A new Su-37 being built

Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company Creating Upgraded Su-37 Fighter

The Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company (AKhK) has started construction of an upgraded Su-37 generation “4++” fighter, the Sukhoy company’s director for communications with the public, Yuriy Chervakov, reported to Interfax-AVN on Monday.

“The Sukhoy company’s new development has received the designation Su-37. This fighter should replace fighters of the Su-30MK type and also the upgraded Su-27SK and Su-27SM fighters,” Yu. Chervakov said.

He explained that development of the new generation “4++” fighter was called upon to increase the export potential of the Su-27 family of airplanes and the Su-30 created based on them in the period until the fifth generation is built (the tactical aviation future aviation complex – the PAK FA).

“The Su-37 fighter is supposed to become a transitional model to the fifth generation fighter. It maintains design continuity with the Su-30MK fighter with the introduction into its design of several solutions worked out on the Su-47 experimental fighter with the forward swept wing,” Yu. Chervakov said.

According to him, it is planned to approve some ideas in the area of avionics and weapons on the Su-37 which are being developed for the fifth generation fighter.

Yu. Chervakov refused to talk about planned terms for the creation of the Su-37, but agreed that it should be built in the 2006 – 2008 period, since the fifth generation fighter will be created and enter the inventory with initial combat readiness (with the avionics and armament installed in accordance with the project) not earlier that 2010 – 2012.

In the opinion of specialists, the upgraded AL-31F aircraft engines being installed on the Su-37 also will be a ‘transitional’ model to the future ‘regular’ AL-41F aircraft engine for the PAK FA, which is being developed by the Saturn Scientific Production Association. The use on the Su-37 of upgraded AL-31F engines should enable an increase of the airplane’s export potential, since countries who have been buying the Su-27 family of fighters (India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia) have experience in the use of such engines and such countries as India and Chine have also the necessary production base for the servicing and overhaul of aircraft engines.

Source: 24.11.03, Interfax-AVN

They Will Equip Newest Russian Fighter with Artificial Intelligence Systems

Russia has begun construction of the Su-37 “Terminator” generation 4++ fighter, the only experimental example of which crashed at the end of 2002, NEWSru.COM reports.

Despite the fact that this fighter is still in the development stage, its technical characteristics, and also principle differences from the Su-35, on the basis of which it was created, already are known – they have been embedded in the project and even were partially tested on the experimental example.

According to the site, Airwar.RU, the Su-37 is distinguished from its predecessor, most of all, by a change in airframe design and a seriously reworked avionics.

On the Su-37, as on the -35, the “unstable integral triplane” is used which combines the traditional, design with foreplanes developed as early as on the Su-27.

Moreover, AL-31FP engines will be installed on the new “sushka” with controllable vectored thrust, in which connection control of the jet stream is realized by an on-board computer, or manually, by a special side stick.

It must be noted that, on the whole, the Su-35 has rather many problems connected with stability and vibration. They have succeeded in resolving them owing to some change in the dimensions of the horizontal and vertical empennage and also by use of the newest aluminum-lithium alloys and composite materials.

The Su-37’s new wing with increased chord-thickness ratio not only allows the fighter to sustain huge G-loading at high angles of attack and to increase the fuel load, but also even carry an additional missile and bombing load (the airplane is able to carry up to 8 tonnes of weapons on 14 external hard points.

Even more radical changes will be introduced in the airplane’s avionics. As a result of the inclusion of multichannel digital fly-by-wire airplane control, which includes an artificial intelligence system, the Su-37, in comparison with the Su-35, will receive additional unprecedented capabilities:

The capability to make preemptive strikes on any aerial enemy (including even a low-detectable section airplane);

Multichanneling and algorithmic protection of all information and targeting systems;

Attack of ground targets without entering the enemy’s air defense zone;

Low-altitude flight flying around and by-passing ground obstacles, including also in automatic mode;

Automated group actions against air and ground targets;

Countering of an enemy’s radioelectronic and optical-electronic systems;

Automation of all flight stages and combat use.

The Su-37 also will receive the newest pulse Doppler radar, with a stationary phased antenna array and a rear view radar (which is located in the extended rear part of the fuselage.) Such all-weather radar is able to track targets in the air and on the surface (sic) and also simultaneously several targets of various types.

The fighter’s improved optical-electronic targeting system will include a television which is integrated with a laser range finder and target designator. The optical-location system will be unified with the radar and an improved airman’s helmet mounted sight into a single complex, which also is equipped with a system for exchange of data about targets with other airplanes of the group.
It is recalled that after the catastrophe of the only flying example of the newest fighter (side number 711), reports appeared in the press about the fact that a Su-35 had crashed. This error was caused by the fact that during the flight engines of the old system, which were used on the Su-35, were installed on the fighter.

Besides the Su-37 “Terminator,” there is another prototype fighter of the future in Russia with a similar identification – the S-37. It is called the “Berkut,” and is a fighter of the next, the fifth generation. This airplane also is in the development stage.

Source: 25.11.03, Lenta.RU

A New Russian Fighter

The The Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company (AKhK) has started construction of an upgraded Su-37 generation “4++” fighter.

“The Sukhoy company’s new development has received the designation Su-37. This fighters is supposed to replace Su-30MK fighters and also the upgraded Su-27SK and Su-27SM fighters,” the company’s director for communications with the public reported to Interfax.

He explained that development of the new generation “4++” fighter was called upon to increase the export potential of the Su-27 family of airplanes and the Su-30 created based on them in the period until the fifth generation is built (the tactical aviation future aviation complex – the PAK FA).

“The Su-37 fighter is supposed to become a transitional model to the fifth generation fighter. It maintains design continuity with the Su-30MK fighter with the introduction into its design of several solutions worked out on the Su-47 experimental fighter with the forward swept wing,” Chervakov said. According to him, it is planned to approve some ideas in the area of avionics and weapons on the Su-37 which are being developed for the fifth generation fighter.

Source: 25.11.03, Gazeta.RU

Sukhoy Design Bureau Creating Upgraded “Terminator”

The Sukhoy Aviation Holding Company (AKhK) has started construction of the upgraded Su-37 generation “Terminator” “4++” fighter (not to be confused with the S-37 “Berkut.”) Development of the new generation “4++” fighter was called upon to increase the export potential of the Su-27 family of airplanes and the Su-30 created based on them in the period until the fifth generation fighter is built.

This fighters is supposed to replace Su-30MK fighters and also the upgraded Su-27SK and Su-27SM fighters,” the Sukhoy company’s director for communications with the public, Yuriy Chervakov, said.

It is planned to approve some ideas in the area of avionics and weapons on the Su-37 which are being developed for the fifth generation fighter. The Su-37 is intended for preemptive strikes on any aerial enemy, including a low-detectable airplane of the Stealth (sic, in English) type, NEWSru.COM reports with a reference to Interfax.

Source: 25.11.03, Izvestiya – Nauka