhoi Attack Aircraft to upgrade Su-25s Based on the results produced by first six Su-25SMs came to RusAF’s Su-25UBM twin-seat attack aircraft in the combat units’ inventory to the tests, the set of improvements combat unit, an attack aircraft regi- combat trainer at the airfield of enhance their tactical performance was approved for the so-called ment in Budyonnovsk, some time the 121st Aircraft Repair Plant in and efficiency. The first Su-25SM series upgrade of Su-25s in service later – in mid-2007 – following the Kubinka, Moscow Region. The air- was upgraded in Kubinka in March with the Russian Air Force. In 2007, full set of acceptance tests. In 2007, craft was piloted by Sukhoi test pilots 2002, which was a milestone heav- two of the four Su-25SM prototypes the plant upgraded six more attack Igor Votintsev and Taras Artsebarsky. ily influencing the plant’s production were transferred to the RusAF’s aircraft that were transferred to the The 121st Aircraft Repair Plant had programme for years to come. Combat and Conversion Training air regiment in Budyonnovsk too. upgraded the warplane in coopera- The modernisation of RusAF’s Centre (CCTC) in Lipetsk. Last year, the plant assembled tion with the Sukhoi Attack Aircraft Su-25 attack aircraft to Su-25SM During 2006, the 121st plant and delivered four aircraft more, company led by Su-25 chief design- standard allows an increase in the assembled six early ‘series-upgrad- bringing their total number to 20. er Vladimir Babak. The cooperation number of the types of weapons ed Su-25SM attack aircraft that were There are several more aircraft in its has born fruit: the plant in Kubinka carried, implementation of advanced delivered to the Russian Air Force in workshops, with the work on them has upgraded 20 Su-25 single-seat tactical employment modes and a ceremony in December of the being under way. A.K. attack aircraft for the Russian Air complex variants of loading organic Force over the past three years. The weapons, an increase in the payload conversion of the attack aircraft up to 5 t, an improve of the cockpit regiments to the upgraded aircraft management environment through continues. introducing a colour multifunction The 121st plant launched the display (MFD), etc. overhaul of the Su-25 attack aircraft During 2002–04, the 121st plant in 1999. Since then, it has over- assembled four Su-25SM proto- hauled more than 50 Su-25s in vari- types that kicked off their tests at

ous variants. In addition to overhaul, the Defence Ministry State Flight Andrey Kozhemyakin

www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 35 civil aviation | news Two Sukhoi SuperJets under certification tests Yuri Kabernik Yuri

On 24 December 2008, a wide range of tests to gauge problem to airline pilots”, the SCAC had logged 2,300 flight hours during Komsomolsk-on-Amur saw the their flight and takeoff/landing senior test pilot commented on the their flight and ground tests. maiden flight of the second Sukhoi performance, stability and early results of the flight tests. The second phase of the SaM146 SuperJet 100 prototype (No. 95003). controllability, and operation of Sukhoi Director General Mikhail flight trials on board the Il-76LL The aircraft took off from KnAAPO’s the powerplant and basic systems Pogosyan told the media during flying testbed kicked off at Gromov airfield and landed safely, having as well. The two also are to be a news conference on New Year’s LII flight test institute’s airfield in completed a 2 hr 30 min flight used for high/low temperature and eve that the third SuperJet flying Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, on 19 at an altitude of 6,000 m. In line mountainous environment operation prototype was slated for entering December 2008. “The test phase is with the mission assigned, the tests. the test programme in the early to involve 150 flying hours”, said aircraft completed the traditional By early this year, the SuperJet’s second quarter of 2009, with the NPO Saturn’s SaM146 programme stability and controllability check first flying prototype had logged last prototype, the fourth one, to director and PowerJet vice-president and checked the operability of all more than 200 flying hours. “We follow suit in mid-summer. The Yuri Basyuk. “The flights will test a aircraft systems. The Sukhoi Civil have done quite a job since May company still hopes for wrapping FADEC software version and prepare Aircraft Company (SCAC) crew of when the first aircraft flew for the up the certification tests by late it for certification. This is the key test pilots Leonid Chikunov (crew first time”, says SCAC senior test 2009 to launch deliveries of early objective of this stage of the trials”. commander) and Nikolay Pushenko pilot Alexander Yablontsev. production-standard aircraft in early In line with the decision by the flew the plane. “During the trials, we, test pilots, 2010. Snecma company to expedite the “Having tested the first flying also test the aircraft in modes rarely According to the 23 January official development and slash its costs, the prototype in various modes, encountered by airline pilots. We press release by Russian-French SaM146’s Il-76LL flying testbed tests we have introduced a number of ought to make certain that the joint venture PowerJet in charge will continue at Gromov LII without modifications to the software of aircraft will retain controllability of development and production of the plane’s previously planned SSJ100 No. 95003”, SCAC test pilot in critical situations. In November, powerplant for Sukhoi SuperJet, two ferry flight to the city of Istre where Leonid Chikunov said. “Today, the we conducted the first stage of SaM146 engines to fit the third flying Snecma’s test facility is situated. aircraft has shown excellent stability stalling and high-alpha tests along prototype are to be shipped in March According to an official statement and controllability on its maiden with the testing of the systems and or April 2009 and another two to by an NPO Saturn spokesperson, the flight owing to the improvements flight performance. I would like power the fourth flying prototype in EASA certification of the SaM146 made. Flight test engineers and to emphasise that the aircraft is June or July 2009. When the press engine is slated for September we are pleased with the results very predictable and will cause no release went to press, the SaM146s 2009. A.F. produced by the second SSJ100 flying prototype. The aircraft have completed the flight mission with success, and I expect it to join the certification test programme”. According to official statements by SCAC, the first two Sukhoi SuperJets – No. 95001 that flew its maiden mission on 19 May 2008 and No. 95003 – are together looking at as many as 398 certification sorties. These are the bulk of certification flights, during which both aircraft fitted with the integrated airborne

measuring system are to undergo KnAAPO

36 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | results Andrey Fomin

IN THE RUN-UP TO RECOVERY Russian civil aircraft industry in 2008 Andrey FOMIN

By tradition, early in the year we analyse to that, the fact is that the advanced civil the basic results produced by the aircraft output and deliveries have not Domestic market Russian aircraft industry in making and improved substantially and the Russian In 2008, Russian air carriers took delivery selling airliners and transport aircraft in aircraft industry built in 2008 mere of six new domestically-developed airliners – the previous year. The establishment of 13 new planes (including two SSJ100 five Tupolev Tu-204s from Ulyanovsk-based the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) prototypes), of which only six have been Aviastar-SP plant and a Tu-214 from and forming its range of models as delivered to Russian customers. At the Kazan-based KAPO plant. All of them well as several recent contracts and same time, Russian carriers kept on were brand-new, assembled and test-flown agreements signed with Russian and snapping up foreign airliners abroad. last year. Ilyushin Finance Co. paid for the foreign customers served the reason for Last year, they bought a record number manufacture of the five Ulyanovsk-built hoping for a considerable improvement of foreign-made planes – a hundred! in this field starting from 2008. There 19 of them are brand-new right from planes. The five included two Tu-204-300s really were reasons for such hopes: the assembly lines. This is thrice as delivered to Avia and three of UAC’s production plan was approved many as the domestic aircraft industry the six Tu-204-100Bs ordered in 2007 by two years ago, under which over managed to offer in 2008. Airlines 400 operating under the Red Wings 400 passenger and cargo planes were What’s up? Maybe, it is time to harbour brand name. The fourth airliner was built for to be made within five years; the major illusions and give up the production of the Red Wings very late last year, so its delivery Russian leasing company, Ilyushin passenger aircraft in Russia? I hope it was put off to early 2009. Finance Co. (IFC), awarded several major is premature. Last year revealed some The only Tu-214 delivered by KAPO in orders to Russian aircraft manufacturers positive trends, albeit timid ones. The 2008 went to . It became the second for the new Il-96, Tu-204 and An-148 aircraft industry managed to deliver of ten Tu-214s being leased to the carrier by airliners; and the delivery of the early six new airliners of the Tu-204/214 Finance Leasing Company (FLC) under the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 advanced regional family following a long lull, the Sukhoi 2005 contract. In addition, KAPO last year jet promised by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft SuperJet 100 kicked off its certification built and mostly tested the first Tu-214SR already in 2008 were anticipated. test programme and some progress was However, last year’s results indicate made in exporting Russian civil aircraft, special aircraft ordered by the Administrative that, unfortunately, it would be a bit with new prospects cropping up. Let us Office of the Russian president. It is slated for premature to say that the Russian not lose heart and let us see what the delivery in early 2009. commercial aircraft makers have passed Russian aircraft industry managed to The civil airliners built in 2008 include the turning point. Although there have accomplish last year and what can be the second Ilyushin Il-96-400T long-haul been objective and subjective reasons expected from it in the near future. cargo plane made by the VASO in Voronezh.

38 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | results

New Il-96-300 and Il-96-400T airliners in the assembly hall of the VASO plant, June 2008. It completed its maiden flight, powered by advanced PS-90A1 turbofan engines and fitted with upgraded avionics, last spring. However, VASO was unable to deliver the Il-96-400T along with another one assembled a year before. Both aircraft were built in Voronezh under the IFC-awarded contract and designed for Atlant-Soyuz airline. However, by the middle of last year, the carrier had reconsidered its cargo business development programme, having postponed its Il-96-400T operations indefinitely. Nonetheless, there was a new customer, Cargo, willing to buy the new aircraft (by the way, IAC’s Aircraft Registry issued the Il-96-400T with the type certificate in May 2008). One of the Ilyushins was quickly given the paintjob of the cargo subsidiary of the Russia’s flag carrier, and the acceptance procedure kicked off in Voronezh in September, but the situation changed yet again, and Aeroflot Cargo has not accepted the two Il-96-400Ts ready for service for a long time. Nevertheless, Alexander Rubtsov, head of IFC, told the media during his traditional pre-New Year news conference that if the Alexey Mikheyev Alexey disagreements between IFC and Aeroflot Cargo would not have been resolved, the aircraft would enter service this spring anyway with some other carrier, because, says Rubtsov, there have been other customers interested in them. The same goes for the third Il-96-400T, which completion has been put off till early in 2009. VASO was going to deliver one more Red Wings’ Tu-204-100B: in 2008 Aviastar plant delivered four such aircraft to the airline aircraft last year – another Il-96-300 for the Russian president’s Administrative Office Marina Lystseva

Sukhoi SuperJet 100 prototypes in the assembly hall of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, May 2008 www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 39 civil aviation | results Russian airliners production and deliveries in 2008 Production Leasing First flight Airctaft type Customer Registration c/n Delivery date plant company date

Il-96-400T RA-96102 0102 14.08.2007 (2009) Mikheyev Alexey Il-96-400T Aeroflot Cargo* IFC RA-96101 0101 03.2008 (2009) VASO Il-96-400T RA-96103 0103 – (2009) Il-96-300 Rossiya IFC RA-96019 019 – (2009) An-148-100B Rossiya IFC n.d.a. 4003 – (2009) Tu-204-300 RA-64044 64044 06.2008 12.07.2008 Vladivistik Avia IFC Tu-204-300 RA-64045 64045 29.07.2008 16.08.2008 Tu-204-100B RA-64043 64043 03.2008 13.08.2008 Tu-204-100B RA-64046 64046 09.2008 29.10.2008 Red Wings IFC Tu-204-100B RA-64047 64047 11.2008 12.12.2008 Aviastar Tu-204-100B RA-64049 64049 25.12.2008 (2009) Tu-204-120CE B-2871 64030 14.05.2006 27.10.2008 Air Cargo – Tu-204-120CE B-2872 64031 – (2009) Cubana Aviacion Tu-204CE IFC CU-C1703 64037 2008 (2009) Tu-214 Transaero FLC RA-64549 013 16.08.2008 28.11.2008 KAPO Tu-214SR Rossiya – RA-64515 015 27.04.2008 (2009) Tu-154M Russian MoD – n.d.a. н/д – (2009) Aviakor An-140-100 Yakutiya FLC RA-41252 003 – (2009) Irkut Be-200ChS Azeri EMERCOM – FHN-10201 02-03 06.2007 25.04.2008 SSJ100 SCAC** – 97001 95001 19.05.2008 – Sukhoi SSJ100 SCAC** – 95003 95003 24.12.2008 – Il-76TD-90SW Silk Way – 4K-AZ101 93-09 15.05.2008 10.07.2008 TAPC Il-114-100 UK-91105 02-05 29.08.2006 17.08.2008 Uzavialeasing Il-114-100 Airways UK-91106 02-06 2007 15.09.2008 The table contains information about all new airliners (with seating capacity not less than 15 pax) and cargo planes of Russian origin, produced and/or delivered by Russia’s and Uzbekistan’s aircraft industry in 2008. Those aircraft which assembly was completed in whole by the year end but first flight was moved to 2009 also included Export orders marked with yellow * the customer may be changed ** prototype for certification tests programme expected to fly the flag of the Rossiya airline. However, its completion and acceptance flight were postponed for early 2009 too. The same goes for the lead An-148-100B, which rollout slipped to the first quarter of 2009. Mikheyev Alexey A similar situation is at Russia’s third aircraft manufacturer, -based Aviakor plant, that is not part of the UAC. It sold no new aircraft on the domestic market in 2008, and the rollout of the third An-140-100 for the Yakutiya airline under the contract from FLC was postponed for the beginning of this year. The Tashkent Aircraft Production Corp. (TAPC), which is foreign but gearing up for joining UAC, did not sell aircraft on the Russian market last year either. Last year VASO plant and IFC leasing company failed to deliver any Il-96 aircraft. The second The main result of 2008 in building Russian Il-96-400T freighter (RA-96101) built in 2008 is shown here in Atlant-Soyuz colours which later decided to suspend its order civil aircraft for Russian carriers is the obvious success of Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar that made as many as six new Tu-204 aircraft in on 8 October 2008, the Tu-204-120CE had the second China-destined Tu-204-120CE has a calendar year (even seven, considering the been the first of Russian aircraft to complete long been ready in Ulyanovsk and even painted transport plane built for Cuba). This is the the certification under the EASA rules, having in the customer’s colour scheme, but it still factory’s record since the Tu-204 full-rate been issued its type certificate. Before that, it has been awaiting the delivery of British-made production was launched in Ulyanovsk as had been certificated by the Aircraft Registry of engines and avionics by Sirocco. far back as 1990. In the later half of 2008, IAC and Chinese aviation authorities. Egyptian In 2008, Aviastar completed and submitted Aviastar reached an average output rate of an company Sirocco ordered five Tu-204-120CE for trials another Tupolev transport designed aircraft per month, which is the reason for freighters for China as far back as September for export – the Tu-204CE built for Cubana some optimism. 2001, and the aircraft shipped to China last Aviacion on order from IFC. The aircraft is to October was built in Ulyanovsk and entered be ferried to the Island of Freedom this year. Russian airliners for export its trials in May 2006. Last year, we called The Beriev Be-200ChS multirole amphibian Probably, the main export success made the procrastination of its acceptance by the delivered to the Azeri Emergencies Ministry by the Russian civil aircraft makers last year customer a major failure of 2007. Finally, the in April made its debut on the global market. was the long-awaited delivery of the lead Sirocco-PRC programme has been given a real The aircraft was manufactured by the Irkutsk Tu-204-120CE freighter to Chinese airline Air impetus for further development, and there are Aircraft Plant of Irkut Corp. in June 2007. China Cargo. This happened in Ulyanovsk in reasons for hoping that the rest of them will A few words are due about the progress late October. Less than three weeks before that, soon follow the first aircraft. The airframe of made by the Uzbek aircraft manufacturer.

40 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | results

under the contract in August and September, though they were made in 2006 and 2007 respectively. Summing up the results and failures produced last year, it is the fact that the 2008 output of Russian-made aircraft for foreign customers accounted only for two aircraft, with one of them made in Uzbekistan, to boot. This is twice as little as a year before. The actual exports proved to be higher, totalling five planes as it was in 2007.

To-do list for this year Despite UAC has published no official plans for this year yet, one can outline what can be expected from the Russian commercial aircraft industry in 2009 and several subsequent years, based on press reports about current and brewing contracts and on the statements by plant and leasing company leaders about the production plans of specific manufacturers.

Aviastar is gearing up for making and delivering up to 11 Tupolev Tu-204 aircraft in 2009. The number may include about Tu-214 (RA-64549) of Transaero airlines became the only airplane delivered to the customer by KAPO plant in 2008 eight airliners, which construction is being funded by IFC – the last three Tu-204-100Bs for Red Wings under the 2007 contract, two Last year, TAPC built, tested and delivered Tu-204-100CB freighters for Volga-Dnepr, to Azeri carrier Silk Way the second of three another Tu-204CE transport for Cubana upgraded Ilyushin Il-76TD-90SW transports Aviacion and several more Tu-204-100Bs for ordered in 2005 and powered by advanced Red Wings under a new deal. In addition, Perm Motors PS-90A-76 engines. In addition, IFC’s Alexander Rubtsov and UAC’s Alexey the Tashkent-based manufacturer resumed Fyodorov signed on 15 July 2008 a contract deliveries of Ilyushin Il-114-100 regional on the leasing company’s 2010–12 acquisition turboprop planes to Uzbekistan’s flag carrier. of a total of 31 advanced, heavily upgraded Under the contract made in 2007, TAPC is Tu-204-100SM aircraft with the total list price to deliver six aircraft, powered by Canadian of about $1.5 billion. powerplant of two PW-127H engines and The near-term export segment of Aviastar’s the advanced TsPNK-114M avionics suite operations may include the completion using Rockwell Collins avionics. Uzbekistan of the delivery of the five Tu-204-120CE airways took delivery of the first two aircraft cargo planes to China, construction of four Yury Kabernik Yury

Tu-204-300 (RA-64045) became one of two airliners of the type delivered in 2008 by Aviastar plant to Vladivostok Avia www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 41 civil aviation | results

Tu-204-100E airliners for Syria and five year keep on making Tupolev Tu-214-family will have built six more An-140-100s and Tu-204-100SMs for Iran. The latter deal is aircraft for commercial and governmental have delivered them to Yakutiya on order very important to the plant, leasing company customers in addition to its work in support from the VEB-Leasing company before 2011. and UAC as a whole because it may pave the of governmental defence procurement. The As for the Tu-154M, Aviakor will focus its way to a large-scale programme on delivering plan for 2009 makes provision for delivery of efforts in this field on completing the current Tu-204-100SMs to Iran and launching the at least four new Tu-214s that may include backlog ordered by the Defence Ministry and type’s licence production of up to a hundred another two airliners for Transaero and two overhauling earlier-built aircraft. aircraft there. Tu-214SR communications relay aircraft Another of Aviastar’s key programmes for the Administrative Office of the Russian Sukhoi will focus its efforts in the civil aircraft is soon to become construction of Ilyushin President. In addition, KAPO will continue sphere in the near term on production of the Il-76 transports in various versions, so-called to make other special versions of the Tu-214 future Sukhoi SuperJet 100 regional jet. Final Project 476. The decision on shifting the for the presidential Administrative Office. assembly and flight tests are being handled Il-76 production from Tashkent to Ulyanovsk According to KAPO Director General Vasil by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur-based affiliate was taken in 2006, so this year will see the Kayumov who spoke with the media on of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) continued work on productionising the Il-76 11 November, there are “over 15 Tu-214 while production and supply of airframe by Aviastar. aircraft in various versions and various stages components by the KnAAPO and NAPO Finally, a few words about another of completeness at the plant and there is a production plants in Komsomolsk-on-Amur programme that may be implemented in preliminary agreement for five more”. and Novosibirsk respectively, the two Ulyanovsk in the coming decade. Last year, KAPO also will keep on productionising being subsidiaries of the Sukhoi company. UAC decided that Aviastar would take over the Tupolev Tu-334 short-haul airliner. In addition, the cooperation programme the future production of the MTA (Il-214) Airframe assemblies of its third flying example involves VASO supplying composite parts. medium transport aircraft from the Irkut were brought to Kazan from MiG Corp.’s In 2009, SCAC is to assemble and submit Corp.’s Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, with the MTA plant in Lukhovitsy as far back as 2007, for trials two more SSJ100 prototypes and to be co-developed by Russia and India. and it is possible that the aircraft will have the early production-standard planes, which flown before year-end. Last summer, a KAPO components KnAAPO and NAPO started VASO plans to deliver as many as six to spokesperson said the first production Tu-334 making as far back as last year. To date, SCAC seven planes of the Ilyushin Il-96 family this could be made in 2010. has had 98 firm orders for SSJ100s from year, including two Il-96-400T freighters built Russian and foreign customers. earlier but undelivered due to disagreements Aviakor makes two types of aircraft now with the customer, another aircraft like that – the medium-haul Tupolev Tu-154M and Irkut has specialised only in the Beriev slated for completion by this spring and regional Antonov An-140-100. While the Be-200 multirole amphibian until recently as the Il-96-300 being built on order from Tu-154M’s production is nearing its end far as civil aircraft production is concerned. the Administrative Office of the Russian (there is a backlog of three airframes and Under the current contract with the Russian president. In addition, the plant is retrofitting several more planes in the form of individual Emergencies Ministry on seven Be-200ChS two Il-96-300s made in 2004 and previously assemblies; once they have been completed, amphibians, Irkut is to deliver three more operated by the KrasAir airline. They will be delivered to Venezuela in late 2009 or early 2010 after their passenger cabins and avionics have been improved. Another of VASO’s most important programmes in the coming years is to be the full-scale production of the new Antonov An-148-100 regional airliner. The rollout of the lead VASO-made An-148 is expected in the first quarter of 2009, with four aircraft planned for production this year. The Rossiya carrier is the launch customer for VASO-built An-148s, having ordered six aircraft, with TAPC-built Ilyushin Il-114-100 (UK-91105) became the first an option for six more. In addition, IFC of six upgraded turboprops ordered by Uzbekistan Airway, its delivery took place in August 2008 landed contracts for 10 aircraft from the Mikheyev Alexey Polyot company and for the same number from the Moskovia carrier. As is known, IFC and VASO went into an agreement in 2007 the Tu-154M production will be discontinued), on the construction of the first 34 production the plant still have not succeeded in putting An-148-100s. the more promising An-140 programme on In 2009, VASO also is going to launch track yet. In 2008, the Samara-based plant construction of the early prototypes of the failed to complete the third An-140-100 for future Ilyushin Il-112V light transport. The the Yakutiya air carrier, with the delivery first Il-112V prototype may be ready for flight slipping to early 2009. The aircraft will be tests next year. the last one received by the carrier from FLC under the 2005 contract. However, Yakutiya KAPO, which completed its going public plans to continue to buy An-140s. Under in 2008 and is to join UAC soon, will this the 10 December 2008 agreement, Aviakor

42 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | results

The first Beriev Be-200ChS exported ever: in April 2008 it was delivered to Azeri EMERCOM Beriev company aircraft. The Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is the latter supposed to enter production by the Two of them were delivered last year, and building two Be-200ChS now. The degree middle of next decade. the remaining four will be shipped to the of completion of one of them is rather high, customer in 2009–10. In addition, since last and it will be delivered in 2009. The other TAPC is not part of the Russian aircraft year, a new Russian leasing company, Russian will become the last Be-200 made in Irkutsk. industry, but its plans of joining UAC were Aeroplanes, has been aggressively promoting Since 2010, the production will be taken over announced in 2007. The plant mostly builds the Il-114-100 on the domestic and foreign by Taganrog-based TAVIA in cooperation with all versions of the Ilyushin Il-76 freighters and markets, having awarded TAPC an order Beriev company, while the plant in Irkutsk will Il-114 regional turboprops. Both are part of for the first three aircraft of the type during retain the production of wings and some other the product line of UAC. The Uzbek aircraft 2009–10. The first upgraded Il-114-300 components only. The decision on moving maker’s current contracts include the ones powered by Russian-made TV7-117SM engines the Be-200 production was taken because for three more Il-76TD-90VD upgrades for and equipped with an upgraded avionics suite the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant was going to have Russian carrier Volga-Dnepr and for the third is to be built in Tashkent in 2009 as well. its hands full with work under military export Il-76TD-90SW ordered by Azeri airline Silk contracts soon and with manufacturing the Way. The plant also have the contract for six Forecast 2009 advanced MS-21 short/medium-haul airliner, Il-114-100s, awarded by Uzbekistan Airways. Analysing the current orders and the actual capabilities of the Russian production plants, let us try to forecast the feasible volume of production of Russian civil aircraft in 2009. Except for prototypes, let us hope that the aircraft industry will be able to make at least 30 airliners this year. This would be three times as many as was built in 2008. There are reasons for such a projection: if the global crisis does not result in unforeseen catastrophic consequences in economy, major Russian aircraft manufacturers (Aviastar, VASO, KAPO) will be able to meet their annual Il-96 and Tu-204/214 production and sales targets set forth in 2007. Therefore, these aircraft alone may number almost 20. If this forecast comes true, in a year, we will be able to speak not about “another very little step forward”, but about a more solid manifestation of positive dynamics of the results. Until then, let us be Tu-204-100B (RA-64047) of the Red Wings carrier entered service in December 2008 patient and keep an eye on what is going on at

Alaxey Mikheyev Alaxey the Russia’s plants. www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 43 industry | interview TIKHOMIROV’S RADARS: from phased array to AESA Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely Mr. Bely, could you please tell us how are the given the active phased array advances achieved trials of the Irbis-E phased array radar? under the fifth-generation fighter programme. The programme is going with a swing. We IAF is pondering our proposals, and we hope continue to fly the Su-30MK2 flying testbed that it will soon decide on how the Bars should with an Irbis-E prototype that has a 1kW emit- be updated. ter. We have been doing that for almost a year Now we have reached the name of the game – and a half, having proven most of the radar’s the programme on the active electronically basic characteristics and having tested most of scanned array (AESA) radar. Just over a year ago, the operating modes, e.g. the multirole lookup, at the MAKS 2007 air show, Tikhomirov-NIIP long-range acquisition and low-, medium- and unveiled full-scale elements of prototypes of high-resolution lookdown modes. In addition, active phased arrays. As is known, your institute we have made a set of radar units, including 5kW is the prime contractor for developing the AESA emitter that is undergoing lab tests slated to wrap multifunction radio-electronic system to fit the up this year. fifth-generation aircraft. What has been achieved In addition, we have made two complete in this field? A key component of formidable radar sets for installation on Su-35 prototypes. The programme is on schedule under the combat capabilities of advanced The first of them lab-tested in house and then contract we signed with Sukhoi. Under the fighters is the sophisticated fire by KnAAPO has been mounted on the second schedule, the first full-scale adjusted AESA control system wrapped around Su-35 flying prototype. We will turn it on when fitted with the complete set of transmit-re- an efficient radar. All Sukhoi the time comes for the radar system flight trials. ceive (T-R) modules was placed on the rig in Su-27/Su-30 family fighters – both A vehicular check and repair station has been November last year for mating with the rest exported and in service with the developed in support of the Irbis-E’s tests on units of the radar. The first array has been Russian Air Force – are fitted with the Su-35, so we will start flying a real aircraft assembled, completed and handed over for fire control systems developed carrying the complete Irbis-E set soon. The adjustment. The Istok company has launched second set for the next prototype has been the production of T-R modules based on by the Tikhomirov-NIIP research made, checked and accepted, too, and soon will monolithic microcircuits. The second array institute. Tikhomirov-NIIP became a be mounted. Thus, the Irbis-E test programme is being fitted with parts and modules, and pioneer in developing phased-array is in full swing, and the radar will have been radars. Its first airborne developed fully by the time the Su-35 is ready phased-array radar debuted on the for full-rate production. MiG-31 interceptor, and starting Are there any improvements planned for with the Su-30MKI these radars the Irbis-E’s predecessor, the Bars fitting the have been equipping Sukhoi Su-30MKI-family fighters? Is there any future fighters. Last year, the advanced for its further development? Su-35 multirole fighter entered There still is room for improvement. Take the trials, with Tikhomirov-NIIP for instance the Su-30MKI. The current Bars variant has undergone evaluation tests on developing the Irbis-E passive Su-30MKIs in India, proving that all glitch- phased array radar – the most es had been ironed out. Now, the Indian Air refined in its class – to fit it. As Force has raised the question – is it reason- far as the future fifth-generation able to license-produce all of 140 aircraft under fighter is concerned, the company the programme through 2014 in the variant is developing its first active approved as far back as the late ‘90s? Therefore, electronically scanned array radar they suggest an upgrade of the Bars in the course (AESA). To learn the status of of the licence production, including introduc- the programmes, Take-off's editor tion of the AESA. We have devised proposals of Andrey Fomin met Tikhomirov-NIIP our own, providing for a two-stage upgrade. At Stage 1, the Bars will retain the passive phased

Director General Yuri Bely who Yerokhin Yevgeny array but the radar’s performance and operat- was kind enough to grant us an ing modes will be beefed up. At Stage 2, it will Irbis-E phased array radar onboard Sukhoi Su-35 fighter prototype at MAKS 2007 airshow interview. be possible to equip the Bars with the AESA,

44 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru industry | interview

the third one has just entered the process. Bars phased array radar now Thus, three arrays are in production now. under series production for Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Su-30MKM They will be tested subsequently. AESA is to and Su-30MKA fighters being be fitted to one of the fifth-generation aircraft delivered to India, and prototypes under construction by KnAAPO, Algeria. License assembly of with its flight tests to kick off in 2010. Today, Bars radars is now developing in India, and Tikhomirov-NIIP is I can say that all technical problems pertain- working on its further upgrade ing to developing and making T-R modules have been resolved. Now, we are working on the radar as a whole, handling such issues as cooling, mating, beam control, etc., but again everything is being done on schedule. As the tests go, we will beef the radar system’s composition gradually first on test benches, then onboard aircraft, achieving the system’s complete set stipulated by the specification requirement in the end. How long may the full cycle of the AESA tests take? As is known, developing an up-to-date radar takes about five to seven years.

Starting with 2008 when the real trials of Andrey Fomin the equipment has begun, our system is to be ready for service entry about 2014–15. already abandoned, say, in Europe. Just like remain but the array’s diameter will be dimin- The similar situation is abroad: even the us, the Americans develop their AESA using ished. This problem is not scientific, rather AESA radar of the F-22, which has entered monolithic microcircuits with the possibility a design one. Then, the productionised T-R service a rather long time ago, has sev- of enhancing the degree of their integration modules can be used in the radars operated, say, eral operating modes that have not been and switching further down the road to what is by surface-to-air missile systems. So, the more refined yet. In this connection, I have got called ‘smart skin’, i.e. the arrangement, under applications for proven technologies, the bet- to mention that Tikhomirov-NIIP has a which T-R modules can be placed anywhere ter. While in the past, we needed to set up and wealth of experience in phased arrays. The onboard the aircraft to generate the relevant launch T-R modules production facilities, now Americans skipped the passive phased array radiation field. Thus, we are at the cutting edge a reverse problem may crop up, like, production stage and went right from slotted arrays to of global AESA development. is in full swing, while consumption is low. The AESA at once, while we are well versed in Could the technologies emerging from the cost of modules can be affordable only in case passive phased arrays, having developing AESA development under this programme be their production is on a large scale. them for about 40 years (we maintain that used in the future for developing radars to fit What do you think about room for both phased the AESA differs from the passive one, other aircraft and other materiel whatsoever? array lines – active and passive ones – in the essentially, in the emitter technology, while Certainly. For instance, sooner or later, future? Or will the advent of AESA doom pas- we take the mathematical modelling tools there will be the question raised of developing sive ones? from phased arrays well known to us). This light fifth-generation fighter or fitting upgrad- I believe each line will have a niche of its own gives us considerable advantages, including ed Generation 4+, 4++ fighters with AESA in the near future, at the least. AESA may oust those in development time. Nobody else radars. In such a case, instead of reinventing passive phased arrays only if their electronic throughout the world has the expertise in the wheel, it is better to use proven technologies componentry becomes very cheap. So far, at the phased array we have! while keeping the manufacturers busy at the current level of technological sophistication, You are certainly abreast of the AESA pro- same time, because the larger the scale of T-R the costs of active and passive phased arrays are grammes both in Russia and abroad. Would you module production, the less their cost. In this unlike as chalk and cheese. Thus, it is a bit too name some features of your programme setting it case, the problem boils down to scaling – the soon for passive phased arrays to become a thing apart from others? What are its advantages? very same technologies and components will of the past. Well, it is hard to compare ours with what the Americans have developed, because actual, rather than advertising information Fragment of the X-band AESA prototype developed by Tikhomirov-NIIP unveiled at MAKS 2007 airshow in August 2007 is scarce and we can judge only by indirect indications. Still, we believe we have been achieving characteristics that are at least on a par with those of the F-22’s and F-35’s radars and superior to them in some respects. As far as other Russian developers’ programmes, the principal difference between our design and theirs lies in technology. We use the monolithic microwave microcircuit technologies that are at the cutting edge now throughout the world, while our domestic colleagues rely on the

so-called hybrid technologies that have been Andrey Fomin www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 45 commercial industry | company IVCHENKO-PROGRESS ADVANCED AERO ENGINES Fyodor MURAVCHENKO, Designer General, Doctor of Science (Engineering), Hero of Ukraine, Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine lot of the engines are currently operated in more than 100 countries worldwide, their total operating AI-450S time exceeds 300 million hours. These engines have been installed in various types of Antonov, Yakovlev, Tupolev, Ilyushin and Beriev aircraft, Kamov and Mil helicopters, as well as in aircraft developed by aircraft designers of , , China and Iran. The outstanding achievements of SE Ivchenko-Progress are: the first in the USSR turboprop engine, AI-20, featuring an assigned service life of 22,000 hours, which is installed in the aircraft of eight types, as well as in power Main data of advanced turboprop engines АI-450S АI-450S-2 АI-450S-3 АI-6500TP АI-8000TP stations, hovercrafts, etc; the AI-25 – the first in Takeoff (S/L static; ISA) the USSR turbofan engine for regional aircraft; Nprop, hp 400 700 1,000 6,500* 8,000* the D-36 – the first in the USSR three-shaft CN, kg/h/hp 0.291 0.265 0.258 0.2** 0.189** Max cruise turbofan engine with a high bypass ratio; the Nprop, hp 280 450 593 2800 3,550 D-18T – the first in the USSR turbofan engine with CN, kg/h/hp 0.290 0.266 0.26 0.171 0.163 a thrust of over 20 tons, which powers the world’s Н, m 3,000 3,000 3,000 9,000 9,000 V, km/h 250 250 250 - - largest An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mryia aircraft; Мach - - - 0.5029 0.5943 * power of propeller is given in ehp For more than 60 years Zaporozhye the D-27 – the first in the world high-efficient ** specific fuel consumption is given in kg/h/ehp Machine-Building Design Bureau Progress State propulsion propfan engine installed in the An-70 Enterprise named after Academician A.G. Ivchenko short take-off and landing military cargo aircraft. carried out on a noise reduction and improvement (SE IVCHENKO-PROGRESS) is a leading aero The mastering of new methods in gas-dynamic of ecological characteristics of the engines . engine designer. Recently SE Ivchenko-Progress calculations, design and production, and also the Today, SE Ivchenko-Progress develops a new has gained a unique experience in design and application of unique experience in engine design, generation of engines in various classes of thrust support in service of a variety of propulsion development and operation allow the enterprise and expands a nomenclature of their application. engines and APUs. to introduce a number of new projects based A family of AI-222 turbofan engines with a thrust For this period of time more than 80,000 on the world aviation evolution tendencies. A ranged from 2,200 to 4,200 kgf (afterburning engines of various types and modified versions special emphasis is put on the development of versions) to power modern combat trainers is were produced by the series production plants ultra bypass engines, as this is one of the main under development now. The advanced AI-222-25 in Ukraine, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, factors in minimising a fuel consumption per a turbofan engine with a thrust of 2,500 kgf is Poland, China and Iran. They powered more than tonne-kilometer of the carried cargo and reducing undergoing a programme of official flight testing as 30,000 aircraft, helicopters and industrial units. A aircraft take-off weight. The intensive works are installed in the Yak-130 combat trainer of Russian

AI-222-25 AI-450M

46 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru commercial industry | company

aircraft of the An-148T type and short- and medium-haul aircraft of the MS-21 type. The uprated AI-9500F turbofan engine to be used as an integral part of power plants for tactical aircraft is currently designed with implementing a great experience gained in the development of the АI-222-25, АI-222-25F and D-27 engines A latest family of turbofan engines with a high bypass ratio SPM-21 is developed now for short- and medium-haul aircraft and multirole AI-8000V Main data of advanced turboshaft engines transport aircraft with a thrust ranged from АI-450 АI-450М АI-450-2 АI-8000V АI-127 12,000 to 15,000 kgf. Takeoff (S/L static; ISA) Nprop, hp 465 400 630 7,600 11,500 CN, kg/h/hp 0.260 0.270 0.250 0.192 0.181 Max cruise (S/L static; ISA) Nprop, hp 300 285 400 5,700 6,100 CN, kg/h/hp 0.298 0.304 0.290 0.205 0.210 Emergency (S/L static; ISA) Nprop, hp 550 400* 720 8,000 14,500 * power of propeller is flat rated up to tamb=tamb ISA+35°C

Federation, and its modified version designated the AI-222-25F turbofan engine featuring a thrust of 4,200 kgf at afterburning power for advanced trainers is under bench testing now. A development Main data of advanced turbofan engines batch of the AI-222-25 engines are manufactured AI-9500F АI-450BP(-2) АI-222-40 АI-9500F АI-727 (М) SPM-21 in cooperation with Motor Sich JSC (Ukraine) and Takeoff (S/L static; ISA) MMPP Salut (Russian Federation), and extensive R, kgf 409 (560) 3,500 9,5001 10,000 3 (11,000) 13,220 activities on preparation for quantity production are Turbo Finist SM-92T types, modified versions of CR, 0.37 0.381 1.81 0.257 0.274 carried out at these plants. A technical proposal for the AI-450BP (409 kgf) and AI-450BP-2 (560 kgf) kg/h/kgf (0.243) Cruise 2 the AI-222-40 turbofan engine with a thrust ranged turbofan engines for light multi-purpose aircraft R, kgf 105 (150) 840 1,200 2,200 3 (2,300)2 2,000 from 3,500 to 4,150 kgf for commercial aircraft and UAVs are currently under designing. 2 CR, 0.540 5 has been studied as based on the baseline engine The Company’s specialists designed a unique kg/h/kgf 0.65 0.630 0.93 (0.534)2 0.543 Н, m 11,000 12,000 11,000 11,000 11,890 core. A development of turboprop and turboshaft D-27 propfan engine, rated at a maximum power Мach 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 versions ranged from 7,000 to 8,000 hp for new of 14,000 ehp, which is currently under official 1 is maintained up to tamb= tamb+30°C at full afterburning power 2 is maintained up to temperature of tamb= tamb+10°C aircraft is studied now. bench and flight testing as installed in the An-70 3 low fuel calorific value is 10,300 kcal/kg A small-size AI-450 engine rated at a power of STOL military airlifter. On its basis a family of 4 inlet=0.98; Gbleed=2,291 kg/h; N=77 кW 5 =0.995; G =1,799 kg/h; N=73 кW 465 hp has been already developed for powering the AI-727 turbofan engines with ultra-high inlet bleed Ka-226 helicopter. A development batch of these bypass ratio (nearly 13) and thrust ranged from Today, the Company looks with confidence engines is manufactured together with Motor 10,000 to 11,500 kgf fitted with a wide-chord in the future, it has everything to be one Sich JSC (Ukraine), and preparation for a quantity noiseless fan driven by a reduction gear is under of the world leaders in the development of production is under way now. On the basis of development for the new generation of transport modern engines featuring a high service this engine a modified 400hp version designated life and perfect ecological characteristics. It AI-450M with output shaft intended to power has its own designing and scientific school, Mi-2M and uprated version AI-450-2 (630–730 hp) SE IVCHENKO-PROGRESS collective staff of highly skilled specialists, for Ansat-type helicopters, turboprop versions of 2, Ivanova Str., 69068, Zaporozhye, Ukraine powerful production and experimental the AI-450S (400 hp) and AI-450S-2 (630–730 hp) Tel.: +38 (0612) 65-03-27 facilities, splendid resource base, and, a lot for light aircraft of Yak-18, Yak-152, SA-20P, Fax :+38 (0612) 65-46-97, 12-89-22 of advanced developments. E-mail: [email protected] AI-222-25F www.ivchenko-progress.com D-27

www.take-off.ru take-off february 2009 47 industry | results

JSC “558 Aircraft Repair Plant”

558 Aircraft Repair Plant is a powerful enterprise engaged in overhaul and upgrade of modern combat aviation materiel by the orders of Belarusian Air Force and many other foreign countries. “558 ARP” is overhauling Su-17 (22), Su-25, Su-27, MiG-29 aircraft and all versions of Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters. The enterprise performs full cycle of overhaul on the airframe and all component items. During overhaul, special attention is paid to fault detection with the use of up-to-date techniques of non-destructive control: magnet, eddy-current, resonance and others. The plant successfully upgrades aviation materiel with the purpose of converting it into multifunctional aircraft (MiG-29, Su-27 and Mi-8 helicopter). Upgraded MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters acquire new features and combat capabilities – they receive improved information-and-control cockpit area, which is complemented by multifunctional The enterprise developed and successfully by missiles with radar guided homing heads; colour liquid crystal display, enhanced tested the new equipment: Satellite – system jamming is created automatically to all attacking navigation and radar systems; weaponry of radio engineering protection and ADROS – enemy radars; jamming impact is formed at all range is also being increased. Besides, infrared protection system. Satellite is an onboard stages of interception. The equipment can be MiG-29 aircraft is equipped with in-flight equipment of individual radio engineering installed both on combat and civil airplanes refueling system. Upgraded Mi-8 helicopter protection of the aircraft against high precision either in containers or inside airframe. obtains gyro-stabilized optical-electronic radar guided weapons. The principle of its The enterprise has production facilities for scanning-and-sighting system, night vision operation is based on creation of interference overhaul of the airframe and aircraft systems, equipment, modern system of navigation and to goniometrical channels of radar weapon it has the complete set of technological testing electronic indication. New guided striking control means. Main advantages of Satellite equipment and all machinery for production means are introduced into helicopter’s system are: with high-expectancy it eliminates of aviation spare parts. Several modern weaponry range. the possibility of hitting the protected object electronic diagnostic systems such as Svityaz, Naroch, UniPro, Vector, control panel of bipolar code, are designed and implemented at “558 ARP”. For our partners’ convenience, we are creating service and training aviation centers at the Customer’s bases. Logistic support center ensures evaluation of technical state of aviation materiel in any climatic and territorial conditions, prompt and high-quality fault tracing, elimination of discovered defects, delivery of spare parts of own production as per Customer’s orders and training of specialists from different countries. Owing to accumulated experience, unique qualification of personnel, advanced production facilities, high quality of service, strict and timely execution of the orders, 558 ARP earned well-deserved authority among airmen of many countries of the world.

48 take-off february 2009 www.take-off.ru commercial