Russians describe Platan as “laser-TV station”, so, no FLIR.

That’s unfortunate, I would’ve thought the Su-34 would be equipped with something more advanced than an improved Kaira system. If they’re going to be all-weather day/night capable, then they’ll have to carry SAPSAN pods- which would be something of a partial-redundancy given they’re already equipped with Platan.

As always, there seems to be some confusion amongst the sources that is only being cleared up now- here’s what was written about Platan earlier (it may be from edefenseonline, I’m unsure, I got it fair use from some website from a google search):

The next prototype to fly was the sixth airframe, T10V-5 (nose No. 45), which took off for the first time on Dec. 28, 1994. It was the first aircraft to receive the B004 fire-control/navigation radar developed by NPO Lenniec (St. Petersburg, Russia), a company specializing in radar systems for bomber aircraft. The B004 has a fixed, electronically scanned, phased-array antenna and is claimed to have low-probability-of-intercept (LPI) characteristics. It has several air-to-ground modes: automatic terrain following, terrain avoidance, ground mapping, ground-target acquisition/track, moving-ground-target track, and Doppler beam sharpening (DBS). It has a range of 150 km in ground-mapping mode and 75 km in DBS mode. It can track small-sized ground targets – fixed or moving – at a range of up to 30 km. In air-to-air mode, the radar can track up to 10 targets and engage up to four of them with use of R-77 active radar-homing missiles. Larger targets (such as large bombers) can be detected out to a range of about 200-250 km, and fighter-sized targets out to about 90 km. Initially, the aircraft was to have a built-in TV observation system coupled with a laser and forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera in a pod. Later, however, TsKB Geofizyka (Moscow, Russia) developed the Platan targeting pod, with all the electro-optical devices integrated, including a second-generation FLIR sensor and a CCD TV camera, coupled with a laser rangefinder and target illuminator. The Platan pod was successfully tested for integration with Su-34 in 2004.

Mentions of the Platan in Russian aviation media:

http://www.royfc.com/news/jun/0603jun04.html

In relation to the Yak-130:

Having increased the quantity of wing suspension points to eight, there has been success in bringing the combat payload weight up to 3,000 kilograms. Guided air-to-air R-73 with infrared guidance and Kh-25 air-to-surface missiles with laser guidance and also the KAB-500Kr aircraft guided bomb, for which they suspended a pod with the “Platan” optical electron system on the 9th – fuselage – hard point have been included in the weapons compliment.

http://www.royfc.com/news/mar/0204mar01.html

In relation to tests on the Su-34:

Su-34 Tests Aircraft Weapons Aimed via Satellite

The effectiveness of the operation of guided aircraft weapons using a space satellite’s signals was tested during a regular stage of the Su-34 strike airplane’s tests, the president of Tekhnokompleks scientific and production center, Givi Dzhandzhgava reported on Tuesday, 2 March.

According to him, during the Su-34 tests “good results were received during navigational bombing with the aid of the “Platan” complex’s optical system, and a record precision of combat use of aircraft weapons was achieved.

“In bombing precision, the performance is approximately five times higher than normal.
The results are commensurable with what is achieved with the use of bombs with a satellite guidance system,” Dzhandzhgava specified.

Source: 02.03.04, Gazeta.RU

Again the Su-34:

http://www.royfc.com/news/mar/2604mar01.html

The effectiveness of the operation of guided aircraft weapons using a satellite’s signals will be tested during a regular stage of the Su-34 “striker’s” tests. On bombing with the aid of the “Platan” optical system complex, a record precision of combat use of aircraft armament was achieved – approximately five times higher than the norm! At the present moment there are no such foreign strike aircraft with similar capabilities.

NAPO’s website:

http://www.napo.ru/eng/?id=11

The Su-32 is equipped with a new avionics complex, incorporating:

– a forward-looking phased-array multifunctional radar;

– the most up-to-date ECM system;

– an optronic fire control and navigation complex incorporating a data display system, a plotter, and a laser/TV station;

– communication facilities and other equipment.

Nice, thanks for the update.

many of the Mig-31M upgrades were aerodynamic and were significant changes. I would guess that by now the avionics upgrades will have been superceeded by improvements in technology much in the same way that the Mig-29M improvements were superceeded by improvements in technology over the same time period leading to the Mig-29M2. Perhaps a Mig-31M2 would be interesting to speculate upon…

I’d say it’s pretty much certain it’ll be a MiG-31BM standard- i.e. the “MiG-29SMT” of the MiG-31M. Indeed, AFM seems to think so.

Elements of the MiG-31BM specifications have been known for a while.

A Hunter in Search of the “Invisible”

A unique fighter interceptor, of which there are no counterparts in the world, almost written off as junk

Russia’s air force is ready to accept the first of the upgraded high-altitude MiG-31 fighter interceptors. The other day, the Perm’ Motor Building Complex press service reported about the successful completion of the upgraded fighter’s tests. Now, through their ending, according to air force commander-in-chief, Vladimir Mikhaylov, “great prospects are opening for Russia’s air force in the area of series-built re-equipping of front-line interceptors.” The upgraded airplane is able to detect flight vehicles which are built using “stealth” ((STELS)) technology, including those flying at ultra-low altitudes, at a great distance. And the aircraft’s equipment allows simultaneously tracking 10 aerial targets and simultaneously firing at four of them. MiG-31 fighters have been the basis of the Russian air defense system’s might until recently.

The MiG-31 was created at the end of the 1970s of the last century as a heavy upgrade of the MiG-25 and represented a high-speed, high-altitude fighter interceptor. The MiG-31 is a twin-place heavy fighter interceptor. The airplane has been executed with broad application of titanium alloys. The airplane’s takeoff weight is 48.2 tonnes, maximum flight speed is 3,000 kilometers per hour, and operational ceiling (to what extreme altitude the interceptor can be lifted) is 25,000 meters. The combat radius depending on variant of payload and flight speed is from 700 to 2,500 meters ((sic. Probably kilometers.)) It can be increased using in-flight refueling. The airplane can carry a combat payload up to 9,000 kilograms. The fighter interceptor’s main armament is air-air long-range R-37 missiles. A 30-millimeter cannon with a rotating barrel cluster in installed on the MiG-31 as a built-in weapon.

The MiG-31 has turned out to be extremely invulnerable by virtue of its unique characteristics. Its equipment allows destroying all types of different targets – from stratospheric unmanned aerial vehicles (BPLA) of the Global Hawk ((in English)) type to cruise missiles flying at ultra-low altitudes which are implemented in stealth ((in English)) technology. Of course, the MiG-31 is inferior to the majority of modern fighters in maneuverability, but the radar’s operational range and missiles in combination with the capability to shoot at several targets simultaneously allows it to avoid closing with the enemy. The MiG-31 also is suitable for destruction of such heavily defended targets usually located far away as AWACS and Joint Starts ((both in English)) airplanes (correspondingly, with long-range radar detection and electronic reconnaissance).

By the way, the aircraft obtained all these qualities only recently. The development of weapons and military equipment does not stand still. However, Russia simply didn’t have the funds until recently to bring the MiG-31’s combat potential to a modern level. Everything changed last year. Vice premier and defense minister Sergey Ivanov took part in air force exercises during a working trip in which a demonstration of MiG-31 capabilities was the main element of the combat drill. Availing himself of the presence of the military administration’s head, air force CinC Vladimir Mikhaylov lamented the dismal prospects of these unique aircraft: the long lack of overhaul which had drawn out the decision on the start of upgrade and as a result of it all, the possible write-off of practically all these unique aircraft as junk.

By all appearances, the MiGs impressed Ivanov so much that within the framework of the 2006 state defense order a decision was adopted about a special investment of funds for their overhaul and upgrade. This was expressed in the overhaul of the engines and the installation onto the aircraft of new radar, weapons control systems and, in essence, the missiles. Moreover, the upgraded MiG-31 is able to strike ground targets using precision weapons – guided bombs and different types of guided missiles.

The MiG-31’s capabilities are so broad that within the framework of the conversion, Russia and Kazakhstan even agreed to use the high-altitude fighter interceptor for placing small satellites into near-earth orbit. The project received the name “Ishim.” With the aid of the MiG-31 and the missiles installed on it, it is possible to put satellites weighing up to 160 kilograms into space at a distance up to 1,500 kilometers from the earth. The realization of the project will allow resolving missions for providing satellite communications and navigation, ecological studies, space monitoring, long-range sounding, observation of situations at the country’s oil deposits and performing cosmic sounding of the earth and its atmosphere.

Moreover, the MiG-31 now is being offered actively for export. Representatives of the MiG corporation and FGUP Rosoboronehksport are looking at members of the so-called “Foxbat club” – that is, countries in whose inventory there are MiG-25 fighter interceptors – as the primary buyers. At the present time, besides Russia, Libya and Syria own MiG-25 fighter interceptors and reconnaissance aircraft. India stopped using MiG-25RB airplanes several weeks ago because of their physical deterioration. In connection with the fact that production of the MiG-31 already has been stopped, aircraft from the Russian air force storage bases which have been upgrade according to the MiG-31Eh project, will be offered for export. Several variants of paying for the airplanes will be proposed to the MiG-25 owning countries, including an exchange of the MiG-25 they now have for the MiG-31 with a surcharge.

Source: 09.11.06, Strana.RU, Correspondent: Nikita Petrov