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  • 7/23/2019 Take Off Russia

    1/44Sukhoi Superjet 100 arrives to new customers[p.30]

    New combat jetsfour RusAF[p.4,6]

    Sukhoi T-50four prototypesunder trials[p.18]

    Tikhomirov NIIP radarsTo see first means to win[p.14]

    Ilyushin 476undergoing tests[p.34] in service with RMAF

    [p.8]

    march 2013 Special edition for LIMA '13

    SU-30MKM

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    UNITED INDUSTRIAL COR PORATION OBORO NPROM I 29/141 Verejskaya st. Mo scow 121357 Russia I [email protected] I www.oboronprom.ru

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    Dear reader,

    You are holding another issue of the Take-off magazine, a supplementto Russian aerospace monthly VZLET. This issue is timed to the LIMA '13

    Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition. The show on

    the Malaysian island of Langkawi has more than 20 years experience

    and is the 12th one this time around. Over the two decades since LIMAs

    inception, the show has grown much in terms of scale and participation,having turned into a major regional aerospace and naval business forum

    in Southeast Asia.

    Russia has been a regular major participant in LIMA shows owing,

    to a large degree, to the increasing scale of aerospace cooperation

    between the two nations. In the mid-1990s, the Royal Malaysian Air

    Force commissioned into service the MiG-29N fighters developed in linewith its order. A bit later, Malaysian fire-fighting service Bomba received

    Russian-made Mi-17-1V and then Mi-171 helicopters. Today, the most

    advanced and perfect multirole combat aircraft in service with RMAF is

    the Russian-built Su-30MKM fighters delivered by the Irkut Corporation

    in an 18-ship batch during 200709. Malaysia also became the customer

    for the advanced new-generation MC-21 short/medium-haul airlinerunder development by Irkut in Russia.

    Although Irkut Corp. successfully fulfilled the whole contract on

    18 Su-30MKMs delivery to RMAF in 2009, more fighters of the type could

    be in demand in Malaysia soon as it decided to withdraw in the futureits MiG-29N aircraft fleet delivered by Russias MiG Corp. in 1990s. Insuch case Su-30MKM, possibly in further upgraded version, for example

    armed by BrahMos-A long-range air-to-surface missiles or fitted with a

    brand-new AESA radar, could become the best choice for Malaysia in

    terms of RMAF fighter fleet combat efficiency and operational logistics.

    By the way MiG Corp. now has a great experience in upgrading earlier

    delivered MiG-29 fighters under the Generation 4+ and 4++ standards.The first step was MiG-29SMT fighter for Russian Air Force and some

    foreign customers. Recently it handed over the first MiG-29UPG

    upgraded flighters to Indian Air Force under a contract for more than 60

    aircraft the whole fleet of MiG-29s in service with IAF. So, MiG could

    offer such upgrade solutions for Malaysia as well alongside with new

    deliveries of modern versions of MiG-29 family including MiG-29M/M2and MiG-35 fighters. In such case prolonging long-term cooperation with

    MiG Corp. could be a good chance for the Royal Malaysian Air Forcehaving almost 20-years experience of flying with MiG-29s to expand its

    traditions and extend its capabilities.

    In this issue we have focused on the most important novelties andrecent events in Russian aerospace industry, with preference given to

    those of them that could be of special interest to the current and potential

    customers of Russian aircraft in Malaysia and Southeast Asia in whole.

    I wish you fruitful work at the LIMA 13 air show, useful contacts and

    lucrative contracts!

    Sincerely,

    Andrey Fomin,

    Editor-in-Chief,

    Take-off magazine

    News items for In Brief columns are prepared by editorial

    ff based on reports of our special correspondents, press

    eases of production companies as well as by using information

    tributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti,

    C news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru,

    ww.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sit es

    The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of

    servation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection

    cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate

    FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004

    Aeromedia, 2013

    O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russiael. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19x +7 (495) 644-17-33

    mail: [email protected]

    March 2013

    Editor-in-ChiefAndrey Fomin

    Deputy Editor-in-ChiefVladimir Shcherbakov

    Editor

    Yevgeny Yerokhin

    ColumnistsAlexander VelovichArtyom Korenyako

    Special correspondentsAlexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov,Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev,Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva,Dmitry Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov,Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski,Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi

    Design and pre-pressGrigory ButrinMikhail Fomin

    TranslationYevgeny Ozhogin

    Cover pictureMarina Lystseva

    Publisher

    Director GeneralAndrey Fomin

    Deputy Director GeneralNadezhda Kashirina

    Marketing DirectorGeorge Smirnov

    Business Development DirectorMikhail Fomin

    Special Projects DirectorArtyom Korenyako

    ms in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied

    h a note Commercial are published on a commercial basis.

    torial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items.

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    c o n t e n t s

    MILITARY AVIATION

    Irkut delivers first 15 Yak-130s to RusAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

    First two Su-30SMs delivered to RusAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

    More Su-34 and Su-35S aircraft for RusAF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

    Su-30MKM in service with RMAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

    To see first means to win

    Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

    T-50

    Four aircraft in flight trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

    CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES

    First three upgraded MiG-29UPGs delivered to India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

    IAF ordering 42 Su-30MKI fighters more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

    Russian and India launching MTA co-development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

    As many as 25 Indian An-32s upgraded in Kiev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

    India to receive 71 Mi-17 helicopters more. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

    Brazil becoming launch customer for Ka-62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

    COMMERCIAL AVIATION

    Angara launches An-148 commercial services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

    New aircraft for presidential air detachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

    Sukhoi Superjet 100 arrives to new customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

    INDUSTRY

    Ilyushin 476 undergoing tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

    Upgraded An-70 in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

    First Russian Emergencies Ministry An-148 in trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

    First SSJ100/95LR kicking off its trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

    Endurance tests under MC-21 programme go on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

    PD-14: prototype engine manufacture begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

    Last Tu-154M built? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

    Be-200: first local production aircraft under assembly in Taganrog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

    Ka-226T to be ready for delivery this year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4034

    March 2013

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    4

    Irkut JSC, a subsidiary of the

    United Aircraft Corporation, met

    its commitments under last years

    governmental defence procure-

    ment order, having delivered the

    first 15-ship Yak-130 combat

    trainer batch to the Russian Air

    Force. The aircraft were delivered

    to the RusAF Borisoglebsk Training

    Centre operating 10 Yak-130s, built

    by the Sokol aircraft plant in Nizhny

    Novgorod, since 2011. Once the

    2005 contract for 12 Sokol-made

    Yak-130s for the Russian Defence

    Ministry was fulfilled in June 2011,

    a decision was made that all sub-

    sequent Yak-130 orders both

    domestic and export ones would

    be handled by the Irkutsk Aviation

    Plant of the Irkut corporation.

    In December 2011, Irkut fulfilled

    its first export contract for 16

    Yak-130s ordered by the Algerian

    Air Force. Not long before that, on

    7 December 2011, the Irkut cut its

    first deal with the Russian Defence

    Ministry for 55 Yak-130s intended

    for RusAF during 201215.

    The training centres aircrews

    ferried first three Yak-130s from

    Irkutsk to Borisoglebsk on 5

    October 2012. Three more air-

    craft followed the trio four days

    later, on 9 October. Another two

    three-ship Yak-130 batches went

    to Borisoglebsk from the man-

    ufacturing plant on 21 and 30

    November respectively, followed

    by last three aircraft slated for last

    years delivery on 19 December.The 15 brand-new Yak-130s bear-

    ing side numbers 31 through 45

    joined the first 10 Borisoglebsk-

    based Yak-130s, bringing the total

    number up to 25. The remaining 40

    combat trainers under the contract

    shall have been delivered within

    three years, with 10 options having

    been provided for.

    The Yak-130s combat train-

    er version with its weapons

    suite passed its official tests in

    December 2009. RusAF has been

    taking delivery of Yak-130 com-

    bat trainers since February 2010

    (first they were fielded with the

    State Aircrew Training and Aircraft

    Operational Evaluation Centre of

    the Defence Ministry in the city of

    Lipetsk). Now, Irkut is in talks withnew foreign customers, particu-

    larly those from CIS countries, at

    the same time with the delivery of

    Yak-130s to RusAF.

    One of the results produced

    by the talks was the contract for

    delivery of four Yak-130 combat

    trainers for the Belarusian Defence

    Ministry, signed in December

    2012. The aircraft will be delivered

    to BelAF in 2015. The Republic of

    Belarus became the first CIS mem-

    ber state to buy Yak-130s.

    MikhailKhokhryakov

    SergeyAlexandrov

    IrkutC

    orp.

    Irkut delivers first 15 Yak-130s to RusAF

    First two Su-30SMs delivered to RusAF

    On 22 November 2012, the Irkut

    corporation delivered two Su-30SM

    multirole supermanoeuvrable two-

    seat fighters to the Russian Air

    Force. The acceptance report was

    signed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant,

    a subsidiary of the Irkut corporation.

    The first two aircraft were built

    under the March 2012 order by the

    Russian Defence Ministry for 30

    Su-30SMs to be delivered between

    2012 and 2015. The Su-30SM is a

    derivative of the Su-30MKI fight-

    er that the Irkutsk Aviation Plant

    has been made for export since

    2000. An official Irkut news release

    states the tailoring of the aircraft

    to the RusAF requirements, which

    had been performed by the Sukhoi

    design bureau, pertained radar,

    communication and IFF systems,

    ejection seat and a number ofauxiliary systems. Modifications

    had been made to the weapons

    suite as well.

    The first Su-30SM earmarked for

    RusAF made its maiden flight in

    Irkutsk on 21 September last year,

    followed by the other four days later.

    On 19 December 2012, the

    Russian Defence Ministry placed

    another contract with Irkut for 30

    Su-30SM fighters more. Thus, Irkut

    is to make 58 Su-30SMs more and

    deliver them to RusAF in the com-ing years.

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    6

    In December 2012, the Sukhoi

    company supplied the Russian

    defence Ministry with 16 brand-

    new warplanes 10 production-

    standard Su-34 multirole tactical

    bombers and six cutting-edge

    Su-35S multirole supermanoeuvra-ble fighters, having thus fulfilled

    its part of the 2012 State Defence

    Procurement Order.

    The first five Su-34s (side num-

    bers 11, 12, 20, 21 and 22) flew

    from the manufacturers airfield

    in Novosibirsk to Baltimore AFB

    in the vicinity of Voronezh on 25

    December 2012. Five more aircraft

    (side numbers 23 through 27),

    which the customer had received

    in Novosibirsk in the run-up to

    New Year Day, on 29 December,

    have arrived there a month later,

    on 25 January this year. Thus, the

    air base in Voronezh has got as

    many as 20 Su-34 tactical bomb-

    ers. Sukhoi has delivered them

    under the government-awarded

    November 2008 contract stipulat-

    ing the construction and delivery

    of 32 aircraft of the type during

    201013.

    The first four Su-34s under the

    contract (side numbers 06 through

    09) were manufactured and deliv-

    ered late in 2010. At first, they were

    assigned to the Aviation Personnel

    Training and Aircraft Operational

    Evaluation Centre in the city of

    Lipetsk and have been based in

    Voronezh since December 2011.

    The next batch (six aircraft with

    side numbers from 01 through 05

    and 10) arrived to Baltimore AFB in

    December 2011.

    This year, Sukhoi is going to

    have its manufacturing plant in

    Novosibirsk build 12 Su-34s more,

    thus completing the order landed in

    2008. Right after this, it will start

    fulfilling the next unprecedented

    governmental order for 92 Su-34

    tactical bombers more to be deliv-

    ered to RusAF from 2014 to 2020.

    Not long before New Year Day,

    on 28 December 2012, Defence

    Ministry representatives signed

    acceptance reports on advanced

    Sukhoi planes at the Komsomolsk-

    on-Amur Aircraft Plant as well.

    The customer received six more

    Su-35S supermanoeuvrable mul-

    tirole single-seat fighters under

    the August 2009 contract for 48

    aircraft of the type.

    As is known, the first two

    Su-35S fighters (side numbers

    are 01 and 02) under the con-

    tract were made by KnAAPO (now

    KnAAZ Russian acronym for

    Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft

    Plant named after Yuri Gagarin, a

    Sukhoi subsidiary) and delivered

    to the Defence Ministry in May and

    December 2011. Another two (side

    numbers 03 and 04) were flight-

    tested in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in

    January and February 2012. The

    four aircraft were ferried to the

    Defence Ministrys State Flight Test

    Centre in Akhtubinsk to undergo

    their official trials. The six more

    aircraft delivered late last year will

    join them there in the near future.

    Their ferry flight to Akhtubinsk was

    slated for late January. Later on,

    they will be based at the Aviation

    Personnel Training and Aircraft

    Operational Evaluation Centre in

    Lipetsk, where they will be used for

    opeval and the conversion of the

    flying and ground crews of RusAF

    combat units to the type.As the head of the United

    Aircraft Corporation Mikhail

    Pogosyan told Russian President

    Vladimir Putin during his last year

    visit to KnAAZ, Sukhoi will supply

    RusAF with 12 Su-35S fighters

    annually during 2013 and 2014

    and will deliver the last 14 fighters

    under the contract to the military

    in 2015. By then, the Defence

    Ministry is expected to place a

    new, equally big long-term order

    for Su-35S fighters that will havebeen delivered until 2020.

    More Su-34 and Su-35S aircraft for RusAF

    UAC

    UAC

    Sukhoi

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    United Engine CorporationBldg. 141, 29 Vereyskaya str., Moscow, 121357, Russia

    Tel./fax: +7 (495) 232-91-63

    www.uk-odk.ru

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    Worth about $900 million, the contract for

    18 Russian-made Su-30MKM aircraft to be

    delivered to RMAF was signed on the top

    governmental level in August 2003, with the

    Rosoboronexport state corporation to fulfil it.The aircraft were to be developed by the Sukhoi

    company and built by the Irkut Corp. Under

    the deal, in addition to delivering the fighters,

    Russia was to train RMAF flying and ground

    crews and provide weapons and other equip-

    ment relevant to the effective operation of the

    fighters. A decision was taken to have Malaysias

    personnel trained in their country. RMAF had

    taken delivery of the first two aircraft in June

    2007 and four more by the year-end, with the

    next six in March 2008. The remaining six

    Su-30MKMs were delivered in summer 2009.

    The Su-30MKM fighter is a derivative of theproven Su-30MKI that has been in service with

    the Indian Air Force (IAF) since 2002. Under

    the contracts fulfilled or still under way, IAF is

    to take delivery of as many as 272 Su-30MKI

    fighters by the end of this decade, of which

    50 were built by Russias Irkut Corporation and

    222 are to be licence-produced by Indian aircraftmanufacturer HAL under a licence programme.

    To date, Irkut has shipped 50 fighters of the type

    to India as well as more than 120 licence produc-

    tion kits. The first Indian-assembled Su-30MKI

    has been flown and handed over to IAF in

    November 2004. Since then, the number of

    Indian-produced Su-30MKIs in IAFs inven-

    tory has been on the rise. As for today, more than

    170 Su-30MKIs both delivered from Russia

    and assembled by HAL are in service with IAF.

    One more derivative of the fighter, the

    Su-30MKI(A), was developed by Sukhoi

    and delivered by Irkut Corp. The customer isAlgerian Air Force which ordered 28 fight-

    ers of the type in 2006 and 16 more in 2010.

    Deliveries began in late 2007 and by 2013 a total

    of 44 Su-30MKI(A) fighters have been built by

    Irkut and delivered to the customer.

    The Su-30MKM is another step in

    developing the Su-30 platform further, theSukhoi design bureaus First Deputy Designer

    General Alexander Barkovsky told Take-off.

    The Malaysian version is wrapped around the

    Su-30MKI design, differing mostly in avionics

    but retaining its airframe, AL-31FP thrust vec-

    tor-controlled (TVC) engines and fly-by-wire

    control system. Still, there have been a number

    of radical modifications to the Malaysian air-

    craft, Alexander Barkovsky said.

    They included, first and foremost, modifica-

    tions to the IFF transponder, self-defence suite,

    display system and podded optronic systems. For

    instance, the Su-30MKM mounts an advancedFrench-made IFF system, with its plates situ-

    ated on top the nose section fore of the cockpit.

    8 www. t a ke -o f f . r utake-offdecember 2009

    Coming summer will mark the 10th anniversary of the landmark contract for 18 Sukhoi/Irkut Su-30MKM two-seatsupermanoeuvrable multirole fighters for the Royal Malaysian Air Force. The aircraft have been successfully operated byRMAF, being its most advanced and sophisticated aircraft type. The Irkut corporation delivered them to Malaysia between2007 and 2009. Now all of 18 superagile Su-30MKMs are in service with the 11th squadron of the Royal Malaysian Air Forcestationed at Gong Kedak air base in the Kelantan province, on the coast of the South China Sea, 300 km north of the nationalcapital, Kuala Lumpur. The international debut of the advanced Malaysian fighters took place at LIMA 2007 airshow at theisland of Langkawi. This time, Su-30MKMs are also the participants of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospaceexhibition and, no doubt, will become the main stars of the demonstration flight programme at LIMA '13.

    Su 30MKMSu-30MKMIN SERVICE WITH RMAFIN SERVICE WITH RMAF Andrey FOMIN

    AndreyFomin

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    However, the main difference featured by the

    Malaysian variant is its laser warning systems

    and missile approach sensors. They were devel-

    oped and in production by South African com-

    pany Avitronics, a member of the SAAB group,

    and are placed in various parts of the airframe.

    Two front-hemisphere laser-illumination sensor

    sets are under the nose section and the other

    two, which keep an eye on the rear hemisphere,

    sit on the sides of the air intakes. Between theformer, there is a UV three-sensor set to spot

    incoming missiles in the lookdown mode. The

    second such set of UV sensors is on top the

    spine fairing aft of the air brake. It operates in

    the lookup mode.

    In addition to the South African systems,

    the Su-30MKMs self-defence suite comprises

    an upgraded Russian radar-warning receiver,

    Russian electronic countermeasures (ECM)

    system in two pods mounted on wingtips, and

    Russian passive IR dispensers in the tail section

    (98 cartridges with flares and chaff).

    Actually, the share of Russian-made compo-

    nents is larger than that on the Indian variant

    due to Russian components replacing some of

    the Indian and Israeli ones. Particularly, the

    Su-30MKI has two different digital comput-

    ers (the main one is Russian and the backup is

    Indian), while both of the Su-30MKMs com-

    puters are Russian-made.

    In addition, the Su-30MKM has more

    French-made systems. The Thales wide-angle

    HUD has ousted the Israeli ElOp HUD mount-

    ed by the Su-30MKI. The Su-30MKMs colour

    multifunction LCDs are French-made as well.

    Like the Indian fighter, its Malaysian counter-

    part houses three 5x5 MFD55 displays at each

    combat station in the cockpit, with the rear sta-

    tion also fitted with the fourth, larger display

    the 6x6 MFD66.

    Another novelty implemented in the

    Malaysian version is the Thales podded

    optronic systems (the Su-30MKI can carry

    the Israeli-made Litening electro-optical pod).

    There are two such systems: the LDP Damocles

    pod ensures round-the-clock air-to-surface

    attack while day and night flight and navigation

    is ensured by the NAVFLIR system housed by

    the pylon being the hardpoint for the Damocles.

    According to the official data at the Thales

    web site, the Damocles podded optronic sys-

    tem (the pod weighs 265 kg and is 2.5 m long)

    handles the surface search, target acquisition,identification and tracking, laser spot detec-

    tion and target ranging and designation for

    laser-guided weapons, including smart bombs.

    To this end, it has the thermal imaging capability

    with the 35 micron wavelength as well as two

    laser channels: a 1.5 micron eye-safe ranging

    laser and a target illumination laser. The thermal

    imagers extra-wide field of vision in the naviga-

    tion mode measures 24x18, wide one 4x3

    and narrow one 1x0.75. The twofold elec-

    tronic magnification (zoom) is possible.

    The 35 micron infrared NAVFLIR naviga-

    tion system has the front-hemisphere look-

    down/lookup capability with the 24x18 optical

    field of view (the electronic zoom with 12x9

    angle of view) and shows the resultant imagery

    on the HUD and/or MFDs. The acquisition

    and identification range for objects measuring

    20x20 m is 1012 km and those for 100x100 m

    objects is 22.550 km. The system, except the

    pod and cooling system, weighs mere 20 kg.

    The rest of the Su-30MKMs search and

    targeting systems are Russian-made and most-

    ly similar to those on the Su-30MKI. They

    include, first and foremost, the Tikhomirov

    NIIP Bars phased-array radar capable of simul-

    taneously tracking at least 15 aerial threats at a

    high spatial angle and engaging four of them at

    a time, effectively attacking ground targets and

    operating in the air-to-air and air-to-surface

    modes concurrently. The passive phased array

    of the Bars radar is fitted with the addition-

    al hydraulic horizontal turn mechanism and

    M

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    offers 70 total scan in azimuth and 40

    in elevation. The assured acquisition range

    for aerial threats with a radar cross-section of

    3 sq.m equals at least 140 km.

    In addition, the Su-30MKMs surveillance

    and targeting gear includes the OLS-30I IRST

    from the Urals Optical & Mechanical Plant

    named after E.S. Yalamov (UOMZ) and the

    Sura helmet-mounted target designator from

    the Arsenal plant in Kiev. The infrared segment

    of the IRST tracks aerial targets out at 90 km

    in the rear hemisphere and 50 km in the front

    hemisphere. The airspace scan zone measures

    60 in azimuth and -15/+60 in elevation. The

    OLS-30Is wide field of view accounts for 60x10

    and the narrow one is 20x5, with the field of

    view being 3x3 in the lock-on mode. The laserrangefinder ranges ground targets out at 5 km at

    the least and aerial ones out at 3 km at the least.

    The Su-30MKIs navigation aids include

    the TACAN short-range radio navigation

    system, LINS-GPS inertial/satnav system

    and VOR/ILS/MRK landing equipment. To

    ensure safe formation manoeuvring, the air-

    craft also is fitted with formation flight lights

    on the sides of the fuselage nose section and

    air intakes, fins and wingtips. The avionics

    was integrated with the use of multiplex data-

    bus meeting the MIL-STD-1553B standard.

    As far as its weapons suite is concerned,the Su-30MKM is close enough to IAFs

    Su-30MKI. The types of weapons used remain

    virtually unchanged and include up to ten

    RVV-AE medium-range active radar homing

    air-to-air missiles, up to eight R-27ER1 semi-

    active radar homing and R-27ET1 heat-seeking

    AAMs (including up to two R-27ET1 AAMs),

    up to six R-73E dogfight missiles, Kh-59ME

    air-to-surface missiles (two missiles with

    TV command guidance), Kh-31A or Kh-31P

    (six ASMs with active or passive radar homing

    heads), six TV-guided Kh-29TE missiles and

    five Kh-29L semiactive laser beam-riding ASMs.

    Guided bombs include KAB-500Kr (OD) and

    KAB-1500Kr TV-guided bombs and advanced

    KAB-1500LG laser-guided bombs. The use of

    Kh-59ME missiles is supported by means of the

    APK-9E pod carried on the hardpoint under

    the port air intake and that of Kh-29L missilesand KAB-1500LG bombs by the Damocles pod

    mounted on the hardpoint under the starboard

    air intake.

    The non-guided weapons carried by the

    Su-30MKM are virtually the same as those

    hauled by other aircraft of the Flanker family.

    The Su-30MKM carries up to eight HE grav-

    ity bombs or 500 kg disposable cluster bomb

    units, up to thirty-two 250 kg or 100 kg

    blast/fragmentation bombs and 80, 122 and

    266/340 mm (420 mm) folding-fin aerial

    rockets (80 S-8, 20 S-13 or four S-25 FFARs

    in various versions) in four rocket pods orlaunchers. The maximum payload mounted

    on 12 hardpoints totals 8,000 kg. To cap it all,

    c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | r e p o r t

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    the fighter packs a 30 mm GSh-301 automatic

    cannon with the 150-round ammo load.

    In conclusion, a few words about one other

    feature of the Su-30MKM. The aircraft is fit-

    ted with the integral oxygen generator from

    the Zvezda company in the town of Tomilino,

    Moscow Region. Zvezda is known as the devel-

    oper of the unique K-36D-3,5E ejection seat

    the Su-30MKM is fitted with.

    The Su-30MKM has a long flying life 6,000 flight hours or 25 years of operation as far

    as the airframe is concerned. Heavy maintenance

    is required after the aircraft logs 1,500 flight hours

    or 10 years of operation. The AL-31FP engines

    from UMPO in Ufa have an assigned life of

    2,000 flight hours and a time before first overhaul

    of 1,000 flight hours, with their TVC nozzles have

    an assigned life of 500 flight hours.

    In 2006 the Sukhoi design bureau fur-

    nished two prototype aircraft to test the

    Su-30MKMs advanced electronic systems

    and integrate it with the avionics suite. Two

    preproduction Su-30MKIs serialled 05 and

    04 were converted to this end, becoming

    the prototypes of the Su-30MKM. One of

    them was first flown by Sukhois test pilots

    Sergey Kostin and Vyacheslav Averyanov in

    Zhukovsky on 23 May 2006. The other pro-

    totype completed its maiden flight in Irkutsk

    on 9 June 2006 with Vyacheslav and Yevgeny

    Averyanovs at the controls. The bulk of the

    tests conducted at LIIs airfield in Zhukovsky

    and at the Defence Ministrys State Flight

    Test Centre (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk were

    complete in late spring 2007, with the assem-

    bly of the first production Su-30MKMs being

    in full swing at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant.

    Both Su-30MKM prototypes remained in

    11

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    Russia for use under various test programmes

    to keep on refining the Su-30MKM and other

    aircraft of the family.

    The ceremony of acceptance of two first

    production-standard Su-30MKMs took

    place at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation

    Plant, a subsidiary of the Irkut Corp., on 24

    May 2007. The Malaysian delegation attend-

    ing the acceptance ceremony was led by the

    then RMAF commander, Gen. Dato SriAzizan bin Ariffin. Less than a month later, on

    18 June, an Antonov An-124 Ruslan airlifter

    flew both aircraft to RMAFs Gong Kedak

    air base in the Kelantan province, on the

    coast of the South China Sea, 300 km north

    of the national capital, Kuala Lumpur. Two

    more Su-30MKMs joined them in August.

    The Subang air base vic. Kuala Lumpur

    hosted the ceremony of the Su-30MKMs

    RMAF service entry on 10 August 2007. The

    importance of the event was highlighted by

    the presence of Malaysian Deputy Prime

    Minister and Defence Minister (now

    Prime Minister of Malaysia) Dato Sri Mohd

    Najib Tun Haji Abdul Razak and Malaysian

    Chief of Defence Forces General (Army)

    Tan Sri Dato Paduka Seri Abdul Aziz Hj

    Zainal. Rosoboronexport Deputy Director

    General Victor Komardin, who represented

    Russia during the ceremony, handed the

    documentation on the delivered aircraft over

    to RMAF Commander.

    By then, the fighters delivered had been

    used by the first group of RMAF pilots for

    conversion to the aircraft of a type new to

    them, with Russian test pilots Yevgeny Frolov,

    Sergey Bogdan and Sergey Kostin of the

    Sukhoi design bureau acting as instructor

    pilots. Already on 31 August 2007, three

    Su-30MKMs flown by Malaysian pilots par-

    ticipated in the air parade dedicated to the

    50th anniversary of Malaysias independence.

    The international debut of the advanced

    Malaysian fighters took place at LIMA 2007

    airshow at the island of Langkawi in

    December 2007. Lt. Col. Norazlan Aris

    and Maj. Azman Jantan from RMAFs

    11th squadron became the heroes of the show

    due to their fantastic Su-30MKM flight dis-

    play over Langkawi. By then two more RMAF

    pilots were flying the new type of Malaysian

    fighter, Maj. Fadzli Sabirin and Maj. Choy

    Swee On. All of them previously flew RMAFs

    MiG-29N or F/A-18D fighters or Hawk

    trainers and were high-skill military pilotswith a flight backlog of 2,0003,000 hours.

    Later on more and more Malaysian pilots

    passed conversion for flying Su-30MKM and

    attended the 11th squadron.

    With introducing the Su-30MKM into ser-

    vice, RMAF became the second air force

    in the world to operate supersonic multi-

    role supermanoeuvrable fighters capable of

    thrust vector control and the worlds second

    air force flying Russian fighters fitted with

    phased-array radars. With air crews given rel-

    evant training, they will be able to use dogfight

    missiles in the supermanoeuvrability mode as

    well. As a result, the combat capabilities of

    the Malaysian Su-30MKMs could far exceed

    those of the fighters operated by other air

    forces in the region.

    At present, RMAF is gearing up for issu-

    ing tender for a batch of advanced multirole

    fighters to replace, in due time, the services

    MiG-29N aircraft fleet that are to be decom-

    missioned in the future. Rosoboronexport and

    Irkut are intent on offering the Malaysians a

    new batch of Su-30MKM fighters that have

    earned the countrys recognition and can

    embody a number of improvements, if the

    customer wishes so. For instance, they can

    be fitted with an upgraded fire control radar

    system that can be equipped with the active

    electronically scanned array (AESA) and the

    latest weapons, including the Russian-Indian

    BrahMos-A heavy multipurpose supersonic

    air-to-surface missile. In such a case, RMAF

    will get the unique capabilities for accom-

    plishing all of their missions.

    take-offdecember 200912

    RMAF chief Gen.

    Rodzali bin Daud

    about Su-30MKMDuring a previous LIMA air show at the

    Malaysian island of Langkawi, the Take-off

    editor had an opportunity to be granted an

    exclusive interview by the chief of the Royal

    Malaysian Air Force, General Dato Sri Rodzali

    bin Daud. Sharing his impressions of the

    Russian-made Su-30MKM fighters in service

    with RMAF, Gen. Rodzali bin Daud said the

    following:

    We are very pleased with the technical

    performance and tactical capabilities of the

    Sukhoi fighter we have received. Firstly, the

    Su-30MKMs have satisfied our need of long-

    range multirole fighters dual-hatted as both

    the fighter and the strike aircraft capable of

    operating above land and sea. Previously, we

    had had no planes in the class and needed

    them much. Secondly, owing to the top-notch

    flight and technical characteristics, manoeu-

    vrability, cutting-edge avionics and weapon

    suites, the Su-30MKMs brought RMAF to

    a radically higher technical level and heav-

    ily influenced the development of Malaysiasaerospace industry, since we had from the

    outset participated in the Su-30MKM devel-

    opment by selecting its international avion-

    ics and weapons suites comprising the best

    Russian and Western systems.

    One of the reasons, for which the

    Su-30MKM was selected, was our rather long

    knowledge of Russian aircraft, because RMAF

    had operated the Mi-29N fighters for a decade

    and a half by then and had been satisfied

    with the cooperation with your country on the

    whole. Again, we have got no problem with

    the Su-30MKM aircraft itself and we are verysatisfied with this bargain.

    AndreyFomin

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    Su-30MKM basic specifications

    V.Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design, JSC

    3, Gagarina str., Zhukovsky, Moscow region, 140180, Russia

    Tel.: +7 (495) 556-23-48 Fax: +7 (495) 721-37-85E-mail: [email protected] www.niip.ru

    TO SEE FIRS TTO SEE FIRST

    M E NS TO W INMEANS TO WIN

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    Mr. Bely, how are things with the develop-

    ment of the AESA radar for the fifth-gen-

    eration fighter? What are the early results

    produced by its flight tests?Early last year, the third AESA radar pro-

    totype was tested and tuned at Tikhomirov-

    NIIPs test rigs and handed over to the Sukhoi

    company that installed it in the PAK FAs

    third flying prototype brought to Zhukovsky

    from Komsomolsk-on-Amur in late 2011 for

    flight tests. The radars flight trials began in

    July 2012 following the round test cycle on

    board an aircraft. Approximately 20 AESA

    radar test sorties had been flown by year-end

    2012, most of which had been completely

    successful. The key result achieved is the

    stable operation of the AESA radar in allair-to-air and air-to-surface modes from the

    outset. Having used late last years scheduled

    improvements of the aircraft, we dismounted

    the radar from it and checked it out on a

    test bench of ours: its AESAs operability

    and characteristics remained unchanged, noimprovements were required, and the radar

    was fit for continued flight tests that are to

    resume in the nearest future.

    Last year, we made the fourth AESA radar

    set. It was sent to Komsomolsk-on-Amur

    where it was mounted on the fourth PAK

    FA flying prototype and tested on it on the

    ground. The T-50-4 flew for the first time in

    December 2012 and conducted a ferry flight

    to Zhukovsky in mid-January. Thus, we have

    got two T-50s, fitted with our radars, in the

    flight trials. At present, the fifth AESA radar is

    almost complete at Tikhomirov-NIIP and willsoon be shipped to Komsomolsk-on-Amur

    for installation in the fifth flying prototype of

    the PAK FA. Another radar set is being manu-

    factured as well. It is designed for preliminary

    ground tests.

    Timely delivery of more AESA radar sets tothe customer is ensured through the institute

    having two test rigs. One of them, the chief

    designers rig, is being used for testing the AESA

    radar prototype to enhance its operating enve-

    lope as well as introduce advanced operating

    modes and improved software packages. The

    other one is being used for tuning more radar

    sets before mounting them on follow-on aircraft.

    Overall, we are satisfied with the results pro-

    duced but realise full well that a lot has remains

    to be done. But I would like to emphasise that

    the AESA radar programme is on schedule,

    with the schedule having been approved by thecustomer and the produced results meeting all

    expectations. Test pilots praise our radar too.

    TO SEE FIRSTMEANS TO WIN

    Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely

    Last year, the Tikhomirov-NIIP researchinstitute launched the flight tests ofan active electronically scanned array(AESA) radar on board the SukhoiPAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft. Thethird flying prototype of the aircrafthas logged a number of test sortiesto test the advanced radar that hasdemonstrated stable operation in allmodes. At the same time, the institutes

    personnel are participating in theofficial trials of the Su-35S multirolefighter fitted with the production-standard Irbis passive electronicallyscanned array radar, with the trialshaving produced unique results. Thesuccess in the development of the Irbisand the AESA radar predetermined thechoice of Tikhomirov-NIIP in 2012 asdeveloper of the radars to fit upgradedand future long-range bombers.In addition, last year saw the completionof the governmental test programmeson the upgraded MiG-31BM interceptor

    and upgraded Su-27SM(3) fighter andthe Russian Defence Ministry takingdelivery of the first Su-30SM multirolefighters, with all of these warplanesbeing equipped with improved radarsfrom Tikhomirov-NIIP.Tikhomirov-NIIP radars are known wellin India. The Bars electronically scannedarray radar fits IAFs Su-30MKI fighterfleet of more than 150 aircraft of thetype, with the contracts signed to boostthe number to 272 over time. The radarfor the advanced Russian-Indian fifth-generation fighter known as PerspectiveMultirole Fighter (PMF) is being derivedfrom the AESA radar designed for thePAK FA. In the run-up to the Aero India2013 air show in Bangalore, the Take-off had met Tikhomirov-NIIP DirectorGeneral Yuri Bely and asked him aboutthe key achievements of the company heleads in 2012 and about the prospects ofthe cooperation with India.

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    It is an open secret that the AESA radar we

    are developing to fit the PAK FA will serve

    the basis for development of the radar system

    of the Russian-Indian PMF fifth-generation

    fighter. Tikhomirov-NIIP has been selected

    as prime contractor for the radar to fit the

    PMF. The Indians are supposed to develop

    and manufacture some of the subsystems

    of the fighters radar system, with specific

    subsystems being discussed now. Last year,there was a review of the draft design of the

    aircraft and, hence, our part of it the AESA

    radar. Next on the agenda is the signature of

    a contract for the development work. As soon

    as the contract is signed, the development of

    the AESA radar system for the Perspective

    Multirole Fighter will shift into high gear.

    What is the state of affairs of your work on

    passive electronically scanned array radars?

    The Bars radar equipping the planes of the

    Su-30MKI family has become well known in

    the world. What is the status of the programme?

    Indeed, the Bars radar designed for the

    Su-30MKI fighter family has earned inter-

    national recognition. Series deliveries of the

    radars of the type are performed by our long-

    time partner, the State Ryazan Instrument-

    making Plant that also assists the Indians in

    having the Bars productionised by local com-

    panies. Last year, the Bars radar in the final

    configuration, designed for IAF Su-30MKIs,

    has passed its tests, having incorporated all

    software improvements and implementation

    of all operating modes under the contract.

    Production-standard Bars radars assembled

    both in Ryazan and in India are supplied

    to the customer in this version now. Earlier

    radars fitting the early-batch Su-30MKIs will

    be given relevant improvements in due time.

    A further IAF Su-30MKI-intended Bars

    upgrade programme has been under dis-

    cussion for several years now. As is known,

    a decision has been made in principle a

    long time ago, but the contract has not been

    signed yet. Initially, the Bars is supposed to

    be refined while retaining its current array,

    with the improvements to include extended

    range, higher resolution and the ability tosupport the use of advanced weapons. Then,

    the Barss array is to be replaced with an

    AESA. Obviously, it makes sense to do it after

    the AESA radar for the Perspective Multirole

    Fighter is tested so that to build on the exper-

    tise gained from the efforts.

    Another milestone of last year was that

    two sets of the Russian Bars version designed

    for fitting the first two Su-30SM fighters of

    the Russian Air Force were delivered to the

    Irkutsk Aviation Plant (a subsidiary of the

    Irkut Corp.) in May 2012. As is known, the

    Russian Defence Ministry and Irkut strucktwo deals for a total of 60 Su-30SM aircraft,

    with the Su-30SM being a Su-30MKI deriva-

    tive intended for RusAF. In November, the

    first two Su-30SMs were handed over to the

    Defence Ministry for participation in the

    official test programme. The deliveries of

    production-standard aircraft will have gone

    on for several years to come.

    To date, the air forces of three countries

    (India, Malaysia and Algeria) have operated

    over 200 Su-30MKI family fighters equipped

    with Bars radars. Now, the Bars is enteringservice with our Air Force as well, and the

    number of the aircraft carrying radars of the

    type will have totalled 400 in several years,

    given the contracts concluded.

    In addition, the experience gained from the

    Bars development was used last year in devis-

    ing the Bars-130 light radar proposal ordered

    by the Irkut Corp. The Bars-130 could be

    used in advanced versions of the Yak-130

    combat trainer, which are being mulled over

    by the Yakovlev design bureau. As is known,

    production-standard Yak-130s have been

    delivered to RusAF since 2010, and the export

    deliveries of the type kicked off in 2011. In

    parallel with ramping up the production of the

    Yak-130 combat trainer that lacks a radar so

    far, Irkut is pondering approaches to further

    development of the plane as a light strike air-

    craft, a light fighter aircraft, etc. Such versions

    could use a radar that should be lightweight

    and small enough, but able to perform a wide

    range of tasks as part of air and ground target

    seeking and acquisition, terrain mapping, etc.

    What about your firstborn among the elec-

    tronically scanned array radars the Zaslon

    designed for the MiG-31 interceptor? Is its

    upgrade complete?

    The official test programme of the upgrad-

    ed MiG-31BM interceptor, carrying the

    Zaslon electronically scanned radar improved

    by Tikhomirov-NIIP and new weapons,

    was completed late last year. As you know,

    Tikhomirov-NIIP developed the Zaslon wayback in the 70s. The Zaslon became the

    worlds first airborne phased-array radar. We

    enjoy an undeniable priority in this respect.

    The MiG-31BMs upgraded in Phase I (i.e.

    furnished with the improved Zaslon radar

    and an advanced cockpit display system at the

    backseaters combat station) have been fielded

    with combat units. In December 2012, suc-

    cessful launches of new long- and medium-

    range air-to-air missiles crowned the Phase II

    trials. The official tests report is to be approved

    in the near future, and aircraft upgraded this

    way will start fielding with line units too.

    Will you dwell on the Irbis radar that is

    surely the summit of the passive electronically

    scanned radar technology?

    You are right, the Irbis is second to none

    in the world, indeed, as far as its test-proven

    characteristics are concerned. Last year, the

    fight trials involving the Su-35 fighter pro-

    duced the unique aerial target acquisition

    results much more than 400 km! This is the

    unrivalled achievement of the worlds aircraft

    NIIP

    AESA prototype

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    radar industry. Based on the outcome of the

    official tests of the Su-35S, a preliminary

    report was signed last year, and the deliv-

    ery of production-standard Irbis-equipped

    fighters to the Russian Defence Ministry

    begun. The first two production-standard

    fighters were delivered late in 2011, with

    eight more delivered during 2012. All of

    them are fitted with production-standard

    Irbis radars, which production was launched

    at the State Ryazan Instrument-making

    Plant with Tikhomirov-NIIPs support. The

    radars basic characteristics have been prov-

    en by flight tests. Now, the radar has to take

    tactical tests involving launches of various

    weapons. As is known, the governmental

    contract stipulates the construction of 48

    Su-35S aircraft for RusAF throughout 2015.

    The deliveries are not likely to be limited

    to the number or the deadline. In addition,

    export sales of the Su-35 equipped with our

    Irbis-E are being looked into.

    The order for deriving an electronically

    scanned array radar from the Irbis as part ofthe upgrade of the Tupolev Tu-22M3 and

    Tu-160 long-range bomber fleets, which was

    awarded to us last year, is a kind of recognition

    of the top-notch performance of the Irbis. This

    line of work is new to us, for we have never

    developed radars for long-range bombers yet.

    However, the lessons learnt from the Irbis

    development makes us hopeful that we will

    reach the objective. We have worked out a draft

    design for Irbis versions earmarked for the

    Tupolev aircraft and are preparing the paper-

    work for launching the development work. If

    all goes to plan, the first upgraded Tu-22M3sand Tu-160s equipped with our radars will

    commence their trials as soon as 2014.

    Skipping ahead, I hope that the exper-

    tise gleaned from the work on the Tupolev

    bombers and our successful development of

    the AESA radar for the PAK FA will guar-

    antee our success in landing the order for

    the development of the radar system to fit

    the PAK DA Future Long-Range Aircraft.

    In conclusion, which of the results pro-

    duced by Tikhomirov-NIIP last year seem to

    you the most important ones?

    Overall, 2012 was rich in events as far as

    our company is concerned. I would high-

    light the beginning of the flight tests of

    the AESA radar designed for the PAK FA

    and the stable operation of the radar in the

    course of the trials, in the first place. Next

    goes the issuance of the preliminary report

    in the wake of the official tests of the Su-35

    equipped with the Irbis and the record-set-

    ting characteristics of the radar. Then, thereis the successful official trials of the upgraded

    MiG-31BM and Su-27SM(3) fighters fitted

    with our upgraded radars. Completing the

    testing of the upgraded Bars designed for the

    Su-30MKI and launching the deliveries of

    such radars to RusAF as part of Su-30SM

    fighters. Commencing the development of

    a radar for the Long-Range Aviation air-

    craft. Finally, working out the proposals for

    the Bars-130 lightweight small-size radar

    designed to fit aircraft in the Yak-130s class.

    Thus, the scope of the work being done

    by Tikhomirov-NIIP is increasing. While

    we used to make radars for fighters only

    (MiG-31, Su-27, Su-30 and its derivatives,

    Su-35, PAK FA) as far as airborne radars

    are concerned, now the number of carriers

    is growing. I believe that the application of

    Tikhomirov-NIIP radars will range all the

    way from the lightweight Yak-130 to the

    heavy Tu-160 in the near future.

    We, at Tikhomirov-NIIP, continue to

    adhere to the motto of our company, which is

    To see first means to win.

    Bars phased array radar

    Irbis phased array radar

    NIIP

    AndreyFomin

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    SU 30MKONLY THE BEST

    www.irkut.comwww.uacrussia.ru

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    The construction of the fourth PAK FA

    flying prototype had been finished by late

    autumn last year. On 10 December 2012,

    the plane was rolled out to the airfield andperformed its first taxiing run. Two days later,

    it taxied two times more, including a high-

    speed run with nose wheel lift-off. After that,

    a decision was made to conduct the first flight.

    At 16.50 local time on 12 December 2012,

    Sukhoi test pilot Sergei Bogdan took off in

    the aircraft on its first flight and landed it

    safely onto the runway 38 min later. The first

    mission was accomplished, with all systems

    operating normally. The test pilot checked

    the planes stability and controllability and

    evaluated the operation of the powerplant and

    all systems.Afterwards, the T-50-4 took off thrice and

    was painted then. On 14 January 2013, Sergei

    Bogdan gave the newly painted aircraft a check

    flight that proved its being fit for the long flight

    to the Moscow Region. As is known, following

    several test flights in Komsomolsk-on-Amur,the first three PAK FA prototypes would be

    disassembled and airlifted to Zhukovsky by

    An-124 Ruslan transports. The T-50-4 is the

    first of the prototypes, which ferry flight from

    the manufacturing plant in the Far East to the

    Moscow Region was under its own power.

    The 7,000-km-long route passed via Chita,

    Kansk and Chelyabinsk. The advanced fighter

    piloted by Sergei Bogdan set off for long a

    road on 15 January. The first overnight stopo-

    ver was in the city of Chita (Domna airfield).

    On the next day, the aircraft flew to Kansk

    and arrived in Zhukovsky at about 16.15 hon 17 January in heavy snow and under the

    limited visibility conditions after a stopover in

    The fourth flying prototype of the PAK FA Russias Future Tactical Fighter the T-50 fifth-generation fighter being developed by theSukhoi company came to the airfield of the Gromov Flight research Institute in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, on 17 January 2012.It made its first long-range flight, having covered about 7,000 km with several stopovers across Russia from Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East, where such aircraft are made by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant named after Yuri Gagarin(KnAAZ). The T-50-4 (side number 054) was flown by Honoured Test Pilot of the Russian Federation, Hero of Russia Sergei Bogdan.Thus, as many as four flying prototypes of the T-50 are used in the trials under the PAK FA flight test programme now, with KnAAZcompleting the fifth prototype of the fighter. This year, the prototypes are to be used in the official test programme.

    Andrey FOMIN

    Photos by Vladimir Ivakhnenko / Sukhoi

    T 50

    FOUR AIRCRAFTFOUR AIRCRAFT

    IN FLIGHT TRIALSIN FLIGHT TRIALS

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    Chelyabinsk (Shagol airfield). The PAK FAs

    characteristics allow such a long flight to be

    made with fewer stopovers, but owing to the

    novelty of the aircraft and possible adverse

    weather that might have necessitated divert-

    ing to a backup airfield that were few and far

    between en route, a decision was made against

    unnecessary risk. Mention should be made

    that the new fighter, which had logged only

    five sorties in Komsomolsk-on-Amur priorto its ferry flight to Zhukovsky, proved itself

    in the course of the long-distance flight, with

    all of its systems operating like clockwork and

    the pilot being quite pleased with his aircraft.

    Having arrived to Sukhois flight test facil-

    ity in Zhukovsky, the T-50-4 will soon join

    the flight test programme, under which three

    prototypes have been flown here.

    The third flying PAK FA prototypes flight test

    phase commenced at Sukhois flight test station

    in Zhukovsky in mid-June 2012. Sukhois test

    pilot Hero of Russia Sergei Bogdan took T-50-3

    prototype for its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-

    on-Amur on 22 November 2011. Following

    three sorties under the factory acceptance pro-

    gramme, the aircraft had been painted and

    T-50-4, PAK FAs fourth flying prototype, during factory tests.Komsomolsk-on-Amur, December 2012

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    airlifted by an An-124 Ruslan heavy-lifter to

    Zhukovsky on 28 December 2011.

    The aircraft had been assembled and its sys-

    tems had been debugged and ground-tested at

    Sukhois flight test facility in Zhukovsky for

    five months. In particular, the aircraft was for

    the first time equipped with an AESA radar

    prototype developed by the Tikhomirov-NIIP

    institute, and the radars operation as part

    of the avionic suite was tested. In mid-June,

    the T-50-3 was rolled out to the airfield, and

    its taxiing and running tests began. Once the

    bugs had been troubleshot, the plane was

    cleared for a check flight, and Sergei Bogdan

    took it to the sky at the Gromov Flight Test

    Institute airfield on 21 June 2012. The check

    flight took about an hour, and the aircraft with

    its systems performed as expected.

    The AESA radar continued its tests in July.

    First, it was tested on the ground against an

    aerial target in the form of the Su-27M (side

    number 710) that had been used as a fly-

    ing testbed for testing the PAK FAs engine

    in 2010. The AESA radar was turned on

    and tested in several operating modes during

    another test flight of the T-50-3 on 24 July.

    In addition to trying the AESA radar, other

    advanced avionic systems, which have not

    been mounted on the earlier prototypes yet,

    will be tested on this aircraft.

    According to an official statement by

    Sukhoi, the early tests of the radars air-

    to-air and air-to-surface modes onboard the

    T-50-3 prototype have produced good stable

    results on a par with the performance of the

    best existing aircraft. Approaches to refining

    these capabilities have been proven. Work has

    begun to test the optical channels.

    To date, the T-50-3 has flown about 30 test

    sorties, mostly to test the AESA radar and

    other avionics.

    The second flying prototype, the T-50-2,

    has been undergoing improvements in the

    run-up to high-g and flying restriction tests.

    It conducted its fist flight on 3 March 2011

    with Sergei Bogdan at the controls. A monthlater, the T-50-2 was carried to Zhukovsky,

    and it has flown in the Moscow Region

    since mid-August 2011, having logged over

    80 sorties.

    Early in August 2012, Sukhoi started testing

    the T-50-2 for in-flight refuelling. The tests

    involved a Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-78

    tanker plane. Test pilot Sergei Bogdan on the

    T-50-2 performed a series of approaches to

    the tanker and nine hook-ups with the refuel-

    ling drogue (the so-called dry refuelling) on a

    single sortie, which was recorded on camera

    from onboard the Su-25UB escort aircraft

    furnished by the Defence Ministrys State

    Flight Test Centre.

    According to a Sukhoi news release, the

    T-50-2 is also used for research into stability,

    controllability and strength within a wide sub-

    sonic and supersonic speed bracket in various

    configurations.

    The first prototype is being used in the

    trials too. It had spent about a year, under-

    going improvements since the unveiling at

    the MAKS 2011 air show in August 2011.

    Sergey

    Lysenko

    T-50-4 approaching Gromov LII Flight Research Institute airfield in snowfall,17 January 2013

    The fourth flying PAK FA getting ready for long-range ferry flight to Zhukovsky.Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 15 January 2013

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    The T-50-1 first flew in Komsomolsk-on-

    Amur on 29 January 2010 (it has flown in

    Zhukovsky since April 2010). The preparation

    of the T-50-1 for extreme angle-of-attack and

    supermanoeuvrability test flights had been

    completed by last autumn, and its first flight

    in the wake of the modification took place

    in Zhukovsky on 11 September 2012. It had

    performed more than 80 sorties by now.

    The 100th test flight under the PAK FAtest programme was performed in November

    2011, with the 200th flight took place in

    January 2013. This year, the fifth aircraft is

    to join the trials. T-50-5 is in assembly at

    the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. It will

    be followed by the sixth example. As many

    as five Sukhoi test pilots have been flying

    the T-50s: in addition to Sergei Bogdan,

    who performed the maiden flights on the

    four prototypes being tested, they are Roman

    Kondratyev, Yuri Vashchuk, Sergei Kostin and

    Taras Artsebarsky.

    The RusAF commander Lt.-Gen. Victor

    Bondarev said in January that the PAK FA

    in 2013 would start its official tests at the

    Defence Ministrys Flight Test Centre in

    Akhtubinsk. The construction of the six pro-

    totypes will be followed by the manufacture

    of a low-rate initial production batch for

    operational evaluation and then by full-rate

    production. According to the media, about 60

    production-standard PAK FAs are planned

    for fielding during 201620. Obviously, the

    deliveries will continue past 2020.

    It looks like the programme on the joint de-

    velopment and production of the Prospective

    Multirole Fighter (PMF), which is also knownin India as FGFA (Fifth Generation Fighter Air-

    craft), may become the major programme as

    part of the Russian-Indian cooperation in the

    sphere of aviation in the near future and in

    a longer term. The aircraft is being co-devel-

    oped by Russian and Indian specialists on the

    basis of Russias PAK FA, with due account of

    the Indian requirements.

    The programme was officially launched by

    the signature of the Russian-Indian intergov-

    ernmental agreement on the co-development

    and co-production of the future fifth-genera-

    tion fighters in Moscow on 18 October 2007.Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL)

    were appointed prime contractors. Indian

    delegations had paid numerous visits to Rus-

    sia during several months since then both

    to the Sukhoi design bureau in Moscow and

    the plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur where the

    construction of the early T-50 prototypes had

    been under way since December 2007. Suk-

    hois personnel had gone to India several

    times to visit HAL. The key matters pertinent

    to the co-development and co-production of

    the advanced aircraft were agreed during the

    negotiations held. The Russian-Indian next-

    generation warplane programme implies both

    its joint financing and the aircrafts co-pro-

    duction at Sukhois and HALs facilities.

    During then-President Dmitry Medvedev

    visit to New Delhi, Rosoboronexport and HAL

    made a contract for the devising of a prelimi-

    nary design of the fifth-generation Prospec-

    tive Multirole Fighter on 21 December 2010.

    The contract is the beginning of the practical

    development of the Russian-Indian fighter,

    read Rosoboronexports official statement re-

    leased on the occasion.The Indian press reported at the time that

    the Prospective Multirole Fighter was to be

    developed by 2017, and Air Chief Marshal

    Pradeep Vasant Naik, who was the chief of the

    IAF Air Staff during 200911, said the Indian

    MoD was going to order up to 250 fifth-gen-

    eration fighters.

    In turn, Sukhoi reported in February 2011:

    The PMF programme includes the designing

    and development of a new-generation fighter

    to feature such advanced characteristics as

    low observability, supersonic cruising speed,

    high manoeuvrability, a highly integrated avi-onics suite, an expanded situational aware-

    ness system, internal carriage of weapons

    and the feasibility of a centralised electronic

    warfare system. The fighter is being derived

    from the Russian PAK FA Future TacticalFighter in line with Indian technical require-

    ments. The programme also makes provision

    for the designing and development of a two-

    seat version of the aircraft and the introduc-

    tion of advanced engines featuring enhanced

    thrust. Provision is made for cooperative mar-

    keting of the aircraft in third countries.

    In October 2011, IAF command published

    more specific information about the number of

    Prospective Multirole Fighters to be ordered

    a total of 214 aircraft, including 166 single-

    seaters and 48 twin-seaters and confirmed

    that they intended to start taking delivery in2017. However, a year later, in October 2012,

    IAFs Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal

    Norman Anil Kumar Browne told Indian maga-

    zine India Strategic in an interview that the

    number of the fighters planned for procure-

    ment had been reduced to 144 aircraft, with

    all of them to be single-seaters. The reduc-

    tion and the rejection of the two-seat version,

    which had been planned before, were due

    to the attempts to slash the cost of the pro-

    gramme. Now, the first planes are planned for

    entering service with IAF in 2020.

    A little earlier, on 19 August 2012, the in-

    fluential Indian newspaper The Times of India

    ran a big article on the drafting of a contract

    on the Russian-Indian PMF fighter develop-

    ment work, with the contract expected for

    signing in late 2012 or early 2013 (when this

    issue went to press, the contract had not been

    signed yet). The article reported that the PMF

    programme had reached a crucial stage and

    might turn into Indias largest defence pro-

    gramme with is price tag estimated at about

    $35 billion in the coming 20 years. According

    to the newspaper, the value of the contractfor the PMF preliminary design signed in De-

    cember 2010 and submitted to the customer

    last summer is $295 million and the value of

    the current development contract is estimated

    at as many as $11 billion ($5.5 billion for the

    Russian and Indian parties each). The news-

    paper reports that the first PMF prototype

    will be made in Russia and may be handed

    over to HAL Ozar facility in Nasik for tests

    as early as 2014. The second example is to

    follow in 2017, while the third one in 2019.

    The latter will likely meet all IAF requirements

    and become the standard design for full-rateproduction, with the production facilities sup-

    posed to be launched in Nasik by 2020.

    From Russian PAK FA

    to Russian-Indian PMF

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    22

    In December 2012, MiG Corp.

    delivered to IAF the first three

    upgraded MiG-29 fighters two

    single-seat MiG-29UPGs and a

    MiG-29UB UPG two-seater. They

    were airlifted to the customer by

    an Antonov An-124 Ruslan heavy

    transport.

    The MiG Corp. has been imple-

    menting the MiG-29UPG pro-

    gramme under the contract signed

    on 7 March 2008 for integrat-

    ed upgrade of the whole of the

    MIG-29 fleet of the Indian Air

    Force. In all, 62 aircraft, including

    nine MiG-29UB two-seat combat

    trainers, are subject to upgrade.

    They are to be given more up-

    to-date avionics, with their weap-

    ons suite to be beefed up with

    advanced missiles. In addition,

    airframe and powerplant improve-

    ments will extend the fighters

    service life by far, and the aircraft

    will switch to on-condition mainte-nance. The fuel load will increase

    owing to a conformal spine fuel

    tank aft of the cockpit. At the same

    time, the fighters will get the mid-

    air refuelling capability.

    Overall, the concept of upgrad-

    ing the IAF MiG-29s corresponds

    to that of the MiG-29SMT that has

    been in service with the Russian

    Air Force since 2009 and mastered

    by Russian pilots. At the same time,

    there will be a high degree of avion-

    ics and weapons commonality withthe MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne

    fighters that entered service with

    the Indian Navy on 19 February

    2010. At the customers request,

    systems from various foreign

    manufacturers are integrated with

    the avionics suite of the upgraded

    MiG-29UPG (the so-called inter-

    national avionics suite). Similar

    experience has been gained from

    the fulfilling of the Russian-Indian

    contracts for upgrade of the IAFs

    MiG-21bis to MiG-21UPG Bison

    standard and for development and

    manufacture of the Su-30MKI and

    MiG-29K/KUB fighters. The expe-

    rience has showed itself to good

    advantage.

    The upgraded MiG-29UPGs fire

    control system is wrapped around

    the advanced Phazotron-NIIR

    Zhuk-M2E slotted-array radar and

    OLS-UEM IRST with the laser,

    thermal-imager and TV capabili-

    ties from the Precise Instrument

    Systems Scientific and Production

    Corporation (NPK SPP). The same

    radar and IRST fit the MiG-29K/KUB.

    The cockpit management system

    is based on colour multifunction

    liquid-crystal displays. The inter-

    national segment of the avionics

    suite includes a helmet-mounted

    target designator from Thales, an

    inertial/satellite navigation system

    from Sagem, an Indian electronic

    intelligence system and an Israeli

    electronic countermeasures sys-

    tem (the same gear equips the

    MiG-29K/KUB).

    In addition to the conformal

    fuel cell behind the cockpit and

    the mid-air refuelling boom on

    the portside, visual differences

    between the MiG-29UPG and

    the baseline MiG-29 include the

    underwing chaff/flare dispens-

    ers from Bharat Electronics and

    advanced antennae of the defence

    aids suite under wign and in the

    root of the right fin.

    The basic weapons carried by

    the MIG-29UPG are the same as

    those carried by the MiG-29SMT

    and MiG-29K/KUB. Unlike the

    weapons suite of productionMiG-29s, they also include the

    RVV-AE medium-range active

    radar homing air-to-air missiles

    and such precision-guided air-to-

    surface weapons, as the Kh-29T

    general-purpose TV-homing mis-

    sile, Kh-31A active radar homing

    antiship missile, Kh-31P passive

    radar homing antiradation missile,

    KAB-500Kr TV-homing bombs, etc.

    The MiG-29 has been in IAFs

    inventory since 1987. Overall,

    80 aircraft of the type had beendelivered from the later 1980s to

    the mid-90s, including about 70

    MiG-29 singleseaters (version B,

    or MiG-29B) and 10 MiG-29UB

    twinseaters.

    Under the contract, the first

    six IAF MIG-29s (four singleseat-

    ers and two twinseaters) were

    upgraded and tested in Russia,

    where they arrived from India in

    2008. The first MiG-29UPG made

    its maiden flight after upgrade in

    Zhukovski on 4 February 2010.

    Upon completion of the tests, the

    first two upgraded MiG-29UPGs

    and a MiG-29UB UPG were

    returned to the customer early

    in December 2012. Three more

    aircraft are slated for delivery this

    spring. The remaining 56 aircraft

    will be upgraded in India at the

    production facilities of the IAFs

    11th Repair Base, using knock-

    down kits supplied from Russia.

    VictorDrushlyakov

    First three upgraded MiG-29UPGs delivered to India

    MiGCorp.

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    24

    On 24 December 2012, during

    Russian President Vladimir Putins

    visit to India, there was the long-

    awaited signature of the contract

    for delivery of 42 Su-30MKI mul-

    tirole supermanoeuvrable fighter

    knockdown kits to India. The aircraftare to be licence-produced at the

    manufacturing facilities of Hindustan

    Aeronautics Limited (HAL). On

    behalf of Russia, Rosoboronexport

    Deputy Director General Alexander

    Mikheyev signed the contract, with

    HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi and HAL

    MiG Complex Managing Director

    S. Subrahmanyan signing the con-

    tract on behalf of India. According

    to the Indian press, the deals worth

    is estimated at about $1.6 billion.

    The Irkut corporation will deliver theknockdown kits to India.

    Today, the Su-30MKI two-seat

    supermanoeuvrable multirole fighter

    fleet is the trademark of the Indian

    Air Force and its most sophisticated

    combat planes in service. To date,

    the Russias Irkut corporation has

    supplied IAF with 50 fly-away aircraft

    of the type and Indias HAL corpora-

    tion has been licence-producing the

    Su-30MKI since 2004.

    Irkut delivered the first 32

    Su-30MKIs under the 1996 contract

    to IAF during 20022004. Later on,

    18 more fighters of the type arrived

    in 20082009 under a trade-in deal

    clinched in 2007 as a replacement of

    18 Su-30Ks delivered in late 1990s.

    The contract with India on

    licence production of 140 Sukhoi

    Su-30MKIs, AL-31FP thrust vec-

    tor control engines and avionics,

    including the Tikhomirov-NIIP Bars

    phased-array radars, was signed on28 December 2000. It became the

    major deal in the Russian-Indian

    cooperation, valued at $3 billion-

    plus. The first HAL-assembled

    Su-30MKI was accepted by IAF on

    28 November 2004.

    In 2007, Rosoboronexport and

    Irkut, on the one hand, and the

    Indian Ministry of Defence and

    HAL, on the other, struck a deal

    for 40 Su-30MKI knockdown kits

    more, with Irkut having completed

    the deliveries under the contract

    during 200810.

    HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi said in

    December 2012 that after 42 more

    knockdown kits had been ordered,

    HALs licence-produced Su-30MKI

    output would total 222 aircraft, of

    which 119 have already been deliv-

    ered to IAF. Thus, considering the

    ready-made Su-30MKIs delivered by

    Irkut, IAF will have a fleet of 272

    aircraft of the type in the end.According to an official HAL

    news release, the Russian-Indian

    Su-30MKI licence production pro-

    gramme involves 157 Indian sub-

    contractors. HALs MiG Complex in

    Nasik handles the manufacture of

    Su-30MKI airframes and the final

    assembly of the planes. The manu-

    facture of AL-31FP engines with the

    use of UMPO JSC-supplied compo-

    nents is performed by HALs plant

    in Koraput. The communication gear

    and navigation systems are made

    in Hyderabad, while the hydraulic,

    pneumatic and fuel units in Lucknow

    and cockpit MFDs and satnav sys-

    tems in Korwa.

    Meanwhile, the Su-30MKI pro-

    gramme has not been sitting on

    its hands, and the fighter being

    delivered to India these days differ

    from those supplied earlier in the

    decade in greater capabilities of the

    fire control system owing to lat-est operating modes and enhanced

    characteristics of the avionics suite.

    Since the Su-30MKI production and

    deliveries will have continued for at

    least four to five years more while

    their service life will last at least

    25 years, further improvement of

    the aircraft by means of even more

    sophisticated avionics and weapons

    comes to the fore. Such priori-

    ties now include the arming of the

    Indian Su-30MKI fleet with the cut-

    ting-edge BrahMos-A long-range

    precision-guided multirole air-to-

    surface missiles that is under devel-

    opment by BrahMos Russian-Indian

    joint venture, which has already

    delivered missiles ship-based and

    land-based versions to the Indian

    Navy and Army.

    In addition, the upgrade will

    apply to the fighters avionics suite.

    The current preliminary agreements

    stipulate phased upgrade of the

    Tikhomirov-NIIPs Bars phased-array radar. The first phase of the

    upgrade is supposed to boost the

    radars performance through intro-

    duction of additional operating

    modes as well as more-capable

    computers and software. This is

    to maximise the reliance on the

    solutions of the existing phased-

    array radar already productionised

    by India under Russian license.

    Phase two of the upgrade is to see

    the Barss passive phased array

    replaced with an active electronical-ly-scanned array (AESA).

    IAF ordering 42 Su-30MKI fighters more

    AndreyFomin

    AlexeyMikheyev

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    A group of 31 design engineers

    with Indian corporation HAL came to

    Moscow on 4 December 2012 for the

    joint work under the MTA advanced

    multirole transport aircraft develop-

    ment programme. The co-designing

    of the MTA has been under way at aUAC Transport Aircraft facility in

    Moscow, with the core of the design

    team being a group of designers with

    Russian airframer Ilyushin.

    The contract for the first phase of

    the development of the MTA medi-

    um multirole transport aircraft was

    signed in New Delhi on 12 October

    2012 by UAC Transport Aircraft

    (UAC-TA), Hindustan Aeronautics

    Ltd. (HAL) and Russian-Indian joint

    venture Multirole Transport Aircraft

    Ltd. (MTAL). MTAL Director GeneralN.K. Agarval signed the contract on

    the part of the customer, and UAC-TA

    Director General Sergei Velmozhkin

    and HAL Director T. Suvarna Raju on

    the part of the contractor companies.

    The contract officially launched

    the design work under the require-

    ments specifications approved by the

    defence ministry of the two countries

    and kicked off the financing of thework. As is known, Russia and India

    signed an intergovernmental agree-

    ment on the MTA programme in 2007

    and an agreement on setting up the

    MTAL joint venture to develop and

    produce the MTA on 9 September

    2010. The parties were going to invest

    $300 million into the programme each

    and launch the airlifters production in

    Russia and India, with the output to

    stand at 205 aircraft at least.

    According to UACs official website,

    the MTA medium transport aircraftwill be capable of hauling up to 20 t of

    cargo or 140 troops (90 paratroops in

    case of an airdrop), or 80 casualties.

    Its maximum takeoff weight will be

    68 t, its range with a 20-t payload

    will measure 2,000 km and that with

    a 12-t payload 4,700 km. Ferry

    range will account for 7,300 km with

    a full fuel load of 25 t. MTAs cruising

    speed is estimated at 800 km/h while

    its run and roll at 1,050 m. The crewof three (pilot, co-pilot and navigator

    with the flight mechanic as an option)

    will be able to operate the aircraft

    from paved or unpaved airfields sit-

    ting at sea level up to 3,300 m. The

    powerplant is supposed to include

    two new-generation PD-14M turbo-

    fans with a takeoff thrust of 15,600

    kgf. The cargo holds lateral cross

    section will measure 3.45x3.4 m and

    its length will be 14 m.The MTA is expected to conduct

    its maiden flight in 2017, with its

    full-scale production slated for 2019.

    VasilyKoba

    VasilyKoba

    Russian and India launching MTA co-development

    January 2013 has seen the com-

    pletion of the overhaul and upgrade

    of the 25th Indian An-32 airlifter

    (serial K2694) in Kiev. The air-

    craft is the last one in the fifth

    group of planes that had arrived to

    Ukraine from India under the con-

    tract made by the Indian Defence

    Ministry and Ukrainian governmen-

    tal arms exporter Spetstekhexport

    on 15 June 2009. 105 Indian Air

    Force An-32s are to be overhauled

    and upgraded in all, with the first

    40 of them being handled by the

    Kiev-based government-owned

    410th Civil Aviation Plant in con-

    junction with the Antonov govern-

    ment-owned company and MotorSich joint stock company and the

    remaining 65 to be subjected to the

    same overhaul and upgrade at IAFs

    aircraft repair plant in Kanpur.

    The overhaul and upgrade of the

    An-32s in question is to extend

    their service life with IAF by 15

    years at the least. The upgradeprogramme approved by the parties

    stipulates for fitting the An-32s with

    about 25 advanced systems from

    Ukrainian and foreign manufactur-

    ers. The upgraded aircraft shall be

    designated as An-32RE (RE stands

    for re-equipped).

    The first five IAF An-32s arrivedin Kiev for upgrade on 4 March

    2010. The first upgraded aircraft

    was rolled out in a ceremony on 27

    August of the same year, and the

    whole of the first five-ship batch

    returned to India in May 2011.

    Four months later, in September

    2011, IAF received five upgraded

    An-32REs more. They had been

    brought to Kiev in July 2010.

    The handover of the third five-air-

    craft batch of upgraded An-32s took

    place on 12 March 2012, and on 4October 2012, the Ukraine delivered

    the fourth batch of five upgraded

    An-32RE airlifters to IAF. Thus, IAF

    had had as many as 20 An-32RE air-

    lifters by this year, and the numbershall increase to 25 in the near future

    with the delivery of the fifth five-ship

    batch overhauled and upgraded in

    Kiev since May of last year.

    Meanwhile, work is under way

    on another portion of IAF An-32s.

    Another five aircraft came in from

    India in September 2012, with the

    next batch slated to arrive in January.

    This leaves only the last five An-32s

    to be upgraded in Ukraine under the

    contract, after which the remaining 65

    planes will be upgraded to An-32REstandard by the Indians themselves.

    AndreyFomin

    As many as 25 Indian An-32s upgraded in Kiev

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    26

    Russian helicopter-making hold-

    ing company Russian Helicopters has

    landed a new lucrative order for Mil

    Mi-17 family helicopters from India.

    On 24 December 2012, during Russian

    President Vladimir Putins visit to New

    Delhi, the contract for 71 Mi-17V-5helicopters, of which 59 are earmarked

    for the Indian Air force and remain-

    ing 12 for the Ministry of the Interior

    (including six for the borderguards) was

    signed. The value of the deal is estimat-

    ed at $1.3 billion. The machines will be

    manufactured by the Kazan Helicopters,

    a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters. The

    delivery is slated for commencement in

    2014, after the current 2008 contract

    for 80 Mi-17V-5s has been fulfilled.

    The deliveries under the 2008 con-

    tract kicked of in autumn 2011, and theMi-17V-5 entered service with IAF in

    a ceremony held on 17 February 2012

    at Palam airbase, in New Delhis sub-

    urbs. By then, as many as two dozen

    helicopters of the type had been deliv-

    ered. Another batch of Mi-17V-5s was

    headed to India in December last year,

    with the 2008 contract to be completed

    before this year-end.

    The Mi-17V-5s intended for India

    are manufactured in an improved

    version, with due account of extra

    customer requirements. They are pow-

    ered by advanced Klimov VK-2500turboshaft engines fitted with FADEC.

    The engines feature enhanced power,

    which is especially important on oper-

    ations in the hot climate and moun-

    tainous terrain. The sophisticated

    navigation and electronic display suite,

    which includes four multifunction dis-

    plays in the cockpit and had been

    tailored to the Indian version of the

    Mi-17V-5, enables the helicopter to

    operate round the clock under various

    weather conditions.

    The Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters have

    long been in service with IAF and anumber of other users in the coun-

    try. The first Kazan Helicopters-built

    Mi-8Ts appeared in India more than

    three decades ago, having become very

    popular in the course of both routine

    operation and several armed conflicts.

    In 1986, India started taking delivery of

    more advanced Mi-17 helicopters pow-

    ered by TV3-117MT engines. 53 aircraft

    of the type were ordered at the time. In

    2000, the Indian Ministry of Defence

    ordered another batch of 40 modified

    Mi-17-1Vs powered by TV3-117VM

    high-altitude engines.According to the Flight International

    weekly, IAF had operated 150 Mi-8 and

    Mi-17 helicopters b