Be-200 May Be Certified to European Standards by Year's End

Source: 10.10.08, Gudok

Russia Has Rosoboronehksport Requests and Orders for Ka-28 and Ka-31 Deliveries

GIST. 

The Ka-28 is the export variant of the Ka-27 anti-submarine helicopter.  The Ka-31 is a long-range airborne warning and control helicopter.  The Ka-28 are supposed to go to India, but have nothing to do with its purchase of the aircraft carrier from Russia.  In addition, India wants its existing fleet of Ka-28 upgraded, bringing the overall total to nearly 30 Ka-28 in all.  While Kamov will be responsible for the upgrade overall, foreign companies may participate in the upgrades.  Many Russian companies are petitioning Kamov to use of their systems and components in the upgrades.

Source:  09.10.08, AviaPort.RU, Correspondent:  Dmitriy Kozlov

New Generation Radar

The Fazotron-Ukraina company has begun development of a new generation radar for the MiG-29 fighter, the enterprise's general director, Sergey Gumennyy, has reported. According to him, the new equipment will approximate the best radar in the CIS, the "Zhuk-M," in its performance.

The system, which as received the designation N-019-U2, will have increased detection range and track up to 10 airborne targets. It will be able to distinguish objects not only in the air, but also on the surface ((sic)) in a radar mapping mode and to detect, track and attack ground and surface targets. At the present time the enterprise has completed creation of the N-019-U1 generation radar for the MiG-29 fighter within the framework of a project for the upgrade of the Ukrainian air force's aircraft fleet. State tests of the equipment have begun.

Source: 08.10.08, Voenno-Promyshlennyy Kur'er

Aircraft of Far East Air Force and Air Defense Units Taking Part in Delivery of Food Supplies to Country's Remote Regions in Preparation for Winter

A program is being carried out by forces of a Red Banner air base of a Far Eastern Air force and Air Defense unit, which has allocated an An-12 airplane for delivery of provisions to remote regions of the country in preparation for the winter, the Russian Federation defense ministry press service reports.

The defense ministry's directorate of military trade will send five tonnes of apples for Kurile Island military units in accordance with Russian Federation legislation, the Russian Federation defense ministry reports referring to the air force's information and public communications service.

Source: 08.10.08, AVIA.RU

Creation of Future Ship-Based Helicopter to Start in Coming Years

OAO Kamov will start work on creation of future ship-based helicopter for replacement of the Ka-27 in the coming years, the company's general director, Sergey Mikheev, reported to journalists.

"The fleet of ship-based anti-submarine and search and rescue helicopters of the Ka-27 type will 'live' about another 20 years in the Russian navy's aviation, but the creation of a ship-based future helicopter for replacement of the Ka-27 will begin a early as the next few years," S. Mikheev said.

In his opinion, a new helicopter for naval ships will be lighter than the existing Ka-27. "Today it has become absolutely clear that it will not be a heavy helicopter of the Ka-27 class with a takeoff weight greater than 12 tonnes. Today we are preparing for a new helicopter with a takeoff weight of less than 10 tonne," he noted. "As regards the new generation of ship-based helicopters, one must bear in mind that in recent years serious shifts have occurred in domestic military ship construction. In the 1980s, huge ships and aircraft carrying cruisers were created. Now new ships are arriving with less water displacement and this cannot help but tell on the aircraft equipment for the ships," the general designer explained.

He also added that Ka-27 service will continue. One or the other modification of the Ka-27 will be left for heavy ships as a basic aircraft, but the new aircraft will be lighter. At the same time, he expressed regret that for the past almost 20 year the helicopter has practically not been upgraded. "The Ka-27 have been around approximately 20 years without an upgrade, that's not right. Most likely, the defense ministry will one way or another task us with upgrading the Ka-27 helicopter fleet in these new conditions," S. Mikheev noted.

Answering an AviaPort question about the capability of using Ka-31 helicopters in the interests of Russian Federation land forces, S. Mikheev said that today the Ka-31 can resolve missions today both over the sea and over land. "We have delivered the Ka-31 to India. They are working very intensively and energetically there. Flight time there is colossal, 500 hours each per year. That's the potential that the Russian military can realize, too," he believes.

Source:  07.10.08, AviaPort.RU, correspondent: Dmitriy Kozlov

Progress to Begin Series Production of Ka-52 Helicopters in 2009

((Title says it all.  Not further translated.))

Source:  07.10.08, AviaPort.RU, correspondent: Dmitriy Kozlov

The Su-35:  A Break-Through Fighter

The Sukhoy company continues active flight tests of the highly modified ultra-maneuverable generation 4++ Su-35 multirole fighter. Fifth generation technologies are used in it which provide supremacy over fighters of the same class. A second flying example of the multirole Su-35 fighter lifted into the air from the Komsomol'sk-on-Amur Yu. A. Gagarin Aviation Production Association (KnAAPO) in accordance with the flight test program.

It is recalled that the first flight of the Su-35 multirole fighters took place at the M.M. Gromov flight research institute airfield in the Moscow suburb of Zhukovskiy on 19 February. The test program was fulfilled in its entirety. There were no criticisms of engine, system and equipment operation.

And on 20 February, the SU-35 was demonstrated to the country's leadership in Zhukovskiy - Dmitriy Medvedev and Vladimir Putin - as a series of the latest domestic developments of military and civilian aircraft construction.

Various power plant and control system functions were tried out for an hour. The airplane’s stability and control performance and power plant were tested. There were no criticisms of engine, system and equipment operation. Russian Federation honored test pilot Sergey Bogdan piloted the airplane. Namely, the Su-35 broke away from the earth under his control for the first time on 19 February of this year. As of today, more than 40 flights have been completed which have confirmed the aircraft's basic flight performance.

Bringing in a second airplane to the tests will permit speeding up the program and assure the start of serial Su-35 deliveries to Russian and Foreign customers in 2011.

The fighter's arrival into the Russian air force inventory will enable strengthening the country’s defense capability and also allow the Sukhoy company to remain competitive until the appearance of the fifth generation fighter in the marketplace. Su-35 export deliveries to the countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America are planned.

Distinguishing features of the airplane are a new avionics complex based on a digital information and control system, and integrated equipment control system, new radar (RLS) with a phased antenna array and long-range detection of aerial targets with the number of targets tracked and fired at simultaneously increased, and new engines with increased thrust and vectored thrust. They were developed at NPO Saturn and are known under the 117S designation.

Besides the whole spectrum of weapons that is used by the modern Su-30MKI, it is planned to integrate new types of air-to-air and air-to-surface guided weapons, too, including long-range systems. The Su-35's maximum combat payload is 8,000 kilograms, and it is deployed on 12 suspension points.

It is expected that series production and deliveries of the Su-35 to customers may begin as early as 2010-2011 and continue in parallel with the marketing of the fifth generation fighter.

Source: 06.10.08, Krasnaya Zvezda, Correspondent:  Andrey Garavskiy, Yuriy Avdeev

RSK MiG and Air Force Activate Negotiations on Upgrade of Serving MiG-29

The MiG Russian Airplane Building Corporation (RSK) and the Russian Federation air force have activated negotiations on the upgrade of serving MiG-29 fighters, a source in the area of aircraft construction reported to AviaPort.

"In light of the latest events in the Caucuses, one can assume such discussions will meet with success and the serving MiG-29 will be upgraded," he noted.

The agency source also added that the Russian air force most likely will take the "Algerian airplanes" - the 15 MiG-29SMT fighters that were returned to Russia. "There present disagreements between the air force and  RSK MiG on the conditions for financing the MiG-29SMT fighter purchases by the air force will, finally, be overcome," he said. At the same time, the specialist refused to talk about the total number of purchases by the Russian air force of MiG-29SMT airplanes.

Source: 06.10.08, AviaPort.RU, Correspondent:  Dmitriy Kozlov

Aviant Prepares Contract with Tashkent Aviation Association for Assembly of Wing for An-70

The Kiev Aviant aircraft plant has prepared the draft of a contract with the Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Production Association (TAPOiCh) for the production of the wing for two AN-70 airplanes, they reported to RBK-Ukraina at the Aviatsiya Ukrainy concern.

Entry into the deal is possible after the signing by Uzbekistan of a memorandum of cooperation in aircraft construction, which already has been signed by the Ukrainian side and transmitted to the Uzbek partner.

Cost of the contract is estimated at 5 - 8 million dollars.

Source:  06.10.08, RBK Ukraina

Ukraine Seeking Replacement for Yak-52 Airplanes

Ukraine is seeking a replacement for lightweight Yak-52 training airplanes, a source at the defense ministry reported to RBK-Ukraina.

According to him, the Odessaviaremservis began negotiations with RSK MiG at the beginning of 2008 about the licensed assembly at its facilities of the Il-103 airplane.

It had been planned to increase production volume from 20 units a year to 30, and then bring it up to 50. However, the project was frozen at the level agreed to in Russia. "There is a huge market for this aircraft: from the ministry of defense to flight clubs that use the Yak-52," the specialist explained. He did not rule out that Ukraine will have to look for another type of airplane for training its airmen.

Source: 06.10.08, RBK Ukraina