The Moscow Air Show (Mezhdunarodnyi Aviatsionno-Kosmicheskiy Salon 2003, or MAKS 2003), which took place from 19-24 August at Zhukovsky near Moscow, confirmed that Russia’s aerospace industry is focusing its attention on essential programmes and is no longer under threat of collapse. There remain, however, more problems than successful events.
With regard to the military sector of Russia’s aerospace industry, the situation is somewhat clearer. Large deliveries of Su-27 and Su-30 fighters to China and India continue, and two weeks before MAKS 2003 Malaysia ordered 18 Su-30MKM fighters.
Russia’s air forces are focusing their attention on modernising their current inventory, for which new avionics and weapons are being developed. Alongside this, after many years of delay, the air forces have begun purchasing new weapons. In 2004, the first S-400 air defence systems will reach military units; in 2005, purchases of Yak-130 combat trainers and then Su-27IB tactical bombers will begin. Up to 2010, the Russian air forces also intend to purchase at least 10 Il-76MF heavy transport aircraft and up to 50 Mi-28N combat helicopters.
The civil aerospace sector is in a much more difficult situation, mainly due to a lack of demand for new aircraft. The present fleet of civil aircraft in Russia is still redundant: they do not meet the latest West European noise requirements but will have to do for the domestic airlines in Russia for many years to come. The one and only significant debut during MAKS 2003 was made by the Tu-204-300 airliner: a shortened (by 6 m) version of the Tu-204 designed to carry 163 passengers. It made its maiden flight on 18 August in Ulyanovsk, just one day before the Moscow show opened, and from there flew straight to Zhukovsky. On the first day of the show, Transaero airlines ordered four Tu-204-300s with an option for six more aircraft. Two other contracts for the larger Tu-214, made by KAPO of Kazan, were signed during MAKS 2003, with Omsk Airlines and Avias Airlines ordering four aircraft each.
The most promising new Russian passenger aircraft is the Tu-334, which is designed to accommodate 102 passengers. The prototype is continuing certification tests, while the first series production aircraft has recently been completed in Kiev, Ukraine, and was due to make its maiden flight on 30 September. The leading manufacturer of the Tu-334 will be the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RAC) MiG factory in Lukhovitsy.
Production of the Tu-334 is so advanced now that the first five aircraft could be delivered by the end of 2004. A few days before MAKS 2003 opened, the aircraft’s first clients, Atlant-Soyuz and Aerofrakht airlines, signed leasing contracts for five Tu-334s each. Ural Airlines intends to purchase a similar number of the type, while Pulkovo, Samara and Aeroflot are also interested. RAC MiG also expects orders from Iran. In fact, licence production of 100 aircraft in Iran was discussed several years ago. These negotiations continued during MAKS, but only for the purchase of 50 aircraft.
Among other passenger aircraft at MAKS, the greatest interest generated was that made by the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) developed by Sukhoi in co-operation with Boeing, Ilyushin and Yakovlev, for which Russia’s NPO Saturn and French firm Snecma are designing a new engine, the SM-146. The RRJ family will consist of six aircraft types. The composition of the RJJ family has been chosen based on marketing research for the Russian and international market. A characteristic feature of Russia’s passenger air network is the greater length of air routes and smaller number of passengers carried compared with Western Europe. Presently in Russia, for air routes up to 5,000 km, 60 per cent of the flights carry no more than 75 passengers. The first RRJ variant to be built will thus be the 75-seat RRJ 75, with the next in line being the RRJ 75LR long-range variant. The third version will be the extended-fuselage RRJ-95 intended mainly for Western markets. Sukhoi is currently negotiating with the largest Russian airline companies – Aeroflot, Pulkovo, Krasair and Sibir – in search of launch operators and expects to have firm orders for 40-60 RRJ aircraft before the spring of 2004, which is the minimum order level for the programme to be profitable. Over the longer term, Sukhoi forecasts sales of 630 aircraft up to 2022, both for domestic and foreign operators.
Some statistics
The number of companies participating in MAKS this year amounted to 662, including 497 from Russia and other CIS countries and 165 from 38 other countries. Some 203 aircraft were exhibited on the ground and in the air. These included the F-15C, F-15D, F-16C and B-52H US combat aircraft, which were shown at MAKS for the first time.
MAKS air display programmes have always been exceptional due to the unique types of aircraft present and the spectacular performances of super-manoeuvrable Sukhoi fighters and the military aerobatic teams (the Russkiye Vityazi and its Su-27 teams and the Strizhi team with MiG-29s). This year the show was even more attractive – particularly for the Russian public – due to performances by the French Patrouille de France aerobatic team and the Italian Frecce Tricolori, which the Russian public were able to witness for the first time.
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I wish I could get my hands on the rest of this.
Anyway, onto the really interesting stuff!
Sokol for Su-33UB:
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/23.shtml
The prototype of the Su-27KUB shipborne fighter (seen here with the standard Su-33) was shown only in the air and not on static display. Although its external appearance is almost unchanged compared with the MAKS01 show, the internal changes are significant: several weeks ago, the Su-27KUB began tests with the new Sokol phased-array radar developed by Phazotron-NIIR (the standard Su-33 has the N001K radar made by NIIP). The aircraft has also been fitted with movable engine nozzles, although this feature has not been demonstrated in the air.
Su-27IB Bort 47 (produced in 2000): note the weapons carriage arrangement
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/24.shtml
3M55 Oniks commissioned in Russian Navy in September 2002
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/21.shtml
The air-launched Yakhont-M missile differs from earlier Yakhonts in having a multimode seeker able to attack ground targets as well as ships. According to NPO Mashinostroyeniya, the missile will fly in two years. On 23 September 2002, the initial shipborne version of the missile was commissioned into service with the Russian Navy. ‘Yakhont’ is its export name; in Russia, the missile is designated 3M55 Onyx.
Sukhoi’s entry into the civil UAV market
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/16.shtml
Sukhoi intends to enter the civil UAV market with this BLA-2 heavy (12,000kg) vehicle
Irkut buying and developing Israeli UAV!
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/14.shtml
Russia’s Irkut group intends to confound all local competition by buying and developing independently the Aerostar unmanned aerial vehicle from the Israeli company AeroNautics. Its first flight in Russia will be made in two or three months and by mid-2004 it will be in operational service with the Russian Ministry of Emergencies. According to an Irkut representative: “The abilities of board instrumentation of the Israeli vehicle exceed significantly the level attainable in Russia.”
The much-discussed on this board Russian GPS guided bombs, labelled for our convenience by Jane’s:
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/13.shtml
Russia’s Region company is offering new guided bombs, including Russia’s first GPS-guided KAB-500S-E bomb (right), the KAB-500LG with gyrostabilised laser seeker (second from right) and the new LGB-250 (left).
The M400 pod (note the MKK2 covers again!)
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/11.shtml
The Kulon company displayed for the first time its M400 containerised reconnaissance suite for Su-30-class fighters at MAKS03. The M400 suite includes the M402 Pika synthetic aperture side-looking radar; Antrakt TV camera; Raduga infrared scanner; AP-403 and AP-404 panoramic cameras; and AK-108FM oblique daylight camera (optional, instead of radar). On the right: the Sapsan-E electro-optical targeting container made by UOMZ; on the left: the Kh-29T air-to-surface missile.
New hardpoint mounted jammer for the MiG-29, displayed on the MiG-29SMT Bort 918:
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/10.shtml
The MSP-418K Omul electronic jamming unit, in a single container version, was designed by the TsNIRTI institute for the MiG-29 (the version for Sukhoi fighters has two containers). The Omul is operated within the G-J-band range using digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) technology. The container’s weight is 150kg and its dimensions are 230 x 225 x 3,800mm.
Yemeni air force recieving MiG-29SMT
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/09.shtml
The first upgraded MiG-29MT will be delivered to its first customer, the Yemeni air force, in 2003. The Yemeni configuration of the aircraft is distinguished from the SMT variant by the absence of the big conformal fuel tank on the back of the fuselage. The aircraft was shown at MAKS03 with several new pieces of equipment, including a Sapsan electro-optical targeting container and a MiG-29-dedicated MSP-418K Omul electronic jamming pod.
Ka-52 now equipped with complete mission systems, intended for Russian ‘special forces’
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/07.shtml
At the start of 2003, the Kamov Ka-52 helicopter completed the first stage of qualification tests to determine its flight characteristics. Equipped with complete mission systems, the helicopter is now ready for the second stage of testing, including equipment and armament tests. The Ka-52 has an Arbalet (Myech-U) radar system consisting of two radars covering the millimetre and decametre wavelengths; it is also equipped with the Sam**** (GOES-451) electro-optical targeting turret as well as the GOES-520 turret for the pilot. The general designer of Kamov, Sergey Mikheyev, says that the Ka-52 is the only Russian combat helicopter capable of operating in any conditions, not only day and night but also in fog, rain, smoke-screens and other adverse conditions. The Russian air force has announced its intention to purchase a number of Ka-52s for special forces.
50 Mi-28Ns before 2010
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/06.shtml
The Mi-28N combat helicopter is now seen as a favoured option: the Russian air force will purchase up to 50 Mi-28Ns before 2010.
The first serial Ka-60:
http://www.janes.com/aerospace/military/gallery/maks2003/gallery/03.shtml
The first series Ka-60 helicopter built by the RAC MiG factory at Lukhovitsy was shown for the time being on static display at MAKS03. The prototype Ka-60-1, known from the last show, gave a flight demonstration. The Ka-60 is a priority programme for the Russian air force and will be produced in transport, training, medical and reconnaissance versions among others.
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October 4, 2003 at 5:08 pm