127TH KNIGHTS,

The original scenarios are all wildly unrealistic (with the exception of case 4) because the Serbian military has neither the will nor the capability to invade Kosovo… Or anywhere else for that matter.

Kapedani,

You might do yourself a favour and read the whole post. 127TH KNIGHTS has a point with the fourth possible outcome. It certainly seems the most realistic – mostly because it doesn’t involve Serbia.

This helicopter is living its second youth with the latest upgrades. We`ll still see the Mi-17 in the skies for quite a while…at least 25 years.

I agree that the new upgrades and improvments look good but I eventually the airframes will get old and chances are Mi-38s will look like the most attractive replacement.

Just how many nations, services or companies around the world use Mi-8/17s? Can they keep them flying forever? If not, can they afford NH-90s or EH-101s or whatever? If not what are they going to buy? Mi-38. Seems like a pretty substantial market to me – even if only half of them opt for it.

Kapedani,

You sure are right. 10million is almost nothing. Just an overhaul and some new comms systems. Maybe a bit of tinkering with the electronics. Almost not worth doing at all. But still worth it (just about) to keep at least a few pilots ‘trained’ on fast jets. Better than nothing if they have the money to spare.

Actually, the MiGs objective seems to be providing minimum training capacity for the pilots.

Thats the only part of this whole thing that makes any sense.

Airship cruises could be a real money earner if they are correctly marketed to the uber-rich.

http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2006/02/08/Navigation/190/2…

RSK MiG has signed an $888 million deal with the Indian defence ministry to upgrade the country’s air force’s fleet of 67 MiG-29s, Indo-Asian News Service is reporting.

The Indian air force has been studying fighter fleet modernisation for several years and has considered various options. The deal is understood to have received financial approval from the Indian government in its 2006-7 budget.

“The programme is part of the Indian air force’s long-term plan to modernise its fighter fleet with the aim of expanding its strategic reach, firepower and area of responsibility over the next decade as India’s burgeoning economy and regional importance proliferate,” an air force source says.
It is unclear which upgrade the deal covers, with the MiG-29SMT configuration developed for Malaysia one option or the MiG-29MRCA including Phazotron-NIIR’s Kopyo or Zhuk-M radar also considered likely. Any upgrade would take place over the next four years and extend the life of the aircraft by around 15 years. The MiG-29s will also be upgraded for in-flight refuelling.

RSK MiG is also offering a MiG-35 development of the MiG-29 to meet India’s 126 aircraft lightweight fighter contest (Flight International 6-12 December 2005).

The air force is currently upgrading 125 MiG-21s and 40 MiG-27ML fighters with combat avionics, with work carried out in the air force’s maintenance centre at Nasik air base in western India by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. Around 94 of 125 MiG-21s have been upgraded to the MiG 21 Bison standard, with the remaining 29 jets to be modernised by the end of the year.