Hopefully some of those new Helos will include some Ka-60s and Ansats to replace all those Mi-2s.

The Ka-60 is something of a moribund program at the moment. Problems with producing an engine for a helicopter in that “medium” class (the Ka-60 was meant to be a new Mi-4, after all). As I understand it they’re still keen to order up a Ka-60U variant for advanced training (along with the Ansat for basic) but I don’t think we’ll see any movement on the Ka-60 front for a while. It’s a shame.

As for new helicopters generally, I’m pretty sure I read an article that the Air Force will be getting Mi-8MTV-5s recently.

Have read a report that stated that the T-95 will be revealed to the world in 2009 and enter production.

The report didn’t specifically say “T-95” (I’d be surprised if the tank ends up being called that) but yeah, I read that report too.

Good news, is it known if these aircraft will be new built or retrofits from Su-27P/S?

Given the Su-35 is so substantially different from a “normal” Su-27S, I can’t imagine they could retrofit an Su-27 to that standard and have it be an “Su-27SM2” in any meaningful sense of the designation.

From what I’ve heard, the RuAF plans to get rid of the ’29 altogether. I dont have a source, but thats the rumor…

The inability for the RuAF to follow through with its plans is quite frustrating. People have been talking about the RuAF upgrading a portion of its MiG-29 fleet for over a decade, and nothing’s happened, even though the upgrade itself has been pretty much set for years (with some small changes, like the N019 radar upgrade being replaced with a Zhuk-M in the most recent news) – meanwhile, you’ve got regiments receiving Su-27SMs pretty regularly and in substantial numbers (for the RuAF, that is), and that upgrade’s only been around since, what, 2002, 2003?

It’s the same story with the Mi-24PN, somewhat – the first aircraft were delivered in 2003, and a handful more after that, and I read in Jan 08 AFM that funding had been diverted from the Mi-24PN program to the Mi-28N, so the upgrade wasn’t proceeding very fast (if at all). I suppose that’s a decision I can understand (out with the old, in with the new) but the Mi-24 force needs some night capability in the meantime.

All this of course I’m saying in the context of reports of Russia ordering Su-27SM2s – I wouldn’t be surprised if nothing happens in this regard. The Su-34 seems to be the only aircraft getting any “love” these days.

I’m sure MiG would appreciate some MiG-35 orders, given the low chance it has in the Indian comp.

It’s also likely to be the first recipient of the license produced (by UOMZ) Thales ‘Damocles’ targeting/reconnaissance pod.

I never heard about that? UOMZ got a licence to make the Damocles? What, for use by the VVS? What happened to SAPSAN-E? Or is this the next step in Russia’s partnership with Thales, like the Catherine-FC thermal imager is now being used on Russian Army T-90s?

Hmmm? The original AL-41 was going to have 175kN of thrust (with afterburner). Development effort has been put into the AL-41F1A (or something along those lines) – a smaller engine with thrust more along the lines of the F-22As engines. The very-powerful Article 117S engines of the Su-35BM are related to it.

(The PAK FA won’t be large enough to take advantage of a pair of 175kN engines)

What’s the current status of the Mi-24 fleet in Russia? How many do they have? Mostly Hind-E or Hind-F?

Is the Mi-24PN program progressing?

I think it’s mostly Mi-24P, though I have no way to be sure. Given that the Mi-24PN upgrade program is (naturally) Mi-24P dependent, it’d make the most sense.

Mi-24PNs were delivered in small quantities a few years ago (I have the pics of five of them arriving), I have no information however as to the rate of delivery since then, if any.

Thanks – I had seen the first pic, but not the second one, shows the MFD in a lot more detail. It doesn’t look like the typical Russian MFI series.

It’s still strange that the Su-25UBM is going to be a new production aircraft – I guess because Ulan-Ude always built the two-seaters it made sense that the future of the aircraft would be the two-seater model (well the Su-25T/TM is based on the Su-25UB anyway).