december 2009 • Special edition for LIMA 2009 CHERNYSHEV jsc Machine-Building Enterprise

“reliable engine – Su-30MKM reliable partner!” in RMAF service [p.4]

MiG-29K back on deck Manufacturing, after-sale service, aero engines overhaul [p.16] • RD-33 (MiG-29, MiG-29UB, MiG-29SMT fighters) • RD-33MK (MiG-29K, MiG-35/MiG-35D fighters) • TV7-117SM (IL-114 regional airplane)

Overhaul, spare parts delievery • R27F2M-300 (MiG-23UB fighter) MMRCA • R29-300 (MiG-23M, MiG-23MS, MiG-23MF fighters) trials • R-35 (MiG-23ML, MiG-23MLD, MiG-23P fighters) [p.10] TBO and TTL expansion of the overhaul engines

Tikhomirov’s AESA [p.30]

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IRKUT UNITED INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION “OBORONPROM” Corporation 27 Stromynka st., 107076 Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected] www..org www.irkut.com www.oboronprom.ru december 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, Alina Chernoivanova, Natalya Pechorina, Dear reader, Marina Lystseva, Dmirty Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov, Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski, You are holding the latest issue of the Take-off magazine, special Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi English-language supplement to VZLET Russia’s national aerospace magazine, dedicated this time to LIMA 2009 airshow. Design and pre-press LIMA aerospace exhibition on Malaysian island Langkawi is one of the Grigory Butrin most respectable international airshows in South East Asia, so it gathers Web support potential customers not only from but from all over the region. Georgy Fedoseyev Russian participants’ interest in it is owing to the country and South East Translation Asia returning as the leaders in importing Russian-made aircraft and Yevgeny Ozhogin cooperating with Russia in the aerospace field. For example, this year the Royal Malaysian Air Force has received its last Sukhoi Su-30MKM Cover picture supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters under the contract for 18 aircraft Sergey Kuznetsov of the type signed in 2003. The inaugural demonstration of the first Su-30MKMs delivered to RMAF by Russia’s Irkut Corporation in 2007 Publisher took place at previous LIMA 2007 and had a great success. This time Malaysian Su-30MKMs are going to become the main participants of the LIMA airshow again. No doubt, unique supermanoeuvrability of the Sukhoi fighters and excellent skills of RMAF pilots will together produce a Director General great show within LIMA 2009 flight demonstration programme. Andrey Fomin Although earlier this year Irkut Corp. successfully fulfilled the whole contract on 18 Su-30MKMs delivery to RMAF, more fighters of the Deputy Director General type could be in demand in Malaysia soon as it decided to withdraw in Nadezhda Kashirina the future its MiG-29N aircraft fleet delivered by Russia’s MiG Corp. in Marketing Director 1990s. In such case Su-30MKM, possibly in further upgraded version, for George Smirnov example armed by BrahMos super-long range air-to-surface missiles or fitted with a brand-new AESA , could become the best choice for Director for international projects Malaysia in terms of RMAF fighter fleet combat efficiency and operational Alexander Velovich logistics. Apart from Su-30MKM topic in this issue we have focused on the other most important novelties and recent events in Russian aerospace News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial industry, with preference given to those of them that could be of special staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press interest to the current and potential customers of Russian aircraft in releases of production companies as well as by using information Malaysia and South East Asia in a whole. distributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti, I wish you fruitful work at the LIMA 2009 air show, useful contacts and RBC news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru, lucrative contracts! www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites

Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied Sincerely, with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis. Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items. Andrey Fomin, Editor-in-Chief, The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of Take-off magazine 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

© Aeromedia, 2009

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 c o n t e n t s

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES ...... 2 Mi-35M gearing up for shipping to Brazil An-74TK-300D delivered to Laotian government December 2009 Su-30MKM In service with RMAF

This summer, the last two Sukhoi Su-30MKM twinseat supermanoeuvrable

multirole fighters from the batch of 18 aircraft ordered in 2003 entered service with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). With this delivery which took place on 17 August 2009, Irkut Corporation fulfilled completely the contract signed six years before providing RMAF with the most modern and combat effective multirole fighters. Now all of 18 superagile Su-30MKMs are in service with the 11th squadron of the Royal Malaysian Air Force stationed at Gong Kedak air base in the Kelantan province, on the coast of the South China Sea, 300 km north of the 4 national capital, Kuala Lumpur. The international debut of the advanced Malaysian fighters took place two years ago, at LIMA 2007 airshow at the island of Langkawi. This time, three Su-30MKMs are also the participants of the international aerospace and marine exhibition at Langkawi and, no doubt, will become the main stars of the demonstration flight programme at LIMA 2009.

MMRCA tender T rials kick off in India

Two advanced MiG-35 multirole fighters made by the MiG corporation this year

were headed for India on 7 October to take part in the trials as part of the MMRCA 10 (Medium MultiRole Combat Aircraft) tender. Starting from mid-August, US fighters F/A-18E/F and F-16E/F and French Rafale had completed their trials in India as contenders under the MMRCA tender providing for the (IAF) to buy 126 multirole fighters worth upwards of $10 billion. Swedish Gripen and European Typhoon will be last to join the flight evaluation by the tender’s organisers. Although the rivalling planes’ developers and IAF keep mum on how the current flight trials unfold, the Indian media and Internet forums keep tabs on what is going on at Bangalore airbase and other Indian airfields where MMRCA contenders are flown under the conditions set by the organisers. Based on the media and Internet reports, let us try and look into how the flight evaluation of the contenders is going on. 12 Phazotron-NIIR ready for Indian tender MILITARY AVIATION ...... 14 Sukhoi to deliver 64 brand-new fighters to RusAF The first Irkut-built Yak-130 has flown

15 MiG-29K B ack on deck!

In later September, the MiG Corporation conducted successful flight trials of the

advanced MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB multirole carrierborne fighters ordered by the Indian Navy (IN). The trials took place on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft- carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The first deck landing on the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea was conducted on 28 September by MiG Corp. chief test pilot Pavel Vlasov flying the MiG-29K prototype serialled 941. MiG Corp. test pilots Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev followed him on the production MiG-29KUB twinseater painted in the customer’s colour scheme. In the course of two days, both aircraft performed several takeoffs and deck landings that proved the feasibility of safe operation of advanced fighters from aircraft carriers. Interestingly, the MiG-29K/KUB’s flight tests on board the Admiral Kuznetsov had 16 taken place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first deck landings of Russia’s fourth-generation supersonic fighters and had become a kind of MiGs’ comeback to the deck. On 1 November 1989, a prototype MiG-29K of the previous model touched down on and then took off from this ship that was designated as Tbilisi at the time. Several more series of tests were conducted over several years afterwards, but for a number of reasons a decision was taken to have the Sukhoi Su-33 (Su-27K) shipborne fighter enter inventory of the Russian Navy’s air arm. History has made another twist, and now advanced MiG-29K/KUB being in full-rate production for a foreign customer could be used by the Russian Navy in the near future.

take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru c o n t e n t s

CIVIL AVIATION ...... 20 First Russian-built An-148 delivered 20 Sukhoi SuperJet seeking type certificate IFC sells 26 more Tu-204s Polyot receives new Il-96-400Ts Transaero flies three Tu-214s Yakutia started operating its third An-140

MC-21 programme 21 E ngine makers go around

Once the programme on developing the advanced

came into the straight, and the aircraft made its debut at home and abroad, designers turned to another promising Russian civil aviation project – the development of a family of MC-21 short- and medium-haul . According to the developer, the airliners will have a wide range of operation capabilities, tailored to the Russian and foreign markets and capable of facilitating airlines’ reaching a radically new level of economic efficiency, including doing so by slashing the direct operating costs by 15% compared the current aircraft in the same class. The MC- 21 programme is at the pre-design and key systems supplier selection stage. The results of several tenders on selecting first-tier suppliers for the MC-21 were announced on 20 August, but the final competitions on the powerplant, avionics and control systems have been put off until year-end.

INDUSTRY ...... 26 Ka-32 certificated in EU 26 Turbomeca to supply engines to fit Mi-34 Ansat-U expected by the military Ka-226T gearing up for certification Ka-62 on Russian Helicopters priority list Russia and Ukraine agreed to pursue An-70 programme together PS-90A2 enters flight trials Large order for engines to power Su-35

Tikhomirov’s AESA in trials 30 The active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar being developed by the Tikhomirov-NIIP joint stock company to fit a new-generation fighter was among the head-turners of the MAKS 2009 air show. At the show, Tikhomirov-NIIP unveiled a full-scale X-band AESA radar that had logged many bench tests in laboratories. The AESA radar is expected to begin its flight tests next year. Owing to its design commonality and technical solutions selected, it could spawn active electronically- scanned arrays to upgrade various equipping the fighters of the Su-27/Su- 30 and MiG-29 families also. The Take-off editor met with Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely and asked him to tell about the AESA radar development programme.

32 WEAPONS ...... 32 Debut of advanced air-to-air missiles

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 contracts and deliveries | in brief Mi-35M gearing up for shipping to Brazil

In mid-October, Brazilian Air Force pilots started the practi- cal stage of converting to a new type of aircraft, the upgraded Mil Mi-35M attack helicopter made by JSC. The contract for 12 Mi-35Ms was signed in November last year during Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Brazil, paving the way for Russian combat aircraft to the country. The upgraded Mi-35M is far superior to the Mi-24V and Mi-35 previously built by Rostvertol in that it has day/night surveillance and tar-

geting systems, cutting-edge navi- Rostvertol gation aids, composite-blade rotor system and is powered by more celebrated its 70th anniversary in of the customer, led by Brazilian complete, the first Brazil-destined powerful VK-2500 engines. The early July this year. The first Brazilian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Juniti Mi-35M was painted in the custom- upgrade enhanced the machine’s Mi-35M took to the sky on its maiden Saito, with 27 August seeing the er’s colour scheme that it sported flight performance considerably, flight on 15 August and several days machine’s first night-time demon- on its 8 October flight. A week later, especially its high-and-hot char- later was inspected by a delegation stration flight. With the factory trials Brazil pilots started flying it under their conversion programme. The second production machine had

Rostvertol been flying by then. The first Mi-35M batch is to be delivered to Brazil before year-end, once the first team of the custom- er’s pilots has completed the con- version. The whole of the contract could be fulfilled in 2010. However, the Brazilian media have reported that in addition to the Brazilian Air Force with its 12 Mi-35Ms, the Brazilian Army Aviation has shown interest in the helicopter as well, indicating its willingness to order four Mi-35Ms.

acteristics. The first 10 produc- tion-standard Mi-35Ms were export- ed to Venezuela in 2006–08, with the company now fulfilling the sec- ond export order. Mention should be made that the Venezuelan and Brazilian orders enabled Rostvertol to resume the production of the Mi-35 helicopter family suspended as far back as 1989 when the last production-standard Mi-24P and Mi-35P helicopters were completed (in the following decade and a half, the plant had only overhauled and upgraded the aircraft of the type). Rostvertol launched the manufac- ture of the first Mi-35M batch for the Brazilian Air Force late last year. As many as four aircraft had sat in the

assembly shop by the time the plant Tina Shaposhnikova

2 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | in brief An-74TK-300D delivered to Laotian government

On 15 October, the airfield and deliver a single new plane, though of the Kharkov State Aircraft it had firm orders for at least 10 aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC) of the An-74 family and its assembly hosted the handover ceremony of shop was crammed with unfinished the new An-74TK-300D airframes and assemblies. Now, the aircraft in the VIP configuration to work has picked up. According to representatives of the customer, Anatoly Myalitsa speaking at the the government of Laos. The air- Laotian An-74TK-300D’s handover craft, serialled RDPL-34020 by the ceremony, three more aircraft are to customer, made its maiden flight on be completed this year. “There are 17 September 2009. It is the sec- three planes undergoing final assem- ond KSAMC-built plane delivered bly in shops. We are working on them.

this year, with the An-74TK-300D We will complete the aircraft intended KSAMC delivered to Libya on 23 April being for Egypt in November and then the deliver two An-74TK-200S air ambu- of the signed but unfulfilled contracts the first one. one for Libya’s air medical service,” lances to Libya and two upgraded are concerned, “talks are underway”, Thus, the return of Anatoly Myalitsa he told the media. An-74T-200A transports to Egypt and any concrete information will into the office of KSAMC’s Director KSAMC spokesman Andrey (the first of the three ordered aircraft be unveiled later, as “the clinched General has resulted in a hope for Platonov told the Take-off corre- of the type was delivered to Egypt deals are taken off ice, current con- progress. As is known, for several spondent that in the near future, as far back as four years ago, in tracts are extended and new ones years the plant was unable to make the Kharkov-based company was to September 2005). As far as the rest are awarded”. New Ka-28 deliveries to China begin

The Russian Helicopters joint dent, albeit small, step towards copters. KumAPP is ready to fully ted with RF sonobuoys and, while stock company, a subsidiary of intensifying the cooperation with meet the requirement of our Asian, in the seek-and-destroy variant, Oboronprom JSC, made an offi- our Chinese partners”, said Andrey Middle Eastern, South American with antisubmarine bombs and tor- cial statement on 9 October that Shibitov, Director General of the and other partners for both medium pedo-missiles, including APR-2E its subsidiary Kumertau Aircraft Russian Helicopters. “Today and (Ka-28, Ka-32) and light (Ka-226T) Orlan high-speed homing air-to-un- Production Plant (KumAPP) had in the future, Russian Helicopters helicopters”. derwater missiles. built and been completing the manufacturers are ready to make The new Ka-28s designed for The Ka-28 is known well in tests of the first three any up-to-date helicopters for the delivery to the PLANAF are an China. The first order for eight Ka-28 antisubmarine warfare air forces and navies of most of the export version of the Ka-27 in serv- aircraft of the type was placed as (ASW) helicopters under a new countries, including for our part- ice with the Russian Navy. They far back as 1997, and the Chinese contract on nine ners in China”. KumAPP Managing are powered by TV3-117VMAR Navy started operating its first aircraft of the type for the People’s Director Sergey Mikryukov, in turn, high-altitude engines featuring coaxial-rotor Kamov machines a Republic of China. said, “The global market is showing enhanced power in the maximum year later. The service took deliv- “The shipping of the first batch an obvious tendency towards the continuous power and cruising ery of five ASW machines that it of Ka-28 helicopters is a confi- growth of demand for Russian heli- modes. The ASW machine is fit- serialled 9144, 9154, 9164, 9174 and 9184, and three SAR aircraft serialled 9114, 9124 and 9134. The Ka-28s are in service with the Chinese Navy on board the Project 956 Sovremenny-class destroyers procured from Russia and indige- nous Luhai destroyers as well as at land-based airfields. In addition to China, the Ka-28 had been exported to India, Vietnam, Yugoslavia, Syria and Cuba since the mid-1980s. 33 aircraft had been built by the early 2000s, after which only Ka-31 airborne early warning (AEW) heli- copters and civilian versions of the Ka-32 helicopters have been exported. With the signature of the new Chinese contract, KumAPP has resumed production of the Ka-28

DefenceTalk.com baseline military export variant.

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 3 contracts and deliveries | report Andrey Fomin

Su-30MKM IN SERVICE WITH RMAF Andrey FOMIN

This summer, the last two Sukhoi Su-30MKM twinseat supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters from the batch of 18 aircraft ordered in 2003 entered service with the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). With this delivery which took place on 17 August 2009, Irkut Corporation fulfilled completely the contract signed six years before providing RMAF with the most modern and combat effective multirole fighters. Now all of 18 superagile Su-30MKMs are in service with the 11th squadron of the Royal Malaysian Air Force stationed at Gong Kedak air base in the Kelantan province, on the coast of the South China Sea, 300 km north of the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. The international debut of the advanced Malaysian fighters took place two years ago, at LIMA 2007 airshow at the island of Langkawi. This time, three Su-30MKMs are also the participants of the international aerospace and marine exhibition at Langkawi and, no doubt, will become the main stars of the demonstration flight programme at LIMA 2009.

Worth about $900 million, the contract

for 18 Russian-made Su-30MKM aircraft to Andrey Fomin be delivered to RMAF was signed on the top governmental level in August 2003, with the Rosoboronexport state corporation to fulfil it. The aircraft were to be developed by the Sukhoi company and built by the Irkut Corp. Under the deal, in addition to delivering the fighters, Russia was to train RMAF flying and ground crews and provide weapons and other

Malaysian leaders examine the RMAF Su-30MKM’s cockpit after its inaugural demo flight at LIMA 2007. The then PM of Malaysia Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (in the center), the then Deputy PM – Minister of Defence, now – the Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak (right), and the then RMAF Chief (now – Chief of Defence Forces) Gen Tan Sri Azizan Ariffin (left)

4 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | report

first Indian-assembled Su-30MKIs have been check-flown and handed over to IAF in November 2004. Since then, the number of Indian-produced Su-30MKIs in IAF’s inventory has been on the rise. As for today, more than hundred Su-30MKIs – both delivered from Russia and assembled by HAL – are in service with IAF. One more derivative of the fighter, the Su-30MKI(A), is developed by Sukhoi and now being deliv- ered by Irkut Corp. The customer is Algerian Air Force wich ordered 28 fighters of the type in 2006. Deliveries began in late 2007 and by August 2009 a total of 22 Su-30MKI(A) fighters have been built by Irkut according to the statement of Irkut’s president Oleg Demchenko made at MAKS 2009 airshow. Algerian contract is planned to be fulfilled by the end of this year. “The Su-30MKM is another step in developing the Su-30 platform further,” the Sukhoi design bureau’s First Deputy Designer General Alexander Barkovsky told Take-off. The Malaysian version is wrapped around the Su-30MKI design, differing mostly in avi- onics but retaining its airframe, AL-31FP thrust vector-controlled (TVC) engines and Marina Lystseva equipment relevant to the effective operation 2002. Under the contracts fulfilled or still fly-by-wire control system. Still, “there have of the fighters. A decision was taken to have under way, IAF is to take delivery of as many been a number of radical modifications to Malaysia’s personnel trained in their country. as 230 Su-30MKI fighters by the middle of the Malaysian aircraft”, Alexander Barkovsky RMAF had taken delivery of the first two next decade, of which 90 are to be built by said. aircraft in June 2007 and four more by the Russia’s Irkut Corporation and 140 are to be They included, first and foremost, modifi- year-end, with the next six in March 2008. licence-produced by Indian aircraft manu- cations to the IFF transponder, self-defence The remaining six Su-30MKMs were deliv- facturer HAL under a licence programme. suite, display system and podded optron- ered this summer. To date, Irkut has shipped more than 50 ic systems. For instance, the Su-30MKM The Su-30MKM fighter is a derivative fighters of the type to India, continuing mounts an advanced French-made IFF sys- of the proven Su-30MKI that has been in to make and deliver both ready-for-service tem, with its ‘plates’ situated on top the nose service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) since aircraft and licence production kits. The section fore of the cockpit. www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 5 contracts and deliveries | report Sergey Kuznetsov

However, the main difference featured and the backup is Indian), while both of the by the Malaysian variant is its laser warning Su-30MKM’s computers are Russian-made. systems and missile approach sensors. They In addition, the Su-30MKM has more were developed and in production by South French-made systems. The Thales wide-an- African company Avitronics, a member of gle HUD has ousted the Israeli ElOp the SAAB group, and are placed in various HUD mounted by the Su-30MKI. The parts of the airframe. Two front-hemisphere Su-30MKM’s colour multifunction LCDs are Sergey Kuznetsov laser-illumination sensor sets are under the French-made as well. Like the Indian fighter, nose section and the other two, which keep its Malaysian counterpart houses three 5x5” capability with the 3–5 micron wavelength an eye on the rear hemisphere, sit on the MFD55 displays at each combat station in the as well as two laser channels: a 1.5 micron sides of the air intakes. Between the former, cockpit, with the rear station also fitted with eye-safe ranging laser and a target illumina- there is a UV three-sensor set to spot incom- the fourth, larger display – the 6x6” MFD66. tion laser. The thermal imager’s extra-wide ing missiles in the lookdown mode. The Another novelty implemented in the Malaysian field of vision in the navigation mode meas- second such set of UV sensors is on top the version is the Thales podded optronic systems ures 24x18°, wide one – 4x3° and narrow spine fairing aft of the air brake. It operates (the Su-30MKI can carry the Israeli-made one – 1x0.75°. The twofold electronic magni- in the lookup mode. electro-optical pod). There are two fication (zoom) is possible. In addition to the South African systems, such systems: the LDP Damocles pod ensures The 3–5 micron infrared NAVFLIR navi- the Su-30MKM’s self-defence suite comprises round-the-clock air-to-surface attack while day gation system has the front-hemisphere look- an upgraded Russian radar-warning receiver, and night flight and navigation is ensured by the down/lookup capability with the 24x18° opti- Russian electronic countermeasures (ECM) NAVFLIR system housed by the pylon being cal field of view (the electronic zoom with system in two pods mounted on wingtips, and the hardpoint for the Damocles. 12x9° angle of view) and shows the result- Russian passive IR dispensers in the tail sec- According to the official data at the Thales ant imagery on the HUD and/or MFDs. tion (98 cartridges with flares and chaff). web site, the Damocles podded optronic sys- The acquisition and identification range for Actually, the share of Russian-made com- tem (the pod weighs 265 kg and is 2.5 m long) objects measuring 20x20 m is 10–12 km and ponents is larger than that on the Indian handles the surface search, target acquisi- those for 100x100m objects is 22.5–50 km. variant due to Russian components replac- tion, identification and tracking, laser spot The system, except the pod and cooling sys- ing some of the Indian and Israeli ones. detection and target ranging and designation tem, weighs mere 20 kg. Particularly, the Su-30MKI has two different for laser-guided weapons, including smart The rest of the Su-30MKM’s search and digital computers (the main one is Russian bombs. To this end, it has the thermal imaging targeting systems are Russian-made and most-

6 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | report ly similar to those on the Su-30MKI. They include, first and foremost, the Tikhomirov NIIP Bars phased-array radar capable of simul- taneously tracking at least 15 aerial threats at a high spatial angle and engaging four of them at a time, effectively attacking ground targets and operating in the air-to-air and air-to-surface modes concurrently. The passive of the Bars radar is fitted with the addition- al hydraulic horizontal turn mechanism and offers ±70° total scan in azimuth and ±40° in elevation. The assured acquisition range for aerial threats with a radar cross-section of 3 sq.m equals at least 140 km. In addition, the Su-30MKM’s surveillance and targeting gear includes the OLS-30I IRST from the Ural Optical & Mechanical Plant named after E.S. Yalamov (UOMZ) and the Sergey Kuznetsov

was integrated with the use of multiplex data- In conclusion, a few words about one other bus meeting the MIL-STD-1553B standard. feature of the Su-30MKM. The aircraft is fit- As far as its weapons suite is concerned, ted with the integral oxygen generator from the Su-30MKM is close enough to IAF’s the Zvezda company in the town of Tomilino, Su-30MKI. The types of weapons used remain Moscow Region. Zvezda is known as the virtually unchanged and include up to ten developer of the unique K-36D-3,5E ejection RVV-AE medium-range seat the Su-30MKM is fitted with. air-to-air missiles, up to eight R-27ER1 (R1) The Su-30MKM has a long flying life – semiactive radar homing and R-27ET1 6,000 flight hours or 25 years of operation as (T1) heat-seeking AAMs (including up far as the airframe is concerned. Heavy main- to two R-27ET1/T1 AAMs), up to six tenance is required after the aircraft logs 1,500 R-73E dogfight missiles, Kh-59ME air-to-sur- flight hours or 10 years of operation. The face missiles (two missiles with TV command AL-31FP engines from UMPO in Ufa have guidance), Kh-31A or Kh-31P (six ASMs an assigned life of 2,000 flight hours and a with active or passive radar homing heads), time before first overhaul of 1,000 flight hours, six TV-guided Kh-29TE missiles and five with their TVC nozzles have an assigned life of Kh-29L semiactive laser beam-riding ASMs. 500 flight hours. Guided bombs include KAB-500Kr (OD) and In 2006 the Sukhoi design bureau furnished KAB-1500Kr TV-guided bombs and advanced two prototype aircraft to test the Su-30MKM’s KAB-1500LG laser-guided bombs. The use of advanced electronic systems and integrate it Kh-59ME missiles is supported by means of the with the avionics suite. Two preproduction APK-9E pod carried on the hardpoint under Su-30MKIs serialled 05 and 04 were con- the port air intake and that of Kh-29L missiles verted to this end, becoming the prototypes and KAB-1500LG bombs by the Damocles pod of the Su-30MKM. One of them was first Sura helmet-mounted target designator from mounted on the hardpoint under the starboard flown by Sukhoi’s test pilots Sergey Kostin the Arsenal plant in Kiev. The infrared segment air intake. Advanced French missile MICA and Vyacheslav Averyanov in Zhukovsky on of the IRST tracks aerial targets out at 90 km may make its way on board the Su-30MKM, if 23 May 2006. The other prototype completed in the rear hemisphere and 50 km in the front the feasibility of integrating it with the fighter’s its maiden flight in on 9 June 2006 hemisphere. The airspace scan zone measures weapons suite, being looked into at the request with Vyacheslav and Yevgeny Averyanovs at ±60° in azimuth and -15/+60° in elevation. of RMAF, is confirmed. the controls. The bulk of the tests conducted The OLS-30I’s wide field of view account for The non-guided weapons carried by the at LII’s airfield in Zhukovsky and at the 60x10° and the narrow one is 20x5°, with the Su-30MKM are virtually the same as those Defence Ministry’s State Flight Test Centre field of view being 3x3° in the lock-on mode. hauled by other aircraft of the Flanker fam- (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk were complete in The laser rangefinder ranges ground targets out ily. The Su-30MKM carries up to eight HE late spring 2007, with the assembly of the at 5 km at the least and aerial ones out at 3 km gravity bombs or 500 kg disposable cluster first several production Su-30MKMs being in at the least. bomb units, up to thirty-two 250 kg or 100 full swing at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant. Both The Su-30MKI’s navigation aids include kg blast/fragmentation bombs and 80, 122 Su-30MKM prototypes will remain in Russia the TACAN short-range radio navigation and 266/340 mm (420 mm) folding-fin aerial for use under various test programmes to keep system, LINS-GPS inertial/satnav system rockets (80 S-8, 20 S-13 or four S-25 FFARs on refining the Su-30MKM and other aircraft and VOR/ILS/MRK landing equipment. To in various versions) in four rocket pods or of the family. ensure safe formation manoeuvring, the air- launchers. The maximum payload mounted The ceremony of acceptance of two first craft also is fitted with formation flight lights on 12 hardpoints totals 8,000 kg. To cap it all, production-standard Su-30MKMs took place on the sides of the fuselage nose section and the fighter packs a 30 mm GSh-301 automatic at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, a air intakes, fins and wingtips. The avionics cannon with the 150-round ammo load. subsidiary of the Irkut Corp., on 24 May www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 7 contracts and deliveries | report

for flying Su-30MKM and attended the 11th squadron headed by Col. Suri Daud. With introducing the Su-30MKM into

Sergey Kuznetsov service, RMAF became the second air force in the world to operate supersonic multirole supermanoeuvrable fighters capable of thrust vector control and the world’s second air force flying Russian fighters fitted with phased-array radars. Mention should be made that all neigh- bouring nations in the region have to put up with less sophisticated aircraft carrying ordi- nary mechanically-scanned array radars. The Bars radar enables the Su-30MKM’s crew to fire missiles on four targets at a time within a wide solid angle. With air crews given relevant training, they will be able to use dogfight missiles in the supermanoeuvrability mode as well. As a result, the combat capabilities of the Malaysian Su-30MKMs could far exceed those 2007. The Malaysian delegation attending By then, the fighters delivered had been used of the fighters operated by other air forces in the acceptance ceremony was led by the then by the first group of RMAF pilots for conver- the region. RMAF commander, Gen. Dato’ Sri Azizan sion to the aircraft of a type new to them, with bin Ariffin. Less than a month later, on 18 Russian test pilots Yevgeny Frolov, Sergey June, an Antonov An-124 Ruslan airlifter Bogdan and Sergey Kostin of the Sukhoi flew both aircraft to RMAF’s Gong Kedak design bureau acting as instructor pilots. Andrey Fomin air base in the Kelantan province, on the Already on 31 August, three Su-30MKMs coast of the South China Sea, 300 km north flown by Malaysian pilots participated in the of the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. Two air parade dedicated to the 50th anniversary of more Su-30MKMs joined them in August. Malaysia’s independence. The Subang air base vic. Kuala Lumpur The international debut of the advanced hosted the ceremony of the Su-30MKM’s Malaysian fighters took place at LIMA 2007 RMAF service entry on 10 August 2007. The airshow at the island of Langkawi in December importance of the event was highlighted by 2007. Lt. Col. Norazlan Aris and Maj. Azman the presence of Malaysian Deputy Prime Jantan from RMAF’s 11th squadron became Minister and Defence Minister (now – the heroes of the show due to their fantastic Prime Minister of Malaysia) Dato’ Sri Mohd Su-30MKM flight display over Langkawi. Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak and Malaysian By then two more RMAF pilots were fly- Chief of Defence Forces General (Army) ing the new type of Malaysian fighter, Maj. Tan Sri Dato Paduka Seri Abdul Aziz Hj Fadzli Sabirin and Maj. Choy Swee On. All Zainal. Rosoboronexport Deputy Director of them previously flew RMAF’s MiG-29N General Victor Komardin, who represented or F/A-18D fighters or Hawk trainers and Lt. Col. Norazlan Aris (left) and Maj. Azman Russia during the ceremony, handed the were high-skill military pilots with a flight Jantan (right) from RMAF’s 11th squadron, the first documentation on the delivered aircraft over backlog of 2,000–3,000 hours. Later on more Malaysian pilots to fly Su-30MKM, after their to RMAF Commander. and more Malaysian pilots passed conversion fantastic flight display over Langkawi at LIMA 2007 Andrey Fomin

8 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | report Su-30MKM Drawing by Andrey Zhirnov

Su-30MKM basic specifications Length, m ...... 21.9 Max range on full tanks with missiles attached, km: Wing span, m ...... 14.7 - without refuelling ...... 3,000 Height, m ...... 6.4 - with one refuelling ...... 5,200 Wing area, sq.m ...... 62.0 - with two refuellings ...... 8,000 Maximum takeoff weight, kg ...... 34,000 Maximum combat radius, km: Limit takeoff weight, kg ...... 38,800 - in maritime AO, with 4xR-73E & 4xKh-31A ...... 980 Full fuel capacity, kg ...... 9,600 - in land AO, with 2xR-73E, 2xKh-29TE & 2xKh-31P ...... 1,010 Combat load, kg ...... 8,000 Time on station without refuelling, hr: Maximum speed, km/h: - 200 km away from base...... 2.6 - at high altitude ...... 2,000 - 400 km away from base...... 2.1 - at sea level ...... 1,400 - 600 km away from base...... 1.7 Maximum Mach number ...... 1.9 Maximum endurance (limited by crew’s physical abilities), hr ...... 10 Service ceiling, m ...... 17,300 Engines ...... AL-31FP Maximum g-load ...... 9 Thrust, kgf: Take-off run (normal take-off weight), m ...... 550 - full afterburner ...... 2x12,500 Landing roll length (normal landing weight), m ...... 750 - full power ...... 2x7,670 www.take-off.ru take-offtake-off december 2009 9 contracts and deliveries | tender

MMRCA tender The stage of in-country demonstration flights and flight tests of the MMRCA trials kick off in India contenders began on 17 August, i.e. two years after the requests for proposals (RfP) had Two advanced MiG-35 multirole European Typhoon will be last to join been sent officially on 28 August 2007. At the fighters made by the MiG corporation the flight evaluation by the tender’s time, the first three-month flight evaluation this year were headed for India on organisers. Although the rivalling phase in India was supposed to kick off as 7 October to take part in the trials planes’ developers and IAF keep early as June 2008 (the rival companies were as part of the MMRCA (Medium mum on how the current flight trials given until late February 2008 to submit their MultiRole Combat Aircraft) tender. unfold, the Indian media and Internet technical and commercial proposals) to be Starting from mid-August, US forums keep tabs on what is going on fighters F/A-18E/F and F-16E/F and at Bangalore airbase and other Indian followed by the evaluation of the weapons French Rafale had completed their airfields where MMRCA contenders suites of the fighters by IAF personnel, with trials in India as contenders under are flown under the conditions set by two or three aircraft to be shortlisted in early the MMRCA tender providing for the the organisers. Based on the media 2009. As it often happens, however, the Indian Air Force (IAF) to buy 126 and Internet reports, let us try and flight evaluation of first contenders in India multirole fighters worth upwards look into how the flight evaluation of slipped for late summer 2009 by mutual of $10 billion. Swedish Gripen and the contenders is going on. agreement.

10 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | tender

MMRCA tender requirements, including an of the Russian bid, because India will fly active electronically-scanned array (AESA) MiG-29K/KUB in full swing by the time the radar. Apart from it, only the F-16F could MiG-35’s deliveries commence, if it comes boast an active phased array radar in Bangalore, on top in the tender. The MiG-35 single-seat while the rest of the demonstrators, the prototype was completed this summer and F/A-18E/F and Typhoon, were ordinary given side number 961. Concurrently, production aircraft with more modest weapons the MiG-29KUB prototype serialled 947 suites, with AESA radars for their future was converted to the MiG-35D two-seat Indian versions being only in the form of prototype serialled 967. Both went to India mock-ups displayed in exhibition pavilions. early in October following a series of flights In line with the tender’s terms, the single- under the factory test programme. and two-seat variants of each fighter are The flight evaluation phase involving all to be used in the evaluation tests in India. of the six pairs of contenders, which began For this reason, as well as owing to the in India in August, is to take about eight different designs of the MiG-35 technology months, according to IAF representative demonstrator (No. 154), on the one P.R. Singh, with the estimated deadline being hand, and the current and future MiG-29 March or April 2010. The phase is broken versions (MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/M2, down into three following parts: MiG-35), on the other, MiG Corp. decided - familiarisation, during which IAF Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV to make two new aircraft – a singleseater flying and ground crews are learning the Andrey FOMIN and a twinseater – at its production plant in fighters’ characteristics, individual systems Lukhovitsy for the MMRCA test programme. and weapons; according to Indian sources, Alexey Mikheyev Alexey

This had been preceded, however, by the In terms of design, both are very similar to special attention is being paid to the avionics flight demonstration of some of the rivals at the carrierborne MiG-29K/KUB that are in suite and radars (as is known, all completing the Aero India 2009 air show in Bangalore in production for the Indian Navy, and differ fighters must be equipped with AESA February, which involved Russian demonstrator only in the lack of the arrestor hook (even radar); MiG-35D (side number 154), as many as five the shipborne variant’s wing panel design - demonstration, i.e. demonstration flights F-16s, including two UAE Air Force F-16F and high-lift devices have been retained). performed by test pilots of the companies Block 60s that might become the prototype At the same time, the MiG-35 prototypes participating in the tender and by pilots with of the future Indian F-16IN Super Viper, two are fit to mount the advanced avionics, line units of the air forces of the competing production F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and including the AESA radar, tested or being countries, as well as familiarisation flights three Typhoons furnished by the Luftwaffe. tested on board technology demonstrator for IAF pilots as backseaters in the two-seat Mention should be made that although the No.154 and other flying testbeds under the versions; this part of the evaluation is taking MiG-35 technology demonstrator was derived MiG-35 programme. place at HAL’s air base in Bangalore; in early 2007 from the MiG-29M prototype The developer regards the extremely high - field trials, i.e. two-day flights under an built as far back as 1990 and then converted degree of commonality between the current approved programme at Jaisalmer in the Thar to the MiG-29M2 twinseater following a long MiG-29K/KUB and future MiG-35 as both desert (state of Rajasthan) at high ambient downtime, it was equipped with a complete a means to speed up the development and temperature, and flights at Leh air base in the cutting-edge avionics suite in line with the productionising and an important advantage Himalayas (state Jammu and Kashmir) where www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 11 contracts and deliveries | tender

the rivals will have to prove their fully-laden performance in mountainous terrain (about 3,500 m above sea level). According to the Indian media, the ability to operate with the design ordnance load and full tanks from a high-elevation airfield equipped with a 3,300-m runway is a key IAF requirement to all of the contenders. At this stage of the tender, Indian pilots, who graduated from the special courses in the countries of the developers, join the flights. To this end, IAF has stood up two groups of pilots two men each. At first, they will act as backseaters and fly the fighters from time to time and then will fly and use weapons on their own. Eight to 10 technical specialists from the Indian Defence Ministry, HAL, DRDO, etc., are attached to each group to evaluate the systems. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was the first to enter the arena: two fighters accompanied by a tanker plane came to Bangalore on 14 August. Following a series of demonstration Phazotron-NIIR ready for Indian tender

In August this year, the Russian, U.S. the status of the -AE radar development production company and Research Institute and West European contenders entered the programme. for Semiconductor Instruments (NIIPP), comparative test stage of the MMRCA tender According to Phazotron-NIIR Director General both situated in Tomsk. Phazotron-NIIR providing for the selection and subsequent Vyacheslav Tishchenko, the AESA radar handled the overall design work on the radar, acquisition of 126 medium multirole fighters by engineering development phase has been transmit-receive (T-R) modules’ power supply the Indian Air Force (IAF). A key requirement to nearing the end, with Phazotron-NIIR ready for system and power sources, low-frequency and all of the contenders is that the aircraft should the comparative tests of the rival fighters. microwave distribution systems, beam steering carry active phased-array radar, also known as According to Yuri Guskov, Deputy Director for unit and the T-R modules cooling system. AESA radar. The MiG-35 prototypes furnished research and chief designer, Phazotron-NIIR Mikran, assisted by NIIPP, developed and for comparative tests under the MMRCA launched development of AESA radar in 2000, manufactured group four-channel T-R modules programme are equipped with AESA radar from paying for it out of its own pocket. To design and monolithic integrated circuits for them. the Phazotron-NIIR corporation. A Take-off the radar, its subsystems and elements, several The first Zhuk-AE radar variant with a 700-mm correspondent had visited Phazotron-NIIR on companies pooled their efforts, including AESA tilted 20° up was complete in 2005 but the eve of the kickoff of the tests to inquire about Phazotron-NIIR itself, the Mikran scientific and proved to be too heavy and its weight had to be slashed drastically. To boot, the limitations on mounting the radar on the demonstrator aircraft caused a drop in the AESA diameter down to 500 mm, with the number of T-R modules diminishing down to 680 (170 four-channel group T-Rs) and a number of key characteristics deteriorating accordingly. The weight of the second AESA radar made in 2006 was 220 kg. The T-R module design has altered several times: Mikran developed the current version of four-channel T-R modules in 2008, with the modules used in the first flying AESA prototype last year. Since 2006, all AESA work by Phazotron-NIIR has been done in line with the performance specification of the MiG corporation, when Phazotron-NIIR launched development of the Zhuak-AE radar for the MiG-35 demonstrator with the subsequent installation of the experimental

Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny AESA radar on board the MiG-29M2 serialled

12 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru contracts and deliveries | tender sorties in the “aviation capital” of India, requirements and designated as F-16IN developers. It may begin before year-end. they went to hot Jaisalmer and then to the Super Viper. Then, under India’s defence procurement Leh high-elevation air base. The Super French Rafales picked up the baton from policy, a short list will be compiled to include Hornets wrapped up their trials in India the US fighters in the Indian skies. According two or three aircraft fully meeting IAF’s on 27 August and were succeeded by other to the Indian press, two Rafales performed requirements to the future fighter. Then US-made contenders, F-16IN fighters in a nonstop flight to Bangalore right from the price negotiations will follow, based on the form of the F-16E/F Block 60s that the Istres flight test centre, having topped which outcome the cheapest variant meeting have been supplied to the UAE Air Force up in midair twice. They started flying in IAF’s requirements will be selected. As is since May 2005. Bangalore on 22 September and completed known, the then-IAF commander, Air Chief Three aircraft of the type arrived in a series of tests at Jaisalmer and Leh air Marshal F.H. Major, said earlier this year, Bangalore from Dubai on 2 September, bases in the following two weeks. “If all goes to plan, the first MMRCA will fly launched training flights on the next day After the Russian MiG-35s have in the Indian colours approximately in four and switched to the familiarisation part completed their flight evaluation in India in years”, i.e. some time in 2013. of the programme on 7 September. In November, the two remaining contenders, As is known, the winning company will Bangalore, they flew two hour-long sorties European Typhoon and Swedish Gripen, deliver 18 finished aircraft of 126 fighters a day and then flew to Jaisalmer and then will have to fly there. They are expected in ordered (86 singleseaters and 40 twinseaters), to Leh. The F-16s completed their field India next year – in February and March with the remaining 108 to be assembled in trials on 18 September. Their aircrews respectively. India. Under the terms of the tender, the included Lockheed Martin test pilots The next phase of the tender provides for deliveries should start within 36 months and USAF combat crews. According to the evaluation of the contenders’ weapons since the signature of the contract and be Lockheed Martin representative Michael R. suites and air-launched weapons. The completed within 48 months. Thus, the Griswold, the Emirates version of the F-16 evaluation will involve Indian pilots and whole full-rate and licence production will be modified in line with the customer’s take place in the home countries of the programme will take four years.

154 and made an agreement for two Zhuk-AE sets to be mounted on MiG-35 prototypes. The trials kicked off in 2007 when a series of ground tests was conducted and the radar was mated with the power supply, cooling, data display and control systems on board the demonstrator. This complete, summer 2008 saw the start of tests on board the MiG-35 technology demonstrator (No. 154) from the ground against an airborne target at first and then from the airborne aircraft against aerial targets. About 20 tests had been conducted by September this year, including 15 test sorties that had proved a reliable target acquisition range of 148 km. In addition, two sorties had been dedicated to dogfighting and several missions had been flown in the terrain mapping mode with the 5x5-m resolution. Thus, the aircraft No. 154 had demonstrated the basic characteristics of the Zhuk-AE radar with the 500-mm AESA, including a 130-plus-km range against targets with the 5-m2 radar cross-section (RCS). A more superior performance is expected further down the road, in particular, the 200-km range, after the switch to an AESA with an organic diameter of 688 mm and 1,016 T-R modules. In this case, the radar’s weight

should not exceed 280 kg. Yerokhin Yevgeny According to Yuri Guskov, the principal result of the MiG-35’s AESA radar development has To bid in the Indian tender, three stages of managed for the first time in Russia to resolve been Phazotron-NIIR’s preparedness for the work have been provided for. According to Chief all fundamental problems of developing a Indian tender. The development programme has Designer Yuri Guskov, Stage I began at the LII fighter phased array as part of the Zhuk-AE passed the electronic componentry and overall facility in Zhukovsky on 28 September 2009. radar. In the first place, the developer has radar technical risk stage, the radar has been Stage II took place this autumn at a testing range dealt with the problems of developing the mated with all onboard systems of the aircraft, in India. Stage III is slated for March or April next key functional elements with the parameters including the power supply system, liquid year to include missile launches in Akhtubinsk. required – group T-R modules, monolithic cooling system, avionics, navigation/targeting According to Phazotron-NIIR Director integral circuits, power supply system, system and cockpit management environment General Vyacheslav Tishchenko, the T-R module cooling system, beam steering of the MIG-35, and T-R modules have been indisputable success of the programme system and associated software. productionised. consists in the fact that the company has Yevgeny Yerokhin www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 13 military aviation | in brief Sukhoi to deliver 64 brand-new fighters to RusAF

Russia’s major combat aircraft acquisition deal was clinched on the first day of the MAKS 2009 air show this summer. In the presence of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Russian Defence Ministry and Sukhoi company signed on 18 August three governmental contracts for Sukhoi aircraft to be built by Sukhoi’s subsidiary Komsomolsk-on-Amour Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO). The manufacturer will sup- ply the Russian Air Force with 64 war- planes during 2010–15, specifically 48 Su-35S multirole supermanoeuvra- ble fighters in 2010–15, 12 upgraded Su-27SM fighters in 2009–11 and four Su-30M2 two-seat multirole fighters to be delivered before the end of 2011. The contracts were signed by Armed Forces Armament Chief/ Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir

Popovkin and Sukhoi Director General Mikheyev Alexey Mikhail Pogosyan. As is known, late in 2008, the long-term agreements for manufac- is prepared to fulfil the contracts in Su-27SM fighters were fielded with Defence Ministry and Sukhoi turing advanced aircraft will keep the full and on schedule”, emphasised the fighter air regiment at Dzyomgi made a governmental contract for holding company’s production plants Mikhail Pogosyan. AFB in 2004–06, and in 2007 the 32 new Su-34 tactical fighters to busy with military aircraft production KnAAPO has launched produc- second air regiment, garrisoned be delivered to the Air Force within and shift the emphasis from upgrad- tion of the aircraft under the con- in the Russia’s Far East, began to five years. The Novosibirsk Aircraft ing the Air Force’s in-service aircraft tracts signed. At the same time, convert to Su-27SMs. In addition, Production Association named fleets to production of brand-new it is completing a Su-27 upgrade five Su-27SMs were delivered to after Valery Chkalov (NAPO) has advanced warplanes. The delivery under a previous contract. A Sukhoi the Lipetsk-based Combat and launched production of the air- of advanced fighters will both bol- spokesman said on 23 September Conversion Training Centre in 2003. craft, with the deliveries to kick ster the nation’s defensive capabili- that KnAAPO had completed the Mention should be made that the off next year. ties and allow a smooth transition to overhaul and upgrade of four more 12 Su-27SM fighters under the new According to Sukhoi Director drastically innovative next-generation Su-27 in service with the Russian contract will be brand-new aircraft, General Mikhail Pogosyan, the fighter technologies. “The company Air Force. As is known, 24 upgraded rather than upgraded ones. Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny

14 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | in brief The first Irkut-built Yak-130 has flown

On 21 August, the airfield of the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant of the Irkut cor- poration saw the maiden flight of the first Yak-130 combat trainer made under the 2006 contract for 16 aircraft of the type for the Algerian Air Force. During the 40-min. flight, the planes’ handling performance at vari- ous speeds and altitudes, manoeuvra- bility, stability, controllability, power- plant and key avionics were checked out. Test pilots Roman Taskayev and Sergey Mikhailyuk praised the first Yak-130 built in Irkutsk, having noted, “All systems performed well during the flight”. Digital technologies were used throughout the development and productionising of the Yak-130 made by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant (its developer Yakovlev design bureau is

part of Irkut Corp. too). This allowed Mikhail Hohryakov

by early September. The remain- ing eight aircraft awarded by the Defence Ministry under the current 12-plane contract are to be made and delivered prior to the end of 2010. Thus, this year has been a mile- stone for the Yak-130 programme. The fisrt production-standard air- craft for the domestic and foreign customers have flown, with the two manufacturers to make about 10 production aircraft before year-end. As is known, RusAF plans to order an additional batch of Yak-130s, but it remains to be seen so far where

Alexey Mikheyev Alexey they are to be made – in Nizhny Novgorod or in Irkutsk. According a drop in labour intensiveness and As was reported by Take-off, RusAF. As of August, the second to Alexander Karezin, a tender production cycle, a rise in quality the first production-standard production aircraft was rolled out, could be issued to decide on that. and the development of up-to-date Yak-130 ordered by the Russian Air the third one was being assem- As for the feasibility of more for- facilities for large-scale production Force flew its first flight in Nizhny bled and the fourth one was to eign orders now being negotiated, of the aircraft that is new to the Novgorod on 19 May this year. In be brought to the assembly shop Irkut will handle them. plant. August, it was delivered, and the At a news conference during the Air Force displayed it, serialled 90, MAKS 2009 air show, Irkut President at its static exposition at MAKS Oleg Demchenko said that eight 2009 in Zhukovsky, while the first more Yak-130s were slated for pro- preproduction Yak-130 performed duction and preparation for delivery in the flight programme of the show, by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant. He also having been furnished the so-called said that the Yak-130 had completed ‘English cockpit’, the export variant the first stage of its official trials of the information display system. with the baseline weapons fit in April According to Sokol plant this year, and its expanded weapons Director General Alexander fit trials were expected to wrap up Karezin, the company this year is

before year-end. to manufacture four Yak-130s for Yerokhin Yevgeny www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 15 military aviation | report

MiG-29K back on deck!

In later September, the MiG Corporation conducted successful flight trials of the advanced MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB multirole carrierborne fighters ordered by the Indian Navy (IN). The trials took place on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. The first deck landing on the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea was conducted on 28 September by MiG Corp. chief test pilot Pavel Vlasov flying the MiG-29K prototype serialled 941. MiG Corp. test pilots Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev followed him on the production MiG-29KUB twinseater painted in the customer’s colour scheme. In the course of two days, both aircraft performed several takeoffs and deck landings that proved the feasibility of safe operation of advanced fighters from aircraft carriers. Interestingly, the MiG-29K/KUB’s flight tests on board the Admiral Kuznetsov had taken place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the first deck landings of Russia’s fourth-generation supersonic fighters and had become a kind of MiGs’ comeback to the deck. On 1 November 1989, a prototype MiG-29K of the previous model touched down on and then took off from this ship that was designated as Tbilisi at the time. Several more series of tests were conducted over several years afterwards, but for a number of reasons a decision was taken to have the Sukhoi Su-33 (Su-27K) shipborne fighter enter inventory of the Russian Navy’s air arm. History has made another twist, and now advanced MiG-29K/KUB being in full-rate production for a foreign customer could be used by the Russian Navy in the near future.

16 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | report

That the advanced MiG-29K/KUB carri- erborne fighters were to perform a series of test flights on board the Admiral Kuznetsov became known soon after the carrier returned from its Mediterranean cruise in March and commenced long-term maintenance. To test advanced MiGs on deck and train the pilots of the 279th shipborne fighter air regiment of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, who have not flown their Su-33s and Su-25UTGs from the carrier in 2009 and unable to hone their flying skills at the Nitka training facility in the Crimea, a decision was taken to suspend the Admiral Kuznetsov’s maintenance for a while, so she sailed to the Barents Sea in September. In later September, two brand-new carri- erborne MiGs flew to Severomorsk from the Moscow Region – these were the MiG-29K single-seat prototype serialled 941 and the production-standard MiG-29KUB twinseater serialled 672 already painted in the Indian Navy colour scheme. The two were crewed by MiG Corp.’s test pilots Pavel Vlasov (MiG Corp. dep- uty Director General for flight operations, chief

Traditional throwing a pilot into the air after his first deck landing, 28 September 2009. Five minutes ago, Pavel Vlasov landed his MiG-29K on deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov for the first time…

Andrey FOMIN Photos by Eduard Chalenko

…and only two hours later, he is taxiing to the launching position for the first take-off from the ship

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 17 military aviation | report

While the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB fighters, which have just landed on deck, are being maintained at the maintenance area, the military pilots form Severomorsk are using the lull in the test flights: the final approach of the Su-25UTG, on which pilots with the 279th shipborne fighter air regiment are training

Capt. 1st Rank Vyacheslav Rodionov, commanding officer of the crews remained overnight at the Severomorsk-3 Admiral Kuznetsov through-deck cruiser, is giving MiG Corp. test air base, resuming operations from the carrier on pilots Nikolay Diorditsa, Pavel Vlasov and Mikhail Belyayev (left the next day. Vlasov again brought his MiG-29K to right) diplomas for their first deck landings on deck at about 13.00 on 29 September. The hook of Diorditsa and Belyayev’s twinseater snagged the arrestor line about half an hour later. Soon, both fighters left the Admiral Kuznetsov again, with the singleseater taking off at about 14.00 followed by the twinseater an hour later. The advanced MiG fighters’ flight-test pro- gramme on board the Admiral Kuznetsov through-deck cruiser, observed on deck by MiG Corp. Director General Mikhail Pogosyan and representatives of the Indian Navy and Russian Defence Ministry, was pronounced a success. According to Mikhail Pogosyan, the flight tri- als of the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB on board the Admiral Kuznetsov have crowned Russia’s endeavour to develop a sophisticated carrierborne of the Fedotov Flight Test Centre, chief test pilot tary test pilot Col. Oleg Spichka, who used to fighter. He thanked the pilots for the great job of MiG Corp.), Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail fly Su-33s and Su-25UTGs from the Admiral done and emphasised that carrier operations Belyayev. The former two had had an experi- Kuznetsov and Nitka. required top-notch flying skills. The MiG Corp. ence in operating from deck: Merited Test Pilot, Late in September, the advanced MiGs start- leader said he was certain that the successful Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov participated in the ed taking off from the Severomorsk-3 air base carrier trials would facilitate the progress of the tests of the MiG-29K prototypes in the early and flying around the Admiral Kuznetsov in the MiG-29K/KUB programme in India and a ‘90s, and Merited Test Pilot, Hero of Russia Barents Sea, gradually reducing the altitude of keener interest of other foreign customers in Nikolay Diorditsa as a military test pilot with their flypasts over her deck and finally starting advanced aircraft from MiG Corp. He also was the Defence Ministry’s Flight Test Centre was doing touch-and-go. The trial flights demon- certain that the MiG-29K/KUB would come in heavily involved in the official and special trials strated the preparedness of the planes and pilots handy to the Russian Armed Forces as well. of the Su-33 and Su-25UTG on the Admiral to land on deck. MiG Corp.’s aircraft plant in the town Kuznetsov. Having gotten out of uniform as The first deck landing in the trials was per- of Lukhovitsy is completing several produc- colonel, he has been working as test pilot for formed by MiG Corp. chief test pilot Pavel tion-standard MiG-29K/KUBs as part of the MiG Corp.’s Fedotov Flight Test Centre since Vlasov on his MiG-29K side number 941 at first 16-ship batch ordered by the Indian Navy 2003. Test Pilot 1st Class Mikhail Belyayev is a 11.47 on 28 September. He was followed by in January 2004. The first group of Indian naval leading Fedotov Flight Test Centre test pilot on Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev on pilots started their conversion training, using the the MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-35 programmes. their MiG-29KUB (No. 672) twinseater less first four of the fighters as far back as last year, He also learnt supermanoeuvrable piloting on than half an hour later. The fighters taxied to the with the first MiG-29K/KUBs expected to be the MiG-29M OVT No. 156. prelaunch area at the stern of the carrier to gear headed for India before year-end. MiG Corp. In addition to the three MiG Corp. pilots, up for another sortie, and Vlasov launched his is intent on delivering the last of the 16 aircraft the MiG-29K/KUB test flight programme on MiG-29K off deck for the second time less than (12 singleseaters and four twinseaters) in 2010. board the Admiral Kuznetsov involved Defence two hours later, at 13.57. Then, Diorditsa and However, this, most probably, will not be the end Ministry’s Chkalov Flight Test Centre mili- Belyayev took off on their MiG-29KUB. The of it. The Times of India reported on 4 October

18 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru military aviation | report

Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev are The possibility of fielding the taking off on their MiG-29KUB on another test MiG-29K/KUB with the Russian Navy’s air flight from the ski-jump ramp arm does not mean, however, that they will of the Admiral Kuznetsov oust the current Su-33 carrierborne fighters completely. During 1992–96, KnAAPO built and delivered to the Navy a total of 26 produc- tion aircraft of the type, most of which remains in service by means of regular maintenance and repair. The intent of the Russian Defence Ministry to retain the Su-33 in its inventory for years to come is proven, among other things, by the requests for overhaul and upgrade of six Su-33s and 12 engines for them in 2009–10. The requests were published on the Russian

The MiG-29K is unfolding its wing at the launching area. Two minutes later, Pavel Vlasov will take off from the Admiral Kuznetsov’s deck for the first time. 28 September 2009

that the Indian Defence Ministry was about to submit a proposal to the government for buying a second batch of 29 MiG-29K/KUBs that are options under the 2004 contract. The daily estimates the value of the deal at $1.12 billion. The Indian Defence Ministry was prompted to take the decision by the successful MiG-29K/KUB trials on board the Admiral Kuznetsov, which proved the advanced fighters to be fit for operating from ski-jump ramp-equipped aircraft carriers. It is this kind MiG Corp. Director General Mikhail Pogosyan of the carrier that the Admiral Gorshkov (centre) and test pilots Nikolay Diorditsa through-deck cruiser will become after its and Mikhail Belyayev following another deck landing of the MiG-29KUB on the Admiral Indian Navy-ordered upgrade and modification Kuznetsov on 29 September 2009 in Severomorsk has been complete. A pending decision by the Russian Defence Ministry on buying over two dozen MiG-29K/KUB are superior to the current government’s Web site (www.zakupki.gov.ru) MiG-29K/KUB aircraft for the Admiral Su-33 operated by the 279th shipborne fighter in October. They provide for “extending the Kuznetsov’s air regiment now operating only air regiment in terms of the weapon system and assigned characteristics of the service life of Su-33s as part of its fighter component is to carry a far wider range of precision guided muni- the Su-33 aircraft and their components to 700 be just as important to the MiG corporation. tions. At the same time, for entering service with flying hours or 1,500 landings, the time before The RIA Novosti news agency reported on 30 the Russian Navy, the shipborne MiGs will the first overhaul – to 16 years and the assigned September, citing its sources in the Defence have, probably, to undergo some modifications life – to 26 years”. This means that the Su-33s Ministry and defence industry, “The Russian due to a number of foreign-made systems on will be able to remain in service until 2018–22. Defence Ministry is going to buy 26 MiG-29K board the current MiG-29K/KUB. Apparently, Hence, in the medium term, the shipborne carrierborne fighters for the Russian Navy until some of them will have to be replaced with fighter fleet of the Russian Navy, probably, will year-end 2011”. Developed on order from the domestic analogues so that the Russian military consist of two aircraft types – the Su-33 and Indian Navy and produced by MiG Corp., the buy the planes. MiG-29K/KUB. www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 19 civil aviation | in brief First Russian-built An-148 delivered

The first production-standard Antonov An-148-100B regional air- liner built by Voronezh-based VASO plant was handed over to the cus- tomer in a ceremony at the factory airfield on 1 October. VASO had made the airliner ordered by the Finance Co. (IFC) leasing company for the Rossiya air company. Aircraft RA-61701 (c/n 40-03) com- pleted its maiden flight in Voronezh on 19 July this year and was demon- strated at the MAKS 2009 air show in August. Its handover to the customer had been preceded by its certification and acceptance tests completed in September. The acceptance report was signed by VASO Director General Vitaly Zubarev,

IFC Director General Alexander Rubtsov Aleksey Mikheyev

ation has changed. The first aircraft rier will be able to start operating the like that goes to a major Russian An-148 soon. “The first commercial airline, Rossiya”. flight is slated for year-end”, the He also called the An-148 pro- Rossiya Director General said, not- gramme a good example of the ing that the aircraft would, probably, Russian-Ukrainian cooperation, “The start flying on the St. Petersburg – aircraft is assembled here, in Russia, Moscow service and then would but individual units and components, begin to explore other operations including engines and the wing box, served by the airline. The first group are made by Ukrainian suppliers. As of Rossiya aircrews has converted you can see, the Ukrainian-Russian to the new aircraft type in Ukraine, cooperation works despite the known at the facilities of the Aerosvit airline tension in our bilateral relations. When that was the first CIS carrier to launch there is much to gain, when every- scheduled commercial operations of thing is well substantiated, everything the An-148. Rossiya’s ground crews turns out right. It is this way that are being trained both in Ukraine and everything has turned out this time”, in the Russian city of Voronezh. The the vice-premier concluded. IFC-Technic company will provide According to Rossiya Director operational support of the An-148

Vladimir Karnozov / UAC General Roman Pakhomov, the car- for Rossiya. As of the handover of the first and Rossiya Director General Roman Russian-built An-148, there were Pakhomov. The ceremony was attend- two more airliners in various degrees ed by Deputy Prime Minister Sergey of completeness, sitting in VASO’s Ivanov, Voronezh Region Governor assembly shop. The second pro- Alexey Gordeyev and UAC President duction An-148, already painted in Alexey Fyodorov. the customer’s colour scheme and Addressing the crowd, Vice-Premier given registration number RA-61702, Sergey Ivanov called the delivery of is slated for delivery in November. the first production An-148 “a mile- The third production An-148 is to be stone for the Russian aircraft indus- completed by the end of the year. try”, stressing that the airliner was the Further down the road, VASO is going first production regional passenger to keep on increasing the An-148’s aircraft delivered over the past decade output to churn out 36 units per and a half. “Come to think of it”, annum starting from 2013. To date, Ivanov told the attendees, “We have the manufacturer has landed 56 firm not built aircraft like that in series for orders for Russian-made An-148s,

as many as 15 years! Finally, the situ- Vladimir Karnozov / UAC with 54 options.

20 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | in brief Sukhoi SuperJet seeking type certificate

No doubt, the advanced Sukhoi SuperJet 100 regional airliner was the key attention grabber at the MAKS 2009 air show in August. Its second flying prototype (c/n 95003), which has been undergoing tests since last December, flew daily as part of the flight demonstration pro- gramme, while the third flying pro- totype (c/n 95004), which first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 25 July

2009 and had its passenger cabin Aleksey Mikheyev fitted after its arrival to Zhukovsky in the run-up to MAKS 2009, had been firm orders for the airliner. Next year, the SuperJet’s launch customer but near future. Situated in mountainous shown as a static display for the first the company is to have an output of would not name the end users for a terrain, Shirak international airport three days of the show. 15–20 aircraft a year, 30–40 units long time) and Yakutia airline. operates in support of Armenia’s sec- According to Sukhoi Director a year in 2011 and as many as 50 The certification trials of the ond-largest city, Gyumri. Built in 1961, General Mikhail Pogosyan, the com- aircraft in 2012. According to Mikhail SuperJet are in full swing. Soon after it was upgraded in 2007 and issued an pany’s civil aviation priority is the Pogosyan, Sukhoi’s production facili- MAKS 2009, on 10 September, the ICAO 1st Class Certificate. Its feature speedy completion of the bulk of ties allow an output of up to 70 units aircraft c/n 95003 was headed for is that it is virtually surrounded by the SSJ100’s certification tests and per annum in the future. Armenia for its takeoff/landing tests mountains; hence, takeoff and landing preparation of the early produc- During the show, Sukhoi and and in mountainous terrain. It was approach are possible from the south tion-standard aircraft for delivery to VEB-Leasing signed an agreement on to be based at Shirak airport in the only. The runway measures 3,200 m the launch customers. The customers’ financing the delivery of the first ten city of Gyumri (over 1,500 m above long and 45 m wide. air and ground crews began to train Sukhoi SuperJet 100s to . An sea level). The tests are especially The certification trials in Armenia, for operation of the advanced aircraft agreement for two aircraft also was important because Armenian airline which were wrapped up on 21 in October. By late this year, Sukhoi made among Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, Armavia is to become one of the September when SSJ100 c/n 95003 Civil Aircraft (SCAC) plans to land 150 the FLC leasing company (it became two SuperJet launch customers in the got back to Zhukovsky, comprised Mitya Aleshkovskiy

long flights and go-arounds on a single engine, with most of the takeoffs including simulated failure of an engine, including doing so with the maximum takeoff weight. During the flight trials at Shirak airport, the SuperJet proved the manufacturer’s performance ratings and displayed the compliance of all systems subject to high-altitude certification. The certification pro- gramme in Armenia was flown by SCAC’s senior test pilot Alexander Yablontsev and test pilot Vadim Shirokikh and IAC Aircraft Registry’s

Aleksey Mikheyev test pilot Mikhail Torokhov.

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 21 civil aviation | in brief IFC sells 26 more Tu-204s

During the MAKS 2009 air on the June 2007 deal due to a operating the Tu-204-300 airliner Tu-204-100B (RA-64048) is to be show, the Ilyushin Finance Co. change to its plans. The Aviastar since 2007. The aircraft will be delivered to a new customer. leasing company signed contracts plant in Ulyanovsk completed the remanufactured from the Tu-204 Finally, the fourth Tu-204 to and agreements on delivery of first aircraft this summer. It flew (RA-64013) built in 1993 and long enter service before year-end will 26 more medium-haul passenger its maiden mission on 9 August stored by Aviastar. be the VIP-version Tu-204-300A and cargo aircraft of the while the second aircraft hav- According to Aviastar-SP (RA-64010) derived by Aviastar Tu-204 family to domestic and for- ing completed its first flight on Director General Mikhail from a 1993-built Tu-204 on eign customers. The largest firm 29 October. Aviastar-TU carrier Shushpanov, the company is to order from the Tupolev joint stock contract was signed by IFC and the now has three Tu-204C freighters deliver another four aircraft of company for VTB-Leasing. It con- Atlant-Soyuz airline on 20 August (RA-64021, 64024, 64032) built the Tu-204 family this year. The ducted its first flight in its new for 15 Tu-204SM upgraded airlin- in 2000–03 and two Tu-204-100 two freighters earmarked for the capacity on 13 August 2009, mak- ers to be delivered in 2011–12. airliners (RA-64011, 64017) made Aviastar-TU airline were described ing its debut at MAKS 2009 (see Under the contract, the first eight in 1993 and 1996. previously. Another aircraft is the the photo). As far as Take-off’s aircraft are to be delivered in 2011, IFC has clinched two more Tu-204-100B airliner (RA-64048) editorial office knows, two more with the remaining seven to fol- Tu-204 deals with foreign cus- built in May, supposed to become Tu-204-300As in this variant low suit a year later. The contract tomers. On 20 August, it signed the sixth and last plane in the batch (RA-64055 and RA-64057) are to became a logical extension of the a pre-contractual agreement with ordered by the Red Wings air car- be built in Ulyanovsk in 2010 for agreement IFC and Atlant-Soyuz Brazilian upstart Clean Air plan- rier and given an original orange the Rossiya governmental special had gone into at the Le Bourget air ning to launch its operations advertising colour scheme of the air detachment. show in June. in December 2009. Under the Coral Travel company. However, Under the Tu-204 programme, IFC awarded another firm agreement, Clean Air is to take it has become known recently that Aviastar in the near future will Tu-204 contract to the Aviastar-TU delivery of four Tu-204SM airlin- Red Wings will not accept the focus on productionising the heav- airline in Ulyanovsk. The contract ers and two Tu-204SMC freight- aircraft, and, according to Mikhail ily upgraded Tu-204SM. The first provides for delivery of two new ers. On the same day, IFC signed Shushpanov, the manufacturer prototype is to start its trials in Tu-204C (Tu-204-100C) freight- an agreement for two similar is looking for a new buyer. So April 2010. The Tu-204SM trials ers with a carrying capacity of 30 freighters with one option with far, a decision has been taken to may also involve the Tu-204-100B t during November and December Ecuadorean company Icaro that, use RA-64048 as a flying testbed (RA-64053) that is being assem- this year under a 15-year finan- too, ordered two An-148-100s during the trials of the advanced bled. The first production-stand- cial leasing agreement. The two from IFC. PS-90A2 engine designed to ard Tu-204SMs are to be made aircraft, RA-64051 and 64052, There is also information on power production-standard by the end of 2010 for the launch used to be designed for the IFC’s Web site that the com- Tu-204SM. The prototype engine customer, Iran Airtour, which Air Bridge Cargo air company pany intends to deliver in 2010 was mounted on the wing of the placed five firm orders. Deliveries (a member of the Volga-Dnepr a Tu-204-100B to North Korean airliner in September. When the to other air companies, including group) that decided to go back carrier Air Koryo that has been tests are over in November, the Atlant-Soyuz, will follow then. Aleksey Mikheyev

22 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | in brief Polyot receives new Il-96-400Ts

In addition to the delivery of the first An-148 regional airliner to the Rossiya airline, VASO handed over the second Ilyushin Il-96-400T wide-body freighter (RA-96102) to the Polyot air company in a ceremony on 1 October. VASO Director General Vitaly Zubarev, IFC Director General Alexander Rubtsov and Polyot Deputy Director General Alexander Karpov signed the accept- ance report. As is known, Polyot took deliv- ery of the first Il-96-400T serialled

RA-96101 on 23 April this year, Vladimir Karnozov / UAC with the plane starting regular commercial operations in Russia menced the acceptance of the third enter the carrier’s fleet soon. In the The final assembly of the fourth and abroad on 27 September. On Il-96-400T (RA-96103) built by future, Polyot could use its option production-standard Il-96-400T 19 October, the carrier’s com- VASO this summer. It is expected to for three more aircraft of the type. (RA-96104) is underway. Transaero flies three Tu-214s Yakutia started operating its third An-140

In mid-October, the Yakutia airline Yakutia air company is the first and started regular passenger services the only Russian user of regional air- using the new 52-seat An-140-100 liners of the type. The three An-140s (RA-41252) regional turboprop air- in its aircraft fleet were delivered liner built by the Aviakor plant in under a contract it made with the Samara this summer. The aircraft Financial Leasing Company (FLC). was first shown at the MAKS 2009 At present, talks are underway with air show in August. Soon after the the Russian Machines corporation, show and the airliner’s return to Aviakor plant, Vensheconombank Samara, Yakutia’s personnel started and VEB-Leasing company on deliv- acceptance of the new aircraft that ering four more An-140-100s to the was ferried to the city of Yakutsk carrier.

Andrey Pechenkin on 27 September, and in October “With an increase in the flew its first passenger flight from number of aircraft of the type, On 2 October, the airfield of success on domestic and inter- Yakutsk to Khabarovsk. we will increase the number of Kazan-based KAPO plant hosted national services”, said Transaero Yakutia launched the opera- flights to Khabarovsk, Magadan, the ceremony of handover to the Director General Olga Pleshakova in tion of its first An-140 serialled Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Transaero airline of the third Tupolev connection with the delivery of the RA-41250 in September 2006. In other cities and will step up the air Tu-214 (RA-64518) airliner built third Tu-214. “To do so, we have December 2007, it started oper- services between the Far Eastern under the contract between KAPO skilled personnel and an adequate ating the upgraded An-140-100 Federal District and other parts of and the Financial Leasing Company route network. We have always (RA-41251) featuring a wider the Russian Federation”, Yakutia for five airliners of the type. The been satisfied with the reliability wingspan and an improved design Director General Ivan Prostit said on aircraft flew its maiden flight on 5 of the aircraft. Over the two years of the engine nacelles housing connection with the delivery of the August this year. Like the rest of the and a half that they have been part TV3-117VMA-SBM1 engines. The third An-140. Tu-214s designed for the carrier, it of our fleet, Transaero has had no has the two-class 184-seat layout problems with flight operation of (eight business-class seats and 176 their PS-90A engines. The company economy-class ones). is ready to complete its side of the As is known, Transaero received deal for ten Tu-214s and is doing its its first Tu-214 serialled RA-64509 utmost to this end”. in April 2007 and the second one, In addition to the three Tu-214s, RA-64549, in November 2008. “The Transaero’s aircraft fleet comprises company has proved that it can 45 Boeing planes – two 777s, 11 –

operate aircraft of the type with 767s, 13 – 747s and 19 – 737s. Kabernik Yury www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 23 civil aviation | project Andrey Fomin

MC-21 programme engine makers go around Once the programme on developing the advanced Sukhoi SuperJet 100 airliner Director General and Designer General, was came into the straight, and the aircraft made its debut at home and abroad, design- in this connection appointed UAC vice-presi- ers turned to another promising Russian civil aviation project – the development of dent for the MC-21 programme. Having ana- a family of MC-21 short- and medium-haul airliners. According to the developer, the lysed the results produced by the first stage of airliners will have a wide range of operation capabilities, tailored to the Russian and the programme, UAC took a decision in 2003 foreign markets and capable of facilitating airlines’ reaching a radically new level of to keep on pursuing the programme. Thus, economic efficiency, including doing so by slashing the direct operating costs by the MC-21 passed its first ‘gate’. 15% compared the current aircraft in the same class. The MC-21 programme is at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, Irkut Corp.’s sub- pre-design and key systems supplier selection stage. The results of several tenders sidiary, will handle the construction of pro- on selecting first-tier suppliers for the MC-21 were announced on 20 August, but the totype and production-standard MC-21s. In final competitions on the powerplant, avionics and control systems have been put off addition to prime developer Yakovlev, other until year-end. players of the aircraft industry are taking part The MC-21 short- and medium-haul air- developing an advanced short- and medi- in designing the aircraft. For instance, Irkut’s liner family comprises the baseline models – um-haul passenger aircraft designed to oust subsidiary Taganrog-based company the MC-21-200, MC-21-300 and MC-21-400 the Tu-154M fleet gradually and put up stiff is tasked with developing the tail section with seating capacities of 150, 181 and 212 in competition to the Boeing 737 and A320 that (Compartment F5), horizontal and vertical the single-class layout (see the table). Each have been increasingly demanded by Russian tails, auxiliary power unit (APU) compart- of the baseline models is to have a number air carriers. The financing of the MC-21’s ment as well as control, air conditioning, of variants differing in range. The baseline conceptual designing began in 2005. By fire-suppressant and hydraulic systems. models will have the 5,000–5,500-km range, then, the prime developer, Yakovlev, joined Sukhoi Civil Aircraft was subcontracted but provision was made for extended-range the Irkut scientific and production corpora- to develop the composite wing. The initial (ER) versions and, as far as the MC-21-200 tion (the official acquisition of Yakovlev took design stage (the so-called ‘second gate’) model is concerned, a long-range (LR) vari- place in April 2004). was passed in September 2008, after which ant. The MC-21-200 prototype is slated for its Two years later, Ilyushin pulled out of the Irkut launched the full-scale initial design maiden flight in 2014, and the completion of programme, having focussed on transport air- of the airliner and selection of key systems the certification tests and kickoff of deliveries craft development, with Irkut appointed prime suppliers. The third gate is to be passed, for 2016. contractor for the MC-21 programme as part i.e. a preliminary design is to be completed, The MC-21 programme, jointly promoted of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in in December this year so as detail design by the Yakovlev design bureau and Ilyushin July 2007. Considering the importance of the and preliminary agreements with potential aviation complex, won in 2003 the ten- MC-21 programme to UAC, Irkut President customers can commence in January 2010. der issued by the Russian authorities for Oleg Demchenko, being also Yakovlev However, to do so, the developer has to com-

24 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru civil aviation | project 11 subcontractors of the MC-21 On 20 August 2009, Irkut announced that it had selected first-tier suppliers of 11 key systems of the MC-21, while the powerplant, avionics and integrated flight control system tenders would continue. The winners of the completed tenders were as follows: - landing gear – the Gydromash JSC, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; - APU – Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; - integrated air conditioning system – Nauka scientific and technical association, Moscow, Russia, in cooperation with Hamilton Sundstrand and the Hamilton Sundstrand/Nauka joint ven- ture; - electrical system – ECE, Zodiac Aerospace Corporation, , in cooperation with Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; - interior layout – C&D, Zodiac Aerospace, USA; - fuel system – Intertechnique, Zodiac Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV Aerospace, France Andrey FOMIN - oxygen generation system – Intertechnique, Zodiac Aerospace, France; - inert gas system – Intertechnique, Zodiac ing to calm the pro- Aerospace, France, in cooperation with Hamilton ponents of domestic Sundstrand, USA; designs down: the - fire suppressant system - L’Hotellier, France, Russian variant of Kidd Technologies corporation, in cooperation the future powerplant, with Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; which prime developer - hydraulic system – Eaton corporation, United is the United Engine States, that will order over 50% of hydraulic Corporation (UEC) and system parts and units from Russia manufac- specifically its subsidiary turers Voskhod, Teploobmennik, Znamya and Perm Motors, is in a class Tekhpribor; by itself and will get the - wing anti-icing system – Hamilton Sundstrand, plete the tenders right to power the MC-21 USA. on first-tier subcontractors once it has been completed for 14 systems, in the first place, of which and if customers want it. the key one is, probably, the powerplant. At In this connection, Irkut President of the federal programme on developing the Paris air show earlier this year, UAC chief Demchenko told a news conference at the engine industry in Russia. According Alexey Fyodorov said the results produced MAKS 2009 that UAC’s development of the to Demchenko, if the engine has been by the tenders on the systems in question future PD-14 engine (part of the “Future developed and has shown acceptable char- would be summed up before MAKS 2009 and 9–18-tonne thrust engine family” being acteristics and there have been customers announced during the same show. developed by Perm engine makers) is not preferring it by the time the MC-21 hits the The miracle did not happen. Actually, linked specifically to the MC-21 as such, market, the advanced Russian engine will be it proved to be incomplete: the finalists in with the engine being developed as part installed on the MC-21 as well. three tenders (including a key one dedicated MC-21 basic design data to the powerplant) were not selected. The engine makers were told to go around: the MC-21-200 MC-21-300 MC-21-400 tender committee led by Oleg Demchenko Seating capacity (singe-class layout, 812 mm/32 inch pitch) 150 181 212 and set up by UAC’s management failed to Seating capacity (tighter singe-class layout, 736 mm/29-30 inch pitch) 162 198 230 select the acceptable powerplant variant at Thrust, t 2x12.5 2х14 2х15.6 the first push and left two contenders, Pratt Length, m 35.9 41.5 46.7 & Whitney and Rolls Royce, on the short- Wingspan, m 35.9 35.9 36.8 list. The decision may surprise the outsiders Height, m 11.4 11.5 12.7 who may wonder, “What about the domestic Maximum takeoff weight, t 67.6 76.18 87.23 programme on the advanced engine family Maximum cruising speed, km/h (Mach) 850 (0.8) developed in Perm, which was designed for Maximum ceiling, m 12,000 the MC-21 from the outset”? We are hasten- Range with max seating capacity, km 5,000 5,000 5,500 www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 25 industry | in brief Ka-32 certificated in EU

On 28 September, the European the EU skies for the Ka-32A11BC, Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) removing any restrictions on its certificated Kamov Ka-32A11BC commercial operation by private EU all-weather multi-purpose transport users. helicopter for operation in the EU, The Ka-32A11BC was derived having issued it with Type Certificate by the Kamov company from EASA.IM.R.133. The certificate the Ka-32A model certificated in allows commercial operation of the Russia in 1993 in line with the Russian machine by any EU user. requirements of Canadian province Until the EASA granted its cer- British Columbia (hence the letters tificate, EU members had used BC in its designation) and was

several Ka-32A11BCs on a limited issued a FAR29 type certificate Kamov scale under Specific Airworthiness by Canada. The Kumertau Aircraft Specifications only to handle Production Company (KumAPP) Featuring the typical Kamov comes EASA’s decision and hope some peculiar jobs, e.g. firefight- launched its production for export. coaxial-rotor configuration, the for the agency to do the same as to ing and assembly of high-voltage Like Kamov, KumAPP is part of Ka-32A11BC has a number of con- other Russian-made helicopters are power lines in mountainous terrain, the helicopter-making holding siderable advantages over single-ro- concerned”. doing so in support of governmen- company managed by the Russian tor machines on special mission Today Ka-32 helicopters tal agencies only. Type Certificate Helicopters joint stock company, a under difficult conditions, but also is are operated by Spain (ten EASA.IM.R.133 opens access to subsidiary of Oboronprom Corp. well fit for such routine, as passen- Ka-32A11BCs), Portugal (six ger and cargo hauling, patrolling, Ka-32A11BCs), Switzerland (a search and rescue (SAR) opera- Ka-32A12), Canada, South Korea, tions, etc. Chile, Mexico, Japan, China, “Russian-built helicopters show Papua – New Guinea, etc. South up in the skies of united Europe Korea’s Ka-32 fleet exceeds regularly, but their use is restricted 60 machines used with success by EU aviation laws, which ham- both by the foresters to suppress pers the Russian Helicopters sales forest fires and by the South growth on the European Union mar- Korean police and naval air arm. ket”, says Russian Helicopter of In all, over 160 production-stand- Director General Andrey Shibitov. ard Ka-32s in various versions “The EASA certificate for the have been made (let alone the Ka-32A11BC opens bright vistas for numerous military derivatives, the advanced helicopter that has e.g. the Ka-27, Ka-29, Ka-31, proven its worth in many EU coun- etc.) and operated proactively in

Alexey Mikheyev Alexey tries. Russian Helicopters JSC wel- Russia and all over the world. Turbomeca to supply engines to fit Mi-34

On 20 August, the MAKS 2009 air gas-turbine derivative for five show saw the signing by Russian years to come. Helicopters and Turbomeca a mem- The Sapsan helicopter became orandum on deliveries of engines the centrepiece of the pavilion to equip the first Russian-built exposition of Russian Helicopters turbine-powered light helicopter, at MAKS 2009. The emergence of the Mil Mi-34S2 Sapsan, which the Sapsan reflects the policies is a heavily upgraded derivative of the Russian helicopter holding of the Mi-34 light piston-engined company, aimed at diversifying its helicopter that used to be built by product range in line with market the Progress plant in the town of requirements. Arsenyev. New Mi-34 versions are being The document was signed developed to handle corporate and by Russian Helicopters Director private passenger operations, ini- General Andrey Shibitov and tial flight training, medical evacu- Turbomeca Vice-President Maxime ation and terrain monitoring, the Faribault. The memorandum gov- latter ranging from environment erns the deliveries of Arrius 2F and oil pipeline monitoring to

engines to fit the Mi-34’s advanced policing. Yerokhin Yevgeny

26 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru industry | in brief Ansat-U expected by the military

The MAKS 2009 air show saw the debut of the Ansat-U trainer helicopter shown as a static display of its launch customer, the Russian Air Force. The report on the Ansat-U’s offi- cial trials completion and the reso- lution on launching its full-scale production by Kazan Helicopters were signed on 26 December 2008. Thus, the Ansat-U is to turn into the basic trainer for Russian mili- tary helicopter crews, ousting the obsolete Mi-2 still used by military

flight schools. Andrey Fomin The Ansat-U was derived in line with the Russian Defence Ministry’s The Ansat’s serious advantage is still developing the VK-800 tur- in October 2006 and was com- performance specification from the over many Western counterparts boshaft, while adapting it to the pleted on 25 November last year. Ansat multipurpose light helicopter, lies in its two engines stepping Ansat will call for modifications to The acceptance report and decision which production Kazan Helicopters up its reliability and safety by far. the powertrain, rotor system and on having Kazan Helicopters launch has been running for five years now. By the way, the Ansat-U, like its flight control system. the production of the Ansat-U paved The principal features setting the baseline model, is powered by To date, Kazan Helicopters have the way to service entry for the air- trainer apart from its baseline model Canadian-made PW-207K tur- made over 15 production Ansats in craft. As was repeatedly reported include the twin controls and twin boshaft engines, and the Russian addition to the six prototypes. An in the press, the plant has landed instrument set, relevant modifica- Defence Ministry does not mind, Ansat-U prototype commenced the a launch order for 12 Ansat-Us. tions to the flight control system because, unfortunately, there is no trials in April 2004. Its official test Six of them are expected to enter and replacement of the skids with production-standard analogue to programme began in the Defence service with the Russian Air Force wheeled landing gear. the PW-207K in Russia yet. Ministry’s State Flight Test Centre this year. Ka-226T gearing up for certification

Another novelty of the MAKS tion Ka-226s were powered by Rolls Preparations are underway for in the Indian Defence Ministry-issued 2009 air show in the past August Royce 250-C20R/2 engines. The the Ka-226T to enter its certifica- tender for 197 advanced light multi- was the upgraded Kamov Ka-226T introduction of Arrius turboshafts tion tests slated for completion late purpose helicopters. multipurpose helicopter equipped allows a hefty increase in virtually in 2010 so that the machine can hit The Ka-226T prototype shown at with Arrius 2G1 engines from all characteristics of helicopters of the market in 2011. The Russian MAKS 2009 was built this summer, French company Turbomeca. Until the type, especially high-and-hot Helicopters joint stock company, an with its maiden flight completed in recently, the prototype and produc- performance and service altitude. Oboronprom subsidiary, is bidding July. Overall, three prototypes are planned for the certification trials. As the Take-off correspondent was told by a source in Russian Helicopters, the machine has achieved a flight altitude of 7,000 m, and “the alti- tude was not the limit, there is a margin to take up”. Owing to the effective rotor system and advanced powerplant, the static ceiling has hiked and the carrying capacity is retained within a wider flight alti- tude and temperature bracket. “The helicopter will become especially appealing to the states operating rotary-wing aircraft in mountain- ous terrain and in the tropics”, the source stressed. The company hopes that “the Indian Air Force will turn out to be among the early

Andrey Fomin Ka-226T buyers”.

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 27 industry | in brief Ka-62 on Russian Helicopters priority list

The first prototype of the advanced statement by Russian Helicopters ary Russian Helicopters is, with the plant type for the Ka-62, while French Kamov Ka-62 transport/passen- leaders during a presentation at the RD-600V’s developer NPO Saturn as engine Ardiden 3G earlier planned for ger helicopter being derived from MAKS 2009 air show. NPO Saturn’s a member of UEC, will simplify the this role will become optional. The the baseline Ka-60 multipurpose RD-600V engines will power the debugging and productionising of Ka-62’s certification tests are to be troop carrier could be built by the machine. The establishing of the the engine by far. Therefore, a deci- completed and its production is to Progress aircraft plant in Arsenyev United Engine Corporation (UEC) as sion has been taken recently that the begin in 2012. Russian Helicopters early next year, according to the part of Oboronprom, which subsidi- RD-600V will be the principal power- estimate the market capacity for the 14-seat Ka-62 with the 6,500-kg takeoff weight at 350 units. Concurrently, the development of the Ka-62’s military baseline model goes on. Two Ka-60 prototypes are in their factory trials and could kick off their official test programme late this year. The Russian Defence Ministry’s requirement for such machines is estimated at 300–400 units. The Ka-60’s deliveries could start in 2011–12. The second pro- totype in the Ka-60U trainer variant with the twin controls was shown as a static display during the MAKS

Andrey Fomin 2009 air show. Russia and Ukraine agreed to pursue An-70 programme together

On 18 August during the MAKS the An-70 and its derivatives from An-70s ordered by the Ukrainian tion An-70T batch, with deliveries 2009 air show, there was the sign- the federal budget of the Russian Defence Ministry. If all goes to plan, to begin in 2013. The parties will ing of the Protocol on Amending the Federation and state budget of the first production-standard An-70 jointly realise their intent to use the 24 June 1993 Agreement between Ukraine”, an Antonov spokesperson is to be complete in early 2011. An-70T as part of international pro- the Government of the Russian said in this connection. In addition to the signing of the grammes. “Against the backdrop Federation and the Government of The An-70 prototype has arrived to protocol of the intergovernmen- of the cutthroat competition on the Ukraine on further cooperation in the Moscow and was shown as a static tal agreement, MAKS 2009 saw European market for the medium development, joint production and display during MAKS 2009 for the first Antonov and Russia’s Volga-Dnepr freighter niche contested by the selling of the Antonov An-70 mili- time since 2003 when Russia sus- group go into agreement of intent prospective A400M and upgraded tary airlifter and An-70T commercial pended its participation in the An-70 on joint promotion of the An-70T C-130J, both bolstered by their transport aircraft powered by D-27 test programme unilaterally, and the medium freighter on the market. manufacturers’ governments, the engines. Thus, Russia is resuming its then-Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Antonov Designer General Dmitry developers, manufacturers and participation in the An-70 programme Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov, lambasted Kiva and Volga-Dnepr President users have to pool our efforts to following a six-year interruption. the programme. Alexey Isaikin signed the agree- bring Ukrainian-Russian aircraft Russian Defence Minister At present, the Aviant plant in ment. An-70 to the European market and A.E. Serdyukov and Ukrainian Acting Kiev, a subsidiary of Antonov, is Under the agreement, Volga- then to the global one”, Dmitry Kiva Defence Minister V.V. Ivashchenko making the first two production Dnepr will order the first produc- said in this connection. signed the document. Under the pro- tocol, Russia and Ukraine will contin- ue the co-development and testing of the D-27-powered An-70 short take- off and landing aircraft and its ver- sions, including its civil applications. “The basis of the production coop- eration under the programme will be served by the cooperation between the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and Antonov state aircraft corpora- tion as well as the developers and manufacturers of components and materials. The parties shall finance

their joint development work on Andrey Fomin

28 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru industry | in brief PS-90A2 enters flight trials

On 17 October, the first flight of the Tupolev Tu-204-100B fly- ing testbed took place from the airfield of the Aviastar-SP plant in Ulyanovsk. One of the testbed’s PS-90A engines had been replaced with a heavily upgraded PS-90A2 turbofan being made by the Perm Motor Company in cooperation with Pratt & Whitney. The flying testbed designed for testing the PS-90A2 is a derivative of Tu-204-100B (RA-64048) airliner built by Aviastar-SP in May this year on order from Ilyushin Finance Co. for Red Wings airline. Red Wings

planned to use the airliner for char- Andrey Pozdeyev ter flights to popular resorts served by the Coral Travel company, which time the PS-90A2’s performance production-standard PS-90A, dif- The first aircraft to be outfitted logo was applied to the fuselage. was appraised in different modes, fering from its baseline model in a with the upgraded engine will be the However, Red Wings changed its including taxiing, takeoff and landing. 35% drop in the life cycle cost, a advanced Tu-204SM medium-haul air- mind, and the aircraft remained sit- Overall, the certification flight test 1.5–2-fold increase in reliability and liner. In November, Aviastar launched ting at Aviastar’s airfield. Now, a programme on the advanced engine a twofold reduction in maintenance the final assembly of its prototype new, unusual application has been provides for 25 flights. Three of them laboriousness. Its noise and emis- slated to enter its trials in spring 2010. found for it. However, the produc- had been logged in the first week sion parameters meet the future Iranian carrier Iran Airtour has placed tion PS-90A will be mounted back of the trials, on which the engine international standards, with the a firm order for five Tu-204SMs pow- on the wing of the airliner following logged about 5 h of operating time engine remaining interchangeable ered by PS-90A2s, with Atlant-Soyuz the PS-90A2 trials, and the plane is and underwent over 10 restarts. No with the PS-90A. Before year-end, having ordered 15 airliners of the expected to be ferried to a potential criticism was offered as far as the the PS-90A2 is supposed to be cer- type last summer. The Tu-204SM is foreign customer before year-end. powerplant’s operation is concerned. tificated under the AP-33 rules that expected to obtain its type certificate The first mission of the flying test- As is known, the PS-90A2 is a are the analogue of FAR33 (U.S.) in December next year, with its deliv- bed took 1 h 24 min, during which heavily upgraded derivative of the and JAR33 (EU). eries to start in 2011. Large order for engines to power Su-35

On 9 October, the Oboronprom dred advanced engines to fit the ation (KnAAPO) made a contract the Su-35S aircraft intended for the corporation announced a major deal, Su-35 fighters ordered by the Russian on AL-41F-1S (117S) engines for Russian Air Force. UMPO will have under which its subsidiary Ufa-based Air Force in August this year. advanced Su-35 multirole fighters”, made 96 engines until 2015, with Engine Production Association “UMPO and the Komsomolsk- reads an Oboronprom press release. the first batch to be shipped in (UMPO) is to deliver almost a hun- on-Amur Aircraft Production Associ- “The engines are designed to power 2010”. Thus, RusAF will receive thrust control vector engines for the first time. To date, Russian TVC engines have powered only the aircraft exported to India, Malaysia and Algeria: UMPO AL-31FP engines fit the Su-30MKI, Su-30MKM and Su-30MKI(A) supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters. “The AL-41F-1S (117S) is a Generation 4++ TVC turbofan”, Oboronprom reports. “It was ordered by the Sukhoi design bureau and is being co-developed by UMPO and Saturn. The AL-41F-1S (117S) is a derivative of the heavily upgraded AL-31F. Its thrust exceeds that of

KnAAPO the baseline model by 2 t”.

www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 29 industry | interview NIIP Tikhomirov’s AESA in trials

The active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar being developed by the Tikhomirov-NIIP joint stock company to fit a new-generation fighter was among the head-turners of the MAKS 2009 air show. At the show, Tikhomirov-NIIP unveiled a full-scale X-band AESA radar that had logged many bench tests in laboratories. The AESA radar is expected to begin its flight tests next year. Owing to its design commonality and technical solutions selected, it could spawn active electronically-scanned arrays to upgrade various radars equipping the fighters of the Su-27/Su-30 and MiG-29 families also. The Take-off editor met with Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely and asked him to tell about the AESA radar development programme.

Mr. Bely, what kind of radar system the The work is bund to succeed owing to the future fighter will have? phased array radar development experience As is known, the future fighter’s avionics gained by the institute over the past 40-plus suite will be wrapped around the multifunc- years. Suffice it to say, the institute pioneered tion AESA system, which prime contrac- airborne phased-array radar as far back as the tor our institute has been selected in a ten- 1970s. It was integrated with the fire der. It will be a whole “system of systems”, control radar system of the MiG-31 intercep- rather than an ordinary radar as we know it. tor fielded in 1981, with the aircraft remaining The system will have several active phased a most effective one in its class. arrays, including those of the X- and L-bands What stage are the AESA’s tests at? issues, which is only natural when develop- (the latter ones situated in the fighter’s wing The tests are on schedule, with the sched- ing cutting-edge high-tech gear. The results deflecting slats). ule approved by the customer, the Sukhoi of the tests are being analysed and relevant The AESA system Tikhomirov-NIIP is company. As was planned, we completed the modifications and improvements are being developing relies on domestic electronic com- intermediate X-band AESA lab test milestone introduced. The second example is being ponentry based on GaAs nanoheterostruc- last November and moved it to the integrated completed at the same time. Essentially, it tures and advanced AESA technologies. Our radar test bench. The tests of the experimen- will be an AESA radar prototype embodying AESA is based on up-to-date domestical- tal AESA radar proved our technical solu- the improvements stemming from the tests of ly-developed hybrid integral technologies. tions, but also revealed a number of serious the first, experimental example. The second

30 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru industry | interview

AESA radar is to be complete by year-end, and the antenna itself will have been ready even before that. Manufacture of the rest of the components and debugging of the soft- ware are running concurrently. In all, several AESA prototypes are to be manufactured for rig and flight tests under the test programme. The AESA radar for testing on board an aircraft is supposed to be made by the middle of next year. In addition, flight trials of the AESA on board a flying testbed are being looked into. To test and debug the X- and L-band AESAs, the institute has established the unique testing facilities, including top-notch anechoic rooms. What other companies are involved in manu- facture of the AESA? There are rather many of them. As to the backbone of our AESA, the monolithic-micro- circuit transmit-receive (T-R) modules, they have been developed and produced by the Istok scientific and production company in Fryazino, Moscow Region. The company has reached the T-R output rate satisfactory to us (as is known, there are over a thousand of them in a single AESA), but a lot has to be done to improve their quality and improve the modules themselves and slash their cost. However, we are satisfied with the way the cooperation goes on. Our traditional partner, the State Ryazan Instrument Plant (GRPZ), has been par- ticipating in the programme from the outset of the work on the AESA. Now, it runs full-scale production of our Bars phased array radar fitting the Su-30MKI/MKM aircraft

and is productionising the advanced Irbis-E Yerokhin Yevgeny phased array radar designed to equip the Su-35 fighter. By the way, under the Irbis-E, tested through and through, radar differing from introduced while retaining the passive phased GRPZ was not only a manufacturer, but also a it in size and performance could be developed array. At Stage 2, the Bars radar’s array of the full-fledged co-developer of the system, hav- with minimal expenditure of time and money to Indian Su-30MKIs will be replaced with the ing designed several important radar modules, fit other platforms, including ground ones. AESA, and this is to be done in the course of particularly, digital computers. Tikhomirov-NIIP’s AESA technology is the Su-30MKI licence production in India. The assembly, calibration and testing of all designed not only for the domestic market, This done, the earlier built aircraft could be prototype AESA radars will be handled by isn’t it? What are its export prospects? upgraded in the same manner. Tikhomirov-NIIP so far. In the future, as the Certainly. It has been announced offi- If Russia wins the MMRCA tender, in which full-scale production picks up, GRPZ will cially that Russia and India will co-de- it offers its advanced MiG-35 multirole fighter, join the programme in earnest and be the sole velop the fifth-generation future multirole our AESA could be used on the MiG-35 too. As manufacturer of our AESA radars. fighter. No doubt, its fire control system a result, the Indian Air Force could get several Will your AESA be useful to other aircraft? will be wrapped around AESA radar. India top-notch aircraft at once, with the aircraft hav- A decision has been taken that all AESA has an experience in making phased array ing different characteristics but common radar radars in our country designed for combat aircraft radars, because it is productionising our Bars systems solutions, which is very important in will be based on the componentry and techno- radars under a licence production agree- terms of production and operation. logical base, design and production engineering ment, with the radars fitting the Su-30MKI What is your opinion of your AESA com- solutions developed by our institute. It is quite licence-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics pared with its foreign counterparts? Will it have natural. Development and production of such Ltd. (HAL). any edge over its Western rivals? high-tech devices as AESAs are very expensive, In addition, India is interested in intro- I guess, our design will be on a par with and blowing one’s mint on parallel, rival pro- ducing the AESA to the Su-30MKIs. Now, the best foreign analogues, surpassing them grammes is unaffordable luxury these days. The they are devising a programme on further in a number of characteristics. The keystone very AESA technology allows using commonised modernisation of the fire control systems of to success is the wealth of experience and technical solutions to develop a wide range of these aircraft made for the Indian Air Force. the huge progress made by Tikhomirov-NIIP radars for use on different aircraft. Therefore, At the first stage, the performance is to be gained in the electronically-scanned radar after our AESA radar has been developed and enhanced and new operating modes are to be systems field over the past four decades. www.take-off.ru take-off december 2009 31 weapons | in brief Debut of advanced air-to-air missiles

Under the Armament Development Programme for 2007–15 and Advanced Air-Laun- ched Weapons Development Integrated Programme, the Tactical Missiles Corporation is updat- ing its basic product line. Part of them is entering their final stag- es of development. The range of advanced air-launched weapons offers the buyer a wide variety of export examples in the air-to-sur- face and air-to-air classes. They are designed for use as part of both advanced warplanes (Su-34, Su-35, MiG-35, new-generation fighter) and upgraded aircraft already on the market (Su-30MK2, Su-30MKI/MKM, MiG-29SMT, etc.). The corporation unveiled a number of its cutting-edge preci- sion-guided weapons at the MAKS

2009 air show last August. They Yerokhin Yevgeny included, in particular, the RVV-MD and RVV-SD air-to-air missiles, ures, which allows its effective use , , airlifters) includes a single-mode solid-fuel Kh-35UE upgraded antiship missile under difficult conditions, e.g. in the and helicopters round the clock. It rocket motor. The fuse is of laser and new variants of the 500-kg and look-down/shoot-down mode, from can be adapted to foreign-made proximity type. The multi-cumulative 1,500-kg guided bombs. all aspects and in the face of heavy carriers with the use of an in-house warhead is filled with rod-type sub- The advanced RVV-MD and countermeasures. technology. munitions. The missile is attached RVV-SD have been developed by The missile’s powerplant is a The RVV-SD medium-range to the carrier aircraft by means of Tactical Missiles Corp.’s subsidi- single-mode solid-propellant rocket air-to-air missile is offered as a the AKU-170E ejection unit. The ary, the Vympel design bureau. The motor. The RVV-MD is offered in lethal all-aspect weapon to eliminate RVV-SD can be adapted for use on RVV-MD short-range/dogfight mis- two variants differing in the type fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft foreign-made aircraft. sile is similar to the R-73E in terms of the fuse, with the RVV-MDL and cruise missiles 24 hr a day RVV-MD R-73E of the aerodynamic configuration, fitted with a laser proximity fuse in the face of electronic counter- Launching weight, kg 106 105 layout and dimensions. Its guidance and the RVV-MD equipped with a measures and in the look-down/ Warhead weight, kg 8 8 Dimensions, m: system includes a sophisticated radio-frequency one. The warhead shoot-down mode, including in the - length 2,92 2,9 dual-band passive all-aspect heat- packs rod-type submunitions. The multiple-target engagement mode. - body diameter 0,17 0,17 seeker with the ±60° target designa- maximum range of the weapon The RVV-SD hits targets manoeu- - wing span 0,51 0,51 - empennage span 0,385 0,38 tion angle. Its combined gas-dynamic against head-on targets is 40 km. vring at 12 g out to 110 km. The Launch range, km: control ensures high manoeuvrabil- The missile is attached to aircraft by missile’s launch-and-leave capabili- - max in forward up to 40 30 ity and allows the weapon to attain means of the P-72-1D (P-72-1BD2) ty is owing to its combined guidance hemisphere - min in rear hemisphere 0,3 0,3 high alpha and kill targets jinking rail-type launcher. The RVV-MD is system comprising a radio-updated Target designation ± 60 ± 45 hard with a g-load of up to 12 g. The designed for use by fighters, ground inertial subsystem and an active angles, deg. RVV-MD features enhanced coun- attack aircraft and helicopters and radar homer. The RVV-SD’s lay- Target altitude, km 0,02–20 termeasures immunity, including will be effective against various out and dimensions are similar to Target g-load up to 12

one against optical countermeas- types of fixed-wing aircraft (fighters, those of the RVV-AE. Its powerplant RVV-SD RVV-AE up to Launching weight, kg 175 190 Warhead weight, kg n/a 22,5 Dimensions, m: - length 3,71 3,6 - body diameter 0,2 0,2 - wing span 0,42 0,4 - empennage span 0,68 0,7 Launch range, km: - max in forward up to 80 hemisphere 110 - min in rear 0,3 0,3 hemisphere Target altitude, km 0,02–25 Target g-load up to 12 Yevgeny Yerokhin Yevgeny

32 take-off december 2009 www.take-off.ru