Think I got something.

(K)S-3A 159764
VS-22 (CVW 3)
CV-67 USS John F. Kennedy
27Sep1983-02May1984
photo taken late 1983 (before deploying to the eastern Med)

No, Dis, you can see the last four digits of the BuNo on the tail: looks very much like (16)0149 to me, but possibly 148 as an outside bet. I’m not sure which Viking took-up AC-700 (the unit’s CAG bird) during the Med cruise, but during 1983’s Atlantic stint it was 159731, not ‘764.

Anyway, I actually saw 160149 as the VS-22 CAG bird (AC-700) at NAS Cecil Field on 29th April, 1994 during a base visit, so that might be a clue to work on for a rough date perhaps.

Best regards

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News

I thought the Su-27 upgrade was finalized, as the first five or so upgraded airframes have been redelivered to the RusAF.

Sean, I’m sure Ken or Art or one of the other Russo-Boffs will know more about this than me, but I’m pretty sure the spec of the five Su-27s delivered to Lipetsk on Boxing Day in 2003 wasn’t/isn’t finalised. I know that, at the time, almost all news reports described them as Su-27SM models (although I also remember Su-27SMK and Su-27SKM being used), there were some other statements issued in later months declaring that the final spec of the Su-27SM would be completed “by 2004-2005”.

I don’t know enough about what goes on at Lipetsk but, given what was reported in the past 12 months or so, I assumed that development work on the “definitive Su-27SM” was being undertaken.

This dates from 13th January, 2004 (ie almost three weeks after the five Flankers were delivered to Lipetsk):

Flanker Upgrade into SU-27SM To Be Completed in 2005 – Air Force Deputy Commander

The Flanker upgrade into the SU-27SM version will be completed in 2005, Lieutenant General Alexander Zelin, deputy commander of the Russian Air Force, told Interfax-Military News Agency.

“The SU-27 upgrade into SU-27SM must be completed in 2004-2005”, he said.

He did not disclose the number of aircraft to be upgraded but said that the budget provided the required money.

According to Zelin, the plan for the upgrade is as follows: KnAAPO and MMPP Salyut receive supernumerary aircraft to upgrade part of them and return them to the Air Force.

He said that the cost of the upgrade is lower than the cost of a new aircraft.

He added that the aircraft to be upgraded have already been tailored among the strategic areas: Northwest, West, Southwest, and East.

Recent news is that seven Su-27SM are due for delivery in 2005.

Best regards

Steve ~ Touchdown-News

I was under the impression that the Su-25KM recently delivered to Turkmenistan was newly built by the Tbilaviamsheni factory in Georgia.

If this isn’t the case I’m more than happy to hear otherwise….

Regards

Steve ~ Touchdown-News

This 1956 Ferrari 857S Monza Spyder Scaglietti belonged to a friend of mine until recently.

Now THAT’S a car and a half, EN!

With taste like that, how come you bought a banana-coloured Teutonic tractor!?! 😮

Waiting for F1 to be good again.

Ugggh

Never could abide roundy-roundy stuff….bring back the Mille Miglia and the Targo Florio 😀

Steve

In other words, you ain’t got the proof for your claim. 😀

From “The Hindu” 21st june, 2002

Russia sells copters to Pak.

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW JUNE 20. Russia has sold MI-171 transport helicopters to Pakistan in what is believed to be the first transaction between the two countries involving dual-purpose equipment.

The first four helicopters were airlifted to Pakistan aboard a Ruslan transport airplane on June 14, the RIA-Novosti news agency was told at the Ulan-Ude aircraft factory in Siberia, which built the copters. Another batch of four aircraft will be shipped later this week, the agency reported today.

MI-171 is a modernised version of the MI-17 helicopter, dual-purpose aircraft that can lift four tonnes of cargo and can be used for both military and civilian purposes.

India has a large number of these helicopters which proved highly effective during the Kargil conflict.

Russia has promised India not to sell military hardware to Pakistan, and Russian arms export officials told The Hindu that Moscow was keeping its word. The news agency said that Russia had sold the civilian version of the MI-171 helicopters and only after receiving a written obligation from the Pakistani Defence Ministry, which will use the aircraft, not to use the copters for military purposes.

Or

RUSSIA DELIVERS FOUR CIVILIAN TRANSPORT HELICOPTERS TO PAKISTAN

Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 20 June: Russia has delivered four civil transport helicopters Mi-171, made by the Ulan-Ude aircraft manufacturing plant (UAMP), to Pakistan for the needs of the Pakistani government, an official at the UAMP representative office here told ITAR-TASS on Thursday [20 June].

This batch of helicopters was supplied as a standard civilian helicopter equipment set under an overall contract for eight helicopters which can be used in transportation, search-and-rescue and passenger transportation options. The UAMP official has pointed out that “there is nothing military about these helicopters”.

The Mi-171 versatile helicopters [are] the UAMP’s staple export commodity. They successfully operate in many regions of the world, including African, Latin American and Asian countries.

Expert opinion is that a more apt cost-effectiveness balance as compared with Western analogues in the class of medium helicopters is conducive to successful promotion of the Mi-171 to the external market.

Source: ITAR-TASS

Photos of a PAF Mi-171Sh also exist. As you probably know, the Mi-171Sh can hardly be described as being “dual purpose”: it’s a fully-armed military helicopter.

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News

Steve

they never flew and anyone who has visited Faisal base, can see them stripped off in the back with wings taken off along with engines. They were not meant to be flown, rather for spares.

Thanks for that: much appreciated.

I found a pretty authoritative French page on the Atlantic on “Delta-Reflex’s” site at:

http://delta.reflex.free.fr/articleair/atlantic.html

This states that 63 was delivered in 1988 and put into service with the PN (also that it was Exocet-capable). This would also tie-in with the reports of a fourth PN Atlantic carrying the serial 94 in 1999. It also confirms the others as being used as what the author describes as “stock spare parts Pakistan” in 1996, as you said.

I’m happy to accept that the PN had four operational Atlantics at one time: Bernard Palmieri, the author of that page, certainly knows his French aircraft very well.

Best regards

Steve Rush ~ Touchdown-News