Klimov is already developing RD-33 derivatives with much increased thrust- RD-33-10M, VK-10M, etc.

It was. If you’ll notice, almost ALL the bombs on Russian aircraft over on the IMMPRESSIVE LOADS thread are of this draggy looking type so I’m skeptical about “these are for internal use only” line of reasoning.

I said they were designed for internal use, not “these are internal use only”. There’s nothing to stop them from using them for external carry, and indeed they do. It’s possible that they’re cheaper to produce and therefore likely the first bombs to go when a bomb needs dropping in say a low-intensity war like Afghanistan or Chechnya, but it’s not like they don’t have a lot of the other variant either.

Fighter

– Sukhoi is already doing Su-35BM- just take that, replace Iribs with an AESA. That’s all.

Fighter-Bomber

– Re-engine the F-111 with modern turbofans, an AESA radar, the most modern FLIR pod it can take, and the full range of modern PGMs.

– Ground Support

– Take the Su-39, give it a modern glass cockpit, replace Shkval with an F-35 type system (without the air search function, what’s the point), replace Kop’yo with an AESA equivalent, replace Vikhr with the new Hermes ATGM as well as Brimstone, JDAMs, etc. Re-engine it with suitable turbofans for an increase in performance and range- a suitably up-powered version of the Yak-130s engines have already been proposed for the purpose.

Strategic Bomber

– Tu-160: replace the engines with modern ones, extending range and performance while increasing reliability, all glass cockpit, AESA attack radar in the nose, bombsight replaced by a modern high-quality FLIR system, new missile and EW systems, towed decoys.

(same goes for Tu-95 and Tu-22M3).

Erm- look really menacing to people who have no idea that the range of Iskander-M is only about 400km or so 🙂

Probably they’ll simply keep the Granit airframe and replace the engine, “avionics” etc of the missile. Considering the Granit is what, over two decade old technology, what they can come up with now should be pretty sweet.

Because their internal fuel load is so large that there’s no need for it in any remotely normal combat situation. However, Jane’s in an article claimed that the Su-27SM (or more likely SKM?) modernization includes the ability to carry a pair of 2,000 litre external fuel tanks, but I can’t imagine why the RuAF would bother, just like it seems they didn’t bother with the IFR probe of the Su-27SKM.

Nuclear cruiser Admiral Nakhimov included in State Arms Program

This should guarantee the needed overhaul.

2006-05-26 17:13

The repairs should take 3-4 years. The spent nuclear fuel unloading could be started a few years ago, but the due to the financial problems it has not happened and this stops all the works. The workers can only dismantle the equipment and send it to the manufacturers for repairs.

The interim overhaul includes the new computerised equipment, which should be installed instead of the old radio-electronic equipment. Besides, the Granit (Shipwwreck) missile system will be changed for a newer system. The new system is ready for installation at the Russian Oskar-II [sic] nuclear submarines, the same will be installed at the cruiser, which is expecting nuclear fuel reloading at the Sevmash plant now.

The Russian Heavy Missile Cruise Ship, Project 1144.2 Kirov Class was built by the Baltic Shipyard in Saint Petersburg. The Kirov Class provides the capability to engage large surface ships and to defend the fleet against air and submarine attack. Four cruisers were built but only Admiral Nakhimov (commissioned in 1988) and Pyotr Velikhiy (commissioned in 1995) remain active.

From Bellona.