VympelToday’s News
Concept Design for Fifth Generation Fighter to Be Given to Customer at End of this Year
The fifth generation fighter concept design, as is provided for by the timetable, will be given to the customer, Russia’s defense ministry, at the end of this year, the general director of the Sukhoy company, Mikhail Pogosyan, announced at a press conference at the Farnborough-2004 salon.
According to him, further periods for work on the program will be determined by the customer after examination of the results of the concept stage of the design. Moreover, further periods for realization of the program two a great degree will depend on how preparation of the state arms program for the period 2006?2015 goes, which will specify the priorities of the state defense order for the coming 10 years, including the fifth generation fighter.
Touching on the realization of the Sukhoy company’s military programs as a whole, M. Pogosyan noted the program for upgrade of Su-30 airplanes “which has not been completed in its development, but it is growing steadily.” A second trend, which is supposed to provide maintenance of Sukhoy’s position in the marketplace in the period from 2006 and until the appearance of the fifth generation airplane is the Su-35 program. This program is supposed to integrate to a significant degree those technologies which are being perfected in the process of work on the fifth generation fighter.
One more trend, according to M. Pogosyan, is work on guaranteeing the requirements of the Russian Federation defense ministry. This, firstly, is the upgrade of operational Su-27, Su-24 and Su-25 airplanes in the Russian air force inventory. The first deliveries of upgraded aircraft for the Russian Federation air force began last year. The second priority program being realized in the interests of the ministry of defense is the Su-32 program. This is a strike complex which is intended for the resolution of a whole spectrum of missions connected with the destruction of ground and surface targets and also aerial combat.
As M. Pogosyan noted, the Sukhoy company is devoting serious attention also to the development of unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Such a broad range of directions of operations on the military theme are connected with the company’s diversification strategy which is directed to a maximum degree at meeting market demands and reacting flexibly to those changes that occur in the worldwide marketplace for military aviation equipment,” M. Pogosyan concluded.
Source: 22.07.04, ARMS-TASS
Vympeltold reporters at the Farnborough Air Show that Lockheed Martin has come up with a combination of weight reductions and thrust-related efficiencies that would have the equivalent effect of losing 2,500 pounds, which is roughly the size of the bulge that Lockheed Martin has been grappling with for more than a year.
Notice the semantics. The equivalent effect of losing 2,500lb. So they’re not really losing that much weight. And I’ll be very surprised that this is the end of its weight problems, since aircraft put on weight continuously throughout the development cycle.
VympelI thought the S-300PMU1 was an export version that Russia itself doesn’t use?
VympelAre the MiG-31s going back to Russia?
VympelUranium isn’t available for use, but the concept/test or whatever exists, yes,
VympelVympel what is the current known status of new versions of the R-73 and ramjet R-77 ?
the R-73 is kinda long in tooth compared to the new gen designs flooding the market and needs a new model and ramjet R-77 is obviously necessary to match the Meteor and improve on the original R-77 shortcomings.
Shouldn’t this be in the missile forum ? 🙂
The latest R-73M2 (which is in service since 1996) isn’t long in the tooth, capability wise; though it could use an imaging infrared seeker, it seems quite deadly. Anyway, Jane’s ALW refers to an improved R-73 variant, with speculation as to its designation (including R-74, which has been used as the rear-fire version designation by some) but its features are “unclear”- possibilities include:
– an improved R-73 with gimbal-mounted motor nozzle assembly, which is in development by Vympel (improving maneuverability and range). More expensive.
– A cheaper solution possibly known as R-74 with “improved seeker” and “improved TVC” (but with vanes as on the R-73 rather than the above gimbal-mount)
– the aforementioned rear-fire version
* presumably the more expensive one would also have the improved seeker, I assume.
Vympel’s K-30 is of course in the future too. As to RVV-AE-PD aka R-77M-PD, no new news. . These new missiles will probably coincide roughly with the appearance of the PAK FA in solid form.
VympelAKhK Sukhoy to Present Fifth Generation Fighter Draft to Russian Federation Defense Ministry in 2004
An international aerospace exhibition is taking place from 18 through 24 July at the Farnborough airfield in Great Britain. This exhibition is held every 2 years and is the largest exposition of a similar sort not only in Great Britain, but in the whole world.
The first-rate Russian aviation holding company, the Sukhoy Company, will be one of the Russian participants. On the eve of its opening, the Sukhoy general director, Mikhail Pogosyan, told journalists what the company will come with to Farnborough and what primary tasks stand before the holding company right now.
This year Sukhoy will offer spectators civil aviation equipment- a mock-up of the cabin for the family of Russian Regional Jet airplanes will be demonstrated for the first time at Farnborough. The family will consist of six versions of airplanes, they all will respond to modern worldwide standards which will allow delivery of them not only on the internal market, but also for export. The prospective sales volume of the RRJ family of airplanes right now is estimate at more than 12 billion dollars. The total forecast demand will be nearly 800 aircraft over 20 years, and the cost will be 10 – 15 percent lower than foreign similar types.
At the same time, one of Sukhoy’s main tasks is the further strengthening of positions in the military aviation equipment market, in particular, owing to the creation of new products and upgrade of already-existing airplanes and which have made a good showing of themselves. The company is developing the modern Su-32 fighter-bomber, which will be called upon to destroy ground and aerial targets, in accordance with a Russian Ministry of Defense order. This airplane also is supposed to perform aerial reconnaissance and patrol the coasts in any weather conditions. At the present moment, a pre-production batch of eight aircraft has been built and state flight tests have begun, which will end in 2005.
Work also is underway on the upgrade of aircraft equipment which in the inventory of our army. Thus, a program is being executed on behalf of the defense ministry for the creation of an upgraded Su-24M2 tactical bomber. It is being done for raising the precision performance of the navigational complex and modes of use of the airborne weapons systems. The heart of the avionics will be replaced in full on the Su-24M2 airplanes, including the computer system, the navigational system, and the cockpit crew information display system. The upgrade program for the Su-27 series of airplanes, the best airplanes in their class, is aimed at the creation of an airplane with new aerodynamics, avionics and control system characteristics.
Work on new generation airplanes also is underway actively. AKhK Sukhoy intends as early as this year to present the concept design of the fifth generation fighter to Russia’s defense ministry. “Development of the fifth generation aircraft complex is going according to the timetable,” Mikhail Pogosyan noted. In his opinion, now “it is necessary to transition from general discussion to cooperation with possible manufacturers of components for the new aerial complex.” The fifth generation fighter is a multirole aircraft for the resolution of missions of a tactical nature, it can effectively destroy aerial, ground and surface small-size moving targets in any weather conditions of day and night, and also in conditions of active enemy countermeasures with the use of precision weapons. The foreign spectators will be able to see the results of the aircraft designers’ work with the own eyes. In August of this year, the whole lineup of domestic airplane construction will be demonstrated within the framework of the MAKS-2004 aviation show in the Moscow suburb of Zhukovskiy, and the SU-30MK will take part in demonstration flights.
As Mikhail Pogosyan thinks, the condition of the Russian military aviation industry is much more positive on the whole that 10 years ago, in the recession period. This is connected with several factors, in particular, with the direction of attention to arms export which has brought results. Another positive trend is the steady growth of orders within the framework of the state arms program on the part of the Ministry of Defense. Thanks to this, the quantity of orders has increased for the upgrade of aircraft equipment, and in the near future, after specification of the arms program, this equipment will be purchased for the needs of the Russian armed forces.
Source: 14.07.04, Agenstvo Biznes Novosti
VympelIt’s a head-scratcher.
I’d be extremely cautious about saying that any of the Akulas are actually “gone” (decommed) rather than just in reserve pending repair- assumptions like this have been made before- for example, that the Admiral Tributs (Udaloy) was to be scrapped after a 1995 fire, yet it sailed in the first ever US/UK/Russian naval exercises a few weeks ago. Or the Delta III SSBN that was recently put back on duty in short order when funding was provided for it.
VympelGD,
Are you referring to the Eritrea-Ethiopia conflict involving combat between Mig-29s and Su-27s? Weren’t they flown by experienced mercenary pilots?
1999 Russian/Ukranian pilots couldn’t possibly be judged as “experienced” by any objective standard- the atrophy in flying hours had set in well by then. The Vietnam experience may also be telling- poor maintenance/handling of AIM-7s significantly reduced their effectiveness.
And if so, the R-27s seem to be poor performers. Or could one blame the actuall way they might have been used? That is, incorrectly.
The Eritrea/Ethiopia report is exceedingly vague, and single-sourced. You can see the problems others have with it on ACIGs own forum.
VympelDidn’t even know they had Il-76s.
VympelIt’s strange that Mikhaylov should talk about the training of pilots/ flight commanders, because the crash of the Mikhail Gromov was caused by inappropriate pre-flight preparation. Still, it’s a valid point.
VympelCool 🙂
I thought the C-6 was already out, and the C-7 was next?
VympelNO NO IT IS NOT WHAT I SAID
Stop shouting.
VympelThe AIM-120D will have 50% extended range over the latest C varinat (I think the D was once known as AIM-120C-8), no info on whether it can supplant the AIM-54 though.
VympelYou are saying it not close to capability of SU-30…………why?
Because it’s a fraction of the size, with a fraction of the range, a fraction of the weapons load, an inferior radar, and very importantly an inferior thrust to weight ratio (does not exceed unity). It is *exactly* the kind of fighter (i.e. a light toy) that you do *not* want to be in if you’re fighting a big bruiser like the Su-30MKI.
As to technology, it has *no* combat advantages (air-to-air) over the Su-30MKI, whatsoever. Period.
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