why the hell is russia lossing so many jets ???? condolence to the family of the dead pilot

Well in this case it seems clear the pilot had a medical issue and lost control of his craft, as opposed to being a technical issue.

Interesting, thanks for that. I’m not sure how it compares to the Jane’s article about Vympel’s efforts in that regard- first there’s Izdeliye 760, the follow-on to K-74M (the original K-74 being the missile with the 60 degree target indication range referred to in the above article, probably), which is intended to match ASRAAM and AIM-9X performance, have LOAL mode, and engage targets up to 160ⅹ from the target’s heading. Vympel says Izdeliye 760 development will be completed by 2010.

The follow-on Vympel K-MD (Izdeliye 300), intended to outperform ASRAAM and AIM-9X, is another issue, and I’m not sure how it relates to this article, but it’s supposed to use a focal-plane array. Arsenal’s seeker doesn’t seem to be, unless I’m missing the jargon in the article?

Now the strategic payload will be a 5,000km range Kh-102 in the case of the (increasing in numbers) blackjacks and a mix of Kh-55s and Kh-102s for the (decreasing in numbers) Bears.

I don’t think the Tu-95MS will be decreasing in numbers any time soon- maybe a decade from now for the oldest airframes that aren’t undergoing upgrade (the Tu-95MS6s with Osina as opposed to the Tu-95MS16s with Sprut).

This is news to me, thanks. Last time I heard the -29RM was frozen or cancelled. If your info is true, I stand corrected re:667’s. And the -29 is a great missile, with a better payload/mass ratio than even the D5.

Enjoy 🙂

http://russianforces.org/blog/2005/01/status_of_russias_slbm_program.shtml

Flight tests of the new R-29RM Sineva missile were completed in June 2004. At least one of the two submarines of the Project 667BDRM class that have completed overhaul already carries missiles of this type. Other submarines are expected to be equipped with these missiles in the next few years.

http://russianforces.org/blog/2005/08/bombers_and_submarines_launch.shtml

The launch of a se-based ballistic missile, conducted the next day, was part of an exercise of the Northern Fleet. The launch was performed by the crew of the K-84 “Ekaterinburg” submarine of the Project 667BDRM (Delta IV) class from a submerged position in Barents sea at 11:06 MSK (07:06 UTC, some reports give 11:08 MSK as time of the launch) on August 17, 2005. The missile involved was referred to as “Sineva” – the modification of the R-29RM missile, which was deployed on Project 667BDRM submarines during their most recent overhaul. All warheads reached their targets at the Kura test site in Kamchatka peninsula.

http://russianforces.org/blog/2005/09/new_warheads_for_r29rm_sineva.shtml

As it turns out, the R-29RM Sineva – a modification of the old R-29RM (SS-N-23) sea-launched missile, which recently completed flight tests from the “Ekaterinburg” submarine, now carries new warheads. The new warheads were developed by the Makeyev Design Bureau together with VNIITF/Chelyabinsk-70 (which probably indicates that they have new nuclear charge as well).

It is possible that the modification also involved changing the number of warheads that R-29RM can carry. A year ago, the defense minister, commenting on the successful launch of the R-29RM missile, mentioned that it carried three warheads, not the four that are listed in the START Treaty.

http://russianforces.org/blog/2006/01/tula_submarine_is_back_from_ov.shtml

The K-114 Tula submarine of the Delta IV/Project 667BDRM class returned to the Northern Fleet after an overhaul and sea trials.

However, it is probably too early to say it’s back in service – it may have to wait till it gets its complement of missiles. Flight tests of the R-29RM Sineva missile, which will be deployed on Tula, have been completed relatively recently, in June 2004, and Tula is the third in line to get them – after K-51 Verkhoturie and K-84 Ekaterinburg. To have all these submarines equipped with missiles, the Krasnoyarsk Mashinie-Building Plant would have to manufacture about two missiles a month. Not impossible, of course, but unlikely.

and

http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/russia/delivry/krasno.htm

In September 1999 the Russian government decided to renew production of the R-29RM SLBM at the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant. This decision was made as Delfin- and Kalmar- class submarines were due for remodeling and the service life of their missiles had expired. According to Izvestiya, the Russian government also realized that the R-29RM order was vital to the survival of the Krasmash Plant.[3] The new missiles ordered reportedly were a modified version of the R-29RM codenamed the Sineva. The Sineva, which was designed by the Makeyev Design Bureau, differs from the R-29RM by reportedly having 10 nuclear warheads instead of four, incorporating the Bark-intended Malakhit-3 computer system, and a system for penetrating ballistic missile defenses.[4] Due to the previous halt of the R-29RM in 1996, however, the plant was in serious need of reconstruction. By May 2000 the Russian Federation had spent 160 million rubles ($5,655,680 as of 12 May 2000) reconstructing Krasmash facilities for future Sineva production.[5] A spokesman for the Krasnoyarsk Machine-Building Plant was predicting a successful completion of the prototype for the first stage of the liquid-fueled Sineva by the end of March 2002.[6]

I’d take the claim of 10 wareahds instead of four with a grain of salt for now- you’d think such would warrant a new designation for “Sineva” in the START Treaty, but there hasn’t been one of yet.

Besides, 941’s long-term future is all but certain. One will be re-armed, that’s all we know. The 667BRDM will be soon disposed of, because the ampulized liquid fuel on their R-29’s will soon need replacement, and there may no longer be a production capability to do that

Hmmm? Surely you know that they began new production of a new R-29RM variant, called “Sineva”, a few years ago? The Delta IVs are being re-equipped with the modernized missile as they go through overhaul, they’re not going to be disposed of anytime soon.

If true, Borei’s abysmally low weapon count (12) is definitely cause for concern..

How do you figure? This is not the Cold War. SORT limits Russia and the US to at most ~2,000 warheads or so. A Borey with 12 SLBMs packs 72 warheads. That’s plenty. Adding extra missiles to the design would achieve nothing.

An unfortunate waste. Luckily it wasn’t an Su-27SM, that would **** me off even more.