June 12, 2013 at 2:44 am
In the past Soviet designed equipment was designed with very short life spans.
E.g a MiG-21 had about 500 hours Time Between Overhauls (TBO), though the engine may have had less.
I read somewhere in early 1990s that 1980s vintage MiG-29s also had much shorter TBO than equivalent western aircraft.
Obviously this means jets are out of action far more often, especially if NATO type flying hours are being utilised (up to 200 hours per year + ground runs). It also adds increased costs – more technician time, greater churn of spare components etc.
Has Russian equipment been improved in terms of TBO and maintenance since 1990s?
Has it approached equivalent levels to Western equipment?
Have the Russians embraced Line Replaceable Units which facilitate squadron/wing level maintenance?