Take off magazine

Russian aircraft for India: contracts and deliveries [p.4]

Sukhoi T-50

four prototypesunder trials[p.24]

Ilyushin 476

undergoing tests[p.36]

Sukhoi

Superjet 100

arrives to new customers[p.44]

Antonov An-70

after upgrade[p.40]

ON VIKRAMADITYA[p.12]

february 2013 • Special edition for Aero India 2013

MMiiG-29KG-29K

Dear reader,

You are holding a new issue of the Take-Off magazine, a supplement

to Russian national monthly aerospace magazine VZLET. This issue has

been timed with Aero India 2013 air show to be held in the “capital city”

of India’s aviation – Bangalore.

By tradition, the aerospace show in Bangalore has been attended by

numerous Russian participants and businessmen. Small wonder, since

India has long been among the main partners of our country in the field

of arms trade, specifically, in aerospace sphere.

Russian aircraft have been delivered to India for almost half century.

Since the 1960s, the bulk of the Indian Air Force’s fighter and fighter-

bomber fleets has been made up by MiG and Sukhoi aircraft, with a large

number of the MiG-21 fighters and MiG-27M fighter-bombers were made

by India and a licence production of one of the world’s best fighters, the

Su-30MKI, here in India is now underway and growing up.

Licence production of the Russian combat aircraft is only one of the

signs of the surging cooperation between the two countries. In late

1990s Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace, a developer and

manufacturer of cutting-edge BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system,

launched its operations. Later on, a range of other important agreements

concerning joint aerospace programmes have been signed with the

recent contracts on co-development and co-production of the fifth-

generation Prospective Multirole Fighter (PMF) and Multirole Transport

Aircraft (MTA) by Russian companies and India’s HAL corporation

became the most important among them.

At present, Russia’s MiG Corp. is fulfilling the second contract on

delivering MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters to the Indian Navy to equip

the air wing of the Vikramaditya carrier to be handed over to India later this

year. MiG Corp. is also involved in the programme of upgrading the entire

fleet of IAF MiG-29 fighters, the first delivery took place recently.

Rosoboronexport and Russian Helicopters JSC are now providing

Indian Air Force with Mil Mi-17V-5 multirole medium helicopters (two

contracts for 150 helicopters were signed in 2008 and 2012) and

participate in a tender issued by Indian Defence Ministry for light

multipurpose rotorcraft with Kamov Ka-226T.

All these and some other programmes of Russian-Indian aerospace

cooperation became the main topics of this issue. By tradition, you can find

also here a brief rundown on some other recent news and achievements

of the Russian aerospace industry over past several months.

I wish all the exhibitors and visitors of Aero India 2013 interesting

meetings, useful contacts and lucrative contracts! See you again at next

air shows!

Sincerely,

Andrey Fomin,

Editor-in-Chief,

Take-off magazine

News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial

staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press

releases of production companies as well as by using information

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

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

www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites

The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of

observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection

of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate

PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004

© Aeromedia, 2013

P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, RussiaTel. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19Fax +7 (495) 644-17-33E-mail: [email protected]

February 2013

Editor-in-Chief Andrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov

EditorYevgeny Yerokhin

Columnists Alexander VelovichArtyom Korenyako

Special correspondents Alexey 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-press Grigory ButrinMikhail Fomin

Translation Yevgeny Ozhogin

Cover pictureOleg Perov / MiG Corp.

Publisher

Director General Andrey Fomin

Deputy Director GeneralNadezhda Kashirina

Marketing DirectorGeorge Smirnov

Business Development DirectorMikhail Fomin

Special Projects DirectorArtyom Korenyako

Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied

with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis.

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

take-off february 2013 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u2 2

c o n t e n t s

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES

IAF ordering 42 Su-30MKI fighters more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

India to receive 71 Mi-17 helicopters more. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Brazil becoming launch customer for Ka-62 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

First three upgraded MiG-29UPGs delivered to India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Russian and India launching MTA co-development. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

As many as 25 Indian An-32s upgraded in Kiev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Ka-226T to be ready for delivery this year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

MiG-29K on Vikramaditya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Phazotron’s radars: Indian aspect

Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation Designer General Yuri Guskov . . . . . . 16

MILITARY AVIATION

Irkut delivers first 15 Yak-130s to RusAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

First two Su-30SMs delivered to RusAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

More Su-34 and Su-35S aircraft for RusAF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

T-50

Four aircraft in flight trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

To see first means to win

Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

INDUSTRY

MC-21 development on schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

PD-14: prototype engine manufacture begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Last Tu-154M built? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Be-200: first local production aircraft under assembly in Taganrog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Ilyushin 476 undergoing tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Upgraded An-70 in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Angara launches An-148 commercial services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

New aircraft for presidential air detachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Sukhoi Superjet 100 arrives to new customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4444

February 2013

16

12

28

24

36

take-off february 2013 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u

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

4

On 24 December 2012, during

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s

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 aircraft

are 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 deal’s worth

is estimated at about $1.6 billion.

The Irkut corporation will deliver the

knockdown 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 Russia’s Irkut corporation has

supplied IAF with 50 fly-away aircraft

of the type and India’s 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 2002–2004. Later on,

18 more fighters of the type arrived

in 2008–2009 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 on

28 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 2008–10.

HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi said in

December 2012 that after 42 more

knockdown kits had been ordered,

HAL’s 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. HAL’s 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 HAL’s 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 missile’s ship-based and

land-based versions to the Indian

Navy and Army.

In addition, the upgrade will

apply to the fighter’s avionics suite.

The current preliminary agreements

stipulate phased upgrade of the

Tikhomirov-NIIP’s Bars phased-

array radar. The first phase of the

upgrade is supposed to boost the

radar’s 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 Bars’s passive phased array

replaced with an active electronical-

ly-scanned array (AESA).

IAF ordering 42 Su-30MKI fighters more

And

rey

Fom

in

Ale

xey

Mik

heye

v

TO SEE FIRSTMEANS TO WIN

V.Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design, JSC 3, Gagarina str., Zhukovsky, Moscow region, 140180, RussiaTel.: +7 (495) 556-23-48 Fax: +7 (495) 721-37-85E-mail: [email protected] www.niip.ru

TO SEE FIRSTTO SEE FIRSTMEANS TO WINMEANS TO WIN



6

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 Putin’s visit to New

Delhi, the contract for 71 Mi-17V-5

helicopters, 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 the

Mi-17V-5 entered service with IAF in

a ceremony held on 17 February 2012

at Palam airbase, in New Delhi’s 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-2500

turboshaft 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 a

number 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 by autumn 2012,

of which 36 were recently delivered

Mi-17V-5s. To date, the latter have

exceeded 50, with the number to be

brought up to 80 by year-end and then

up to almost 140 several years later,

after the new contract has been fulfilled.

Given the gradual writing-off of the

Mi-8T fleet, IAF’s total Mi-17 fleet will

be at least 200 aircraft strong.

India to receive 71 Mi-17 helicopters more

On 14 December 2012, Russian

helicopter-making holding company

Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of

the Oboronporm company, snagged an

order for seven advanced Kamov Ka-62

multirole transport/passenger helicop-

ters for Brazilian company Atlas Taxi

Aereo to be delivered in 2015–16. The

deal also provides for seven options.

This has been the first order for Ka-62.

The contract was signed during

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s

visit to Russia. Under the contract, the

first two Ka-62s shall be delivered to

the Brazilian carrier in the first quarter

of 2015. Four more aircraft are to be

shipped to Brazil before year-end, with

the seventh Ka-62 to be delivered in the

first quarter of 2016.

The Ka-62 is the latest Russian heli-

copter being developed in the 6.5-tonne

takeoff weight class. It is designed for

carriage of 15 passengers or 2,000 t

of cargo (2,500 kg if the cargo is

under-slung). Its powerplant is made

up of two Turbomeca Ardiden 3G tur-

boshaft engines with a takeoff power

of 1,780 hp (1,940 hp in emergency

power rating). The developer and sup-

plier of the powertrain, including the

main and tail gearboxes, is Austrian

company Zoerkler. Russian company

Transas is developing an avionics suite

for the Ka-62 and will be its supplier.

The machine has a glass cockpit, with

the pilot seated in the right seat. Owing

to its spacious comfortable cabin, the

Ka-62 is ideal for corporate and pas-

senger services and special operations.

The flight tests of Ka-62 prototypes

are slated for beginning as soon as this

year, and by 2015, Russian Helicopters is

going to have the helicopter certificated

for operation by foreign users, including

Brazil. Under the contract awarded by

Atlas Taxi Aereo, Russian Helicopters,

in conjunction with its regional partners,

will take part in setting up an after-sales

helicopter maintenance centre in Brazil.

The Atlas Taxi Aereo company has

been operating Russian-made medium

multirole helicopters already, having

taken delivery of two Brazil-certificated

Mi-171A1s in 2011. The Mi-171A1 had

come up on top in a tender held by

Brazilian national oil producer Petrobras.

Russian helicopters are in service

with the Brazilian Air Force as well.

In 2008, Rosoboronexport JSC and

the Brazilian Defence Ministry made

a deal on the delivery of 12 Mi-35M

multirole attack helicopters. The first

six machines were delivered during

2009–10. Three more Mi-35Ms were

shipped to Brazil in August last year.

The Mi-35M has been the first Russian

combat aircraft in service with the

Brazilian Air Force.

Rus

sian

Hel

icop

ters

Rus

sian

Hel

icop

ters

Brazil becoming launch customer for Ka-62



8

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 with

the MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne

fighters that entered service with

the Indian Navy on 19 February

2010. At the customer’s 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 IAF’s

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-29UPG’s 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 production

MiG-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 IAF’s

inventory since 1987. Overall,

80 aircraft of the type had been

delivered 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 IAF’s

11th Repair Base, using knock-

down kits supplied from Russia.V

icto

r D

rush

lyak

ov

First three upgraded MiG-29UPGs delivered to India

MiG

Cor

p.



10

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 a

UAC – 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 General

N.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 the

work. 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 airlifter’s production in

Russia and India, with the output to

stand at 205 aircraft at least.

According to UAC’s official website,

the MTA medium transport aircraft

will 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. MTA’s cruising

speed is estimated at 800 km/h while

its run and roll at 1,050 m. The crew

of 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 hold’s 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.

Vas

ily K

oba

Vas

ily K

oba

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 Motor

Sich joint stock company and the

remaining 65 to be subjected to the

same overhaul and upgrade at IAF’s

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 upgrade

programme 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 arrived

in 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 4

October 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 number

shall 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-32RE

standard by the Indians themselves.

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rey

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in

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

11 take-off february 2013w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u


The Russian Helicopters holding

company is completing the certifica-

tion tests of the upgraded Kamov

Ka-226T light multipurpose coaxial

helicopter. Production of the Allison

250-C20B-powered baseline Ka-226

version is under way at Kumertau

Aircraft Production Enterprise,

Russian Helicopters holding compa-

ny subsidiary, and Strela Production

Association in Orenburg since 2000.

The plant in Kumertau has spe-

cialised mostly in fulfilling orders

awarded by Russian uniformed

agencies, e.g. the Ministry of Interior

and Federal Security Service Aviation

Department. For instance, Russian

police special-purpose air detach-

ments have taken delivery of 12

helicopters of the type, with the 12th

aircraft brought to the Krasnodar

Region in late December 2012.

The company in Orenburg has had

orders awarded by the Gazpromavia

company and Russian Emergencies

Ministry. In addition, Strela delivered

two Ka-226s in 2008, which are

operated in the flying ambulance role

in the Orenburg Region.

In March 2012 the Russian Air

Force took delivery of KumAPE-built

Ka-226s, with five aircraft brought to

Syzran Air Force flying school (affili-

ate of the Air Force Military Training

and Scientific Centre). Next five

Ka-226s followed them last sum-

mer. In all, the Defence Ministry is

intent on receiving about 16 aircraft

of the type by year-end 2013 and

using them for training pilots for

Ka-52 combat helicopters. Longer-

term plans provide for delivery of 40

Ka-226s prior to 2020.

The future of the Ka-226 hing-

es on the production launch of

the Ka-226T version powered by

Turbomeca Arrius 2G1 engines that

features a better power-to-weight

capability and can operate at a high-

er altitude. Two Ka-226T prototypes

have been in flight trials since 2009.

In the 1st quarter of 2013, a

supplement type certificate is to be

obtained based on the outcome of

the certification tests, and then the

Ka-226T will be ready for deliv-

ery. The full-rate production of

the Ka-226T is being launched by

the Kumertau Aircraft Production

Enterprise.

Last summer, the Russian

Emergencies Ministry became the

launch customer for the Ka-226T,

having ordered two aircraft of the

type in the medevac version. In all,

the ministry is going to receive 16

Ka-226T helicopters in the com-

ing years. About 10 Ka-226TM

shipborne helicopters designed

for border guard ships may well

be fielded with the Russian Border

Guard later in the decade. The

Defence Ministry, Ministry of the

Interior and Gazpromavia have

plans to switch from the Ka-226s

they are receiving now to the

Ka-226T.

Russian Helicopters pins its

hopes on a potential lucrative

Indian order as well. The holding

company with its Ka-226T is bid-

ding on the contract for the replace-

ment to IAF’s and Army Aviation’s

obsolete Cheetah and Chetak heli-

copters with advanced light multi-

role machines. The Indian Ministry

of Defence launched the competi-

tion in 2008.

Indian Defence Minister

A.K. Antony officially stated his deci-

sion on issue a new helicopter ten-

der in April 2008, several months

after the $600 million programme

on buying and licence-producing

197 Eurocopter AS550C3 helicop-

ters for the Indian Army Aviation

had been cancelled in December

2007. Requests for proposals were

issued to Eurocopter, Bell Textron,

AgustaWestland and Kamov. A con-

siderable number of the 197 heli-

copters ordered is to be licence-

produced by HAL.

The Russian Helicopters with its

Kamov Ka-226T and Eurocopter

with its AS550C3 are on the ten-

der’s shortlist. According to a

number of experts, the Russian

offer is facing good chances to

come up on top. The Ka-226T’s

flight tests conducted in India have

highlighted the unique capabili-

ties of the helicopter, especially in

‘high and hot’ operations. The out-

come of the tender is expected to

be announced this year.

Ka-226T to be ready for delivery this year

Ale

xey

Mik

heye

v

Rus

lan

Den

isov

The Russian-Indian deal for conversion of

the Project 1143.4 Admiral Gorshkov heavy

aircraft-carrying cruiser into the Project 11430

aircraft carrier designated as Vikramaditya

was made in January 2004. At the same time,

MiG Corp. landed an order for development

of the upgraded MiG-29K multirole fighter

and MiG-29KUB combat trainer and delivery

of the first batch of 16 aircraft to the air arm of

the Indian Navy, with the aircraft to join the

Vikramaditya’s carrier air wing.

The flight tests of the MiG-29K (side number

941) and MiG-29KUB (side number 947) pro-

totypes began in 2007, with the first production

fighter taken to air in March 2008. To prove

the MiG-29K/KUB were fit for operations

from ski jump ramp and arrestor gear-equipped

carriers, MiG Corp.’s test pilots Pavel Vlasov,

Nikolay Diorditsa and Mikhail Belyayev con-

ducted in late September 2009 the first deck

landings on and takeoffs from the Russian Navy

Northern Fleet’s Admiral Kuznetsov carrier,

using a MiG-29K prototype and a production

MiG-29KUB. During 2009–11, the first batch

of 16 production-standard MiG-29K/KUBs

was delivered to the customer, with the aircraft

based at a land-based airfield in Goa state

in anticipation of the Vikramaditya’s arrival

in India. Last summer, MiG Corp. launched

production of the next MiG-29K/KUB batch

for the Indian Navy under a new order for 29

more aircraft of the type, placed in March 2010.

The ceremony of the MiG-29K/KUB’s entry

into service with the Indian Navy took place

here on 19 February 2010. Less than a month

after the solemn event, on 12 March 2010, the

29 options for more MiG-29K/KUB fighters

firmed up. MiG’s plants started manufacturing

the first aircraft under the second contract in

summer 2011.

The Severodvinsk-based Sevmash shipyard

had completed the Admiral Gorshkov cruiser’s

reconstruction into the Vikramaditya aircraft

carrier by the summer of this year. On 8 June

2012, the new carrier headed for high seas for

her running trials, during which she was to

check not only all of her onboard systems, but

also aircraft operation support equipment, e.g.

the optical landing system, arrestor gear, release

bars, etc.

First, Su-33 fighters of the Northern Fleet’s

shipborne fighter air regiment had been used for

testing flight operations from the Vikramaditya.

Defence Ministry Main Flight Test Centre test

pilot Hero of Russia Col. Oleg Mutovin per-

formed a series of landing approach simula-

tions on a Su-33 without touching the deck

to test the ship’s radio technical and optical

In December 2012, the MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation delivered another four

MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters to the Indian Navy, thus launching the

deliveries under the second Indian MoD contract for aircraft of the type. In 2009–11,

as many as 16 MiG-29K/KUB fighters were delivered under the 2004 contract provid-

ing for 29 options. In March 2010, the options firmed up into a firm contract, and the

delivery kicked off late last year. Thus, the air arm of the Indian Navy has operated

as many as 20 MiG-29K/KUB fighters to date, with the number to be brought to 45 by

the middle of the decade. The fighters will be part of the air groups to be deployed

on the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier being modified, upgraded and tested in Russia

and on future Indian indigenous aircraft carriers.

MiG-29KMiG-29KON VIKRAMADITYAON VIKRAMADITYA

w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u12 take-off february 2013

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

systems in early July. The carrierborne fighter

air regiment commanding officer, Col. Yevgeny

Kuznetsov, and Main Flight Test Centre test

pilot Maj. Dmitry Demenev performed several

flights around the Vikramaditya on their Su-33s,

during which the operation of her radar systems

was evaluated.

Then two MiG jets were ferried from Moscow

to Severomorsk – the production-standard

MiG-29KUB (side number 204) two-seater on

11 July and the MiG-29K (side number 941)

single-seat prototype on 21 July.

In mid-July, MiG Corp.’s Honoured Test

Pilot, Hero of Russia Nikolay Diorditsa, and

Chief of Flight Operation/MiG Corp. Flight Test

Centre Senior Test Pilot Mikhail Belyayev start-

ed practicing landing approaches on the MiG-

29KUB (side number 204) to the Vikramaditya.

On 17 July, the landing gear of their MiG touched

the deck of the carrier for the first time in a series

of touch-and-go landing approaches. Col. Oleg

Mutovin flew his single-seat MiG-29K (side

number 941) in a series of similar approaches,

albeit without touching down, too.

Early on a Saturday morning of 28 July,

preparation of the MiG-29KUB for a full-

fledged landing on the carrier kicked off at

the airfield in Severomorsk. MiG Corp.’s

chief test pilot Mikhail Belyayev got into

the front seat and Hero of Russia Nikolay

Diorditsa took the back seat. As soon as

09.18, the aircraft was on deck, with the

first deck landing having been smooth.

The MiG-29KUB’s first takeoff from the

Vikramaditya’s ski jump ramp was conducted

by Belyayev and Diorditsa at 13.20 on the

same day, followed by another deck land-

ing 40 minutes later. After that, the fighter

remained on deck, for the Vikramaditya

participated in the Navy Day naval parade in

Severomorsk on the next day.

On the holiday, as many as two fighters were

sitting on deck, one being the MiG-29KUB

(side number 204), which had landed the day

before, and the MiG-29K (side number 311),

which had been brought up from the hangar

deck (No. 311 is the prototype made in 1988,

operated as far back as on the Tbilisi in 1989–91

and now used on board the Vikramaditya as a

dimensional and weight mock-up). In addition,

two helicopter mock-ups – those of the Kamov

Ka-27 and Ka-31 – were rolled out onto deck.

Two aircraft carriers participated in the naval

parade in Severomorsk – the Northern Fleet’s

Admiral Kuznetsov took part in addition to the

Vikramaditya. She is expected to start receiving

its MiG-29K/KUB fighters this year, with the

aircraft recently ordered by the Russian Navy.

The contract made by MiG Corp. and the

Russian Defence Minister in February 2012

stipulates for delivery of 24 advanced MiGs to

the air arm of the Russian Navy during 2013–

15 including 20 MiG-29K singleseaters and

four MiG-29KUB twinseaters. The first two

Defence Ministry-ordered aircraft are planned

for production as soon as early this year. They

are to launch their official test programme in

2013 and be joined by two more later this year.

10 aircraft will be delivered annually in 2014–

15. Thus, the Kuznetsov’s air wing will have not

only the Su-33 fighters it had included since the

‘90s, but advanced multirole MiG-29K/KUBs

as well.

The Admiral Kuznetsov carrier, Russia’s only

aircraft-carrying ship, will have remained in

service with the Russian Navy until the end of

the decade at the least. “There is an upgrade

programme for her to be completed prior to

Ole

g F

ilono

k

MiG-29KON VIKRAMADITYA Viktor ANDREYEV

Photos provided by RSK MiG Corp.

Vikramaditya aircraft carrier with MiG-29KUB fighter as well as Ka-27 and Ka-31 helicopters onboard during celebrations of Russian Navy Day. Severomorsk, 29 July 2012

Mikhail Belyayev, RSK MiG’s chief test pilot (forward seat) and Hero of Russia Nikolay Diorditsa (back seat) preparing for MiG-29KUB’s first deck landingon Vikramaditya. Severomorsk, 28 July 2012


13 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off february 2013

2020. Under the programme, the carrier is to be

furnished with advanced aircraft – MiG-29s”,

Russian Navy Commander Vice-Adm. Victor

Chirkov had said on the eve of the Navy Day in

July 2012. He added that the Navy planned con-

struction of new aircraft-carrying ships. “The

design bureaux have been tasked with designing

an advanced aircraft carrier. Money has been

disbursed to pay for the work”, Vice-Adm.

Chirkov said.

Meanwhile, the sea trials of the Vikramaditya

carried on. On 6 August, Oleg Mutovin per-

formed a landing of the MiG-29K carrying

a payload simulated by mock-ups of air-to-

air missiles. On 21 August, a high-ranking

Indian delegation, which arrived to the ship,

was demonstrated consecutive landings of both

MiGs, one carrying air-to-air missiles and the

other antiship missiles. They were followed by

Ka-27PS and Ka-31 helicopters.

During the Vikramaditya’s running tri-

als, MiG Corp.’s test pilots Andrey Shishov

and Sergey Rybnikov and Main Flight Test

Centre test pilot Dmitry Demenev per-

formed their first deck landings on their

MiG-29KUB and MiG-29K in addition to

Nikolay Diorditsa, Mikhail Belyayev and

Oleg Mutovin. During the trials, maximum

range flights were conducted off the ship in

late August to gauge the operation of the

MiG-29K’s navigation system, followed by

flights of the MiG-29KUB in the tanker

plane configuration with four drop tanks and

a detachable refuelling unit.

The first stage of the sea trials of the

Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, which had lasted

108 days, was over on 23 September 2012.

A key result produced by the tests was the

practical training of the operation of advanced

MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters

from the carrier.

In all, the two MiGs had logged 41 takeoffs

from and landings on the Vikramaditya over less

then two months. In addition, they had con-

ducted numerous touch-and-go landings. 70%

of the landings included snagging the second

arrestor cable (this way of landing is regarded as

the optimal one). This proves both the profes-

sionalism of Russian test pilots and efficient

operation of the aircraft and ship-based landing

support systems.

After the improvements are made by

Sevmash, the ship will put out to sea for the final

phase of the trials this spring, the ice conditions

permitting. The final phase of the carrier trials

of the MiG-29K/KUB is planned for the same

timeframe, night flights in particular. That done,

the ship will be ready for delivery and will be able

to set off for India’s shores.

Thus, Indian pilots will be able to start flying

their MiG-29K/KUBs from the Vikramaditya

cleaving the water of the Indian Ocean as soon

as this year.

MiG-29K with air-to-air missiles load and MiG-29KUBonboard Vikramaditya carrier, 3 August 2012

Participants of the trials after the first MiG-29KUB deck landing, 28 July 2012



Sergey Korotkov, RSK MiG Director General, in MiG-29KUB cockpit

Mikhail Belyayev, RSK MiG’s chief test pilot (left) and Sergey Korotkov, RSK MiG Director General (right), after their landing in MiG-29KUB on Vikramaditya carrier, 12 September 2012

MiG-29KUB starts from Vikramaditya’s deck for the first time, 28 July 2012



Mr. Guskov, what was the beginning of today’s active cooperation between the Phazotron-NIIR corporation and its Indian customers?

MiG fighters fitted with Phazotron-

developed radars have been in IAF’s inven-

tory for more than 40 years now. First came

the MiG-21M equipped with the Sapfir-21

radar in the early ‘70s, followed in 1977

by the more sophisticated MiG-21bis sup-

plied by the Soviet Union. Numerous air-

craft of the type were licence-produced

in India, e.g. HAL’s plant in Nashik ran

the MiG-21M licence production from

1973 to 1981 and the licence production of

the MiG-21bis from 1983 to 1987, having

built about 200 and 220 aircraft respec-

tively. In addition, IAF took delivery of 45

MiG-23MF fighters fitted with Phazotron’s

Sapfir-23 radars in 1982, and 1986 saw the

commencement of the deliveries of the

fourth-generation MiG-29 fighter furnished

with the our N019 radar, with India being

the first foreign country to get the then-

advanced Soviet fighters of the type.

By the mid-‘90s, IAF had operated a

fleet of around 300 MiG-21s, mostly in

the MiG-21bis version. Despite its produc-

tion in India having been completed only

in 1987, the MiG-21, which dates back

to the ‘50s, had been unable to stand its

ground against up-to-date fighters by the

kick-off of the new millennium. At the

same time, the MiG-21 fleet could remain

in service with IAF for a long time in terms

of the airframe service life. In this con-

nection, MiG Corp. in 1993 worked out a

MiG-21bis upgrade programme providing

for fitting the fighter with the advanced

Phazotron-NIIR’s Kopyo slotted array

radar, introduction of advanced missiles

used by Russian fourth-generation fight-

ers (RVV-AE and R-73E air-to-air mis-

siles, KAB-500Kr smart bombs, etc.) and

improved navigation, communication and

other equipment. The programme dubbed

MiG-21-93 was supported by IAF com-

mand, and a contract for the upgrade of

125 IAF MiG-21bis fighters was made on

1 March 1996. By the customer’s request,

the upgraded fighter, which was designated

MiG-21bis UPG Bison in India, was fitted

with a French-made navigation system,

Israeli-built electronic warfare kit and sev-

eral Indian-produced systems in addition

to the Russian-manufactured Kopyo radar,

missiles and a number of other systems.

The first two IAF’s MiG-21bis fighters

were upgraded in Russia by the Sokol air-

craft plant in Nizhny Novgorod and deliv-

ered in December 2000 following a large-

scale test programme involving Russian and

Indian pilots. The remaining 123 fighters

were to be upgraded in India with the use of

Russian-supplied knockdown kits. The first

Nashik-upgraded MiG-21bis UPG flew on

31 August 2001. The knockdown kits for the

MiG-21bis upgrade, including Phazotron-

NIIR’s Kopyo radars, had continued until

2008 when the programme was complete.

Now, we provide maintenance support for

the Bisons and supply spares, since the

upgraded MiG-21s are to remain in service

with IAF until 2018 at the least due to the

indigenous Indian LCA (Tejas) light fighter

having slipped behind schedule.

Mind you, despite the MiG-21’s baseline

model being on the verge of turning 60 soon,

the upgrade enabled the Bison to be virtu-

ally on a par with the up-to-date fighters.

This has been proven repeatedly by exer-

cises attended by Indian MiG-21bis UPGs

and other fighters, including Western ones.

The guarantee of the Bison’s success is its

top-notch flight performance recognised by

pilots a long time ago, coupled with its tac-

tical performance supported by Phazotron-

NIIR’s Kopyo radar and advanced Russian-

made air-launched weapons.

Mention should be made that the

MiG-21bis UPG programme laid the solid

groundwork of the Russian-Indian coopera-

tion in aircraft upgrade and development.

An IAF MiG-29 upgrade programme is

under way now, with the deliveries having

started recently.

What kind of programme is it?From 1986 to 1995, IAF received 84

MiG-29 fighters from the Soviet Union.

Almost 70 of the aircraft remain in ser-

vice now. To extend their service life and

enhance their tactical performance, par-

ticularly, make them multirole and able

to use guided air-to-ground weapons, a

Russian-Indian contract on upgrade of 64

MiG-29 and MiG-29UB fighters was signed

in March 2008. The programme is based

on the expertise gained from the develop-

ment of the upgraded MiG-29SMT and

the Indian Navy-ordered MiG-29K/KUB

multirole carrierborne fighters. The fighter,

designated as MiG-29UPG, got Phazotron-

NIIR’s advanced Zhuk-ME slotted

array radar instead the obsolete N019.

PHAZOTRON’SRADARS:Indian aspectThe Phazotron-NIIR corporation is known throughout the world for its fire con-

trol radars designed for MiG fighters. The MiGs in service with the air forces of

more than 30 countries are fitted with its radars. Zhuk-ME radar variants, which

fit the advanced MiG-29SMT, MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/M2 and IAF’s upgraded

MiG-29UPG fighters, are in full-rate production. Tests of the Zhuk-AE (FGA-35)

AESA radar designed for the MiG-35 and for upgrade of in-service MiG-29 ver-

sions are underway. Today, a large portion of the corporation’s orderbook is

made up of the orders for radars to fit the aircraft in service with the Indian

Air Force (IAF) and air arm of the Indian Navy. On the verge of the air show in

Bangalore, we met Phazotron-NIIR Designer General Yuri Guskov, who spoke

of the work the company is doing for its Indian customer.

Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation Designer General Yuri Guskov

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


The Zhuk-ME is the same radar that fits the

MiG-29SMT and MiG-29K/KUB, but it

features even greater capabilities (FGM-229

version). The weapons suite will have a wide

range of air-to-air and air-to-surface guided

weapons, and the cockpit and avionics suite

will be updated considerably, with advanced

Russian, Western and Indian-made systems

to be integrated with the avionics suite.

The first six aircraft (four single-seaters

and two two-seaters) have been upgraded in

Russia under the contract. We have supplied

four Zhuk-ME radar sets for them. Three

aircraft (two combat ones and a combat

trainer) were shipped to the customer late

last year, following a comprehensive test

programme. Three more are to be shipped

to India this spring. The rest of the MiGs

will be upgraded in India. For this purpose,

we are getting the first batch of Phazotron-

NIIR Zhuk-ME radar sets ready for ship-

ping. The programme will continue for

three to four years more, during which time

we are to deliver about 50 radars to India.

This is a considerable part of Phazotron-

NIIR’s production programme designed for

the near future.

How does Phazotron-NIIR participate in the MiG-29K/KUB programme?

The key element of the fire control system

of the advanced MiG-29K/KUB multi-

role carrierborne fighters is our Zhuk-ME

(FGM-129) radar enabling the aircraft to

operate effectively in the air-to-air and air-

to-surface modes using numerous guided

and non-guided weapons. All of the 16 air-

craft under the first contract signed in

January 2004 have been delivered to the

Indian Navy. Recently, the deliveries have

begun under the second contract for 29

aircraft more, which was signed in 2010.

Our radars equip both single-seat and twin-

seat versions of the fighter. Thus, we are to

manufacture 45 Zhuk-ME radar sets for the

Indian carrierborne fighters.

Until the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier

arrives in India after her modernisation

in Russia, the delivered MiG-29K/KUBs

have been stationed at an air base in Goa

state and used by their Indian Navy air

and ground crews to learn the ropes. The

pilots have a high opinion of their planes.

Recently, they have started a new type of

combat training involving the firing of guid-

ed missiles on waterborne targets. Not long

before the New Year Day, a MiG-29K had

conducted the first launch of the Kh-35E

antiship active radar homing missile on a

waterborne target in an Indian naval train-

ing area. Our Zhuk-ME radar designated

the target. In spite of the deliberately dif-

ficult launch conditions (an aspect angle of

about 70 deg. and a range of over 85 km),

there was the direct impact accompanied

with the detonation of the warhead. The

results produced by the launch graphically

demonstrated the top-notch capabilities of

the aircraft and its radar and weapons.

This year, we will continue the deliveries

of our radars for the Indian carrierborne

MiGs. At the same time, we are launch-

ing the production of the radars to fit the

MiG-29K/KUBs ordered by the Russian

Navy last year. The first batch of such

aircraft is to be delivered to the Russian

Defence Ministry before year-end, with

the air group of the Admiral Kuznetsov

aircraft carrier to total 24 MiG-29K/KUBs.

All of them will be fitted with our radars.

Another Russian Defence Ministry order

we are going to fulfil in the coming years is

the improvement of the Zhuk-ME radars of

the 28 in-service MiG-29SMTs to meet the

Russian Air Force requirements. We also will

continue to deliver similar radars for the newly

built land-based MiG-29M/M2 fighters com-

monised with the MiG-29K/KUB, with the

talks on the MiG-29M/M2 with a number of

foreign customers being under way. We also

anticipate an order for the Zhuk-ME radars

to equip MiG-29SMT fighters under the

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ov

Kopyo radar

Zhuk-ME (FGM-29) radar on MiG-29SMT fighter



Bangladeshi contract that is being negoti-

ated now.

Does the company continue to develop an AESA radar?

It does. We are going to launch a new

phase of the programme – the flight tests of

the full-scale Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) radar on

the MiG-29. As you know, the development

of the Zhuk’s version fitted with the AESA

was launched by Phazotron-NIIR in the

mid-2000s. A demo version of the radar –

the FGA-29 with a 500-mm AESA – was

made and put through some of the bench

tests in 2006. Early in 2007, it was mounted

on the MiG-35 demonstrator (side number

154) and displayed at the Aero India 2007

air show in Bangalore. In April 2010, the

radar as part of the MiG-35D (side num-

ber 967) was involved in the flight trials

conducted by both RusAF and IAF pilots,

including live firing tests at missile ranges,

and was praised high enough.

We have developed a Zhuk-AE version

featuring an increased-diameter 688-mm

AESA – the FGA-35 – for use on produc-

tion-standard fighters. The number of the

AESA’s T-R modules has grown by almost

50% to slightly more than a thousand. The

radar’s performance will improve consider-

ably with an insignificant weight increase.

The improvement is planned to be demon-

strated during the flight tests. Based on the

outcome of the trials, RusAF will make up

its mind which version of the MiG fighters

will be bought by the Defence Ministry –

MiG-35 equipped with the AESA radar

or MiG-29M/M2 with the less expensive

Zhuk-ME slot-array radar. I am certain

that we will be able to highlight the far more

advanced capabilities of the AESA radar, for

such radars own the future.

At the same time, we have launched

the designing of a new AESA featuring

more efficient cutting-edge transmit-

receive modules that are being developed

by the NIIPP Semiconductor Instrument

Research Institute in the city of Tomsk. We

hope that an experimental example of the

advanced AESA will have been manufac-

tured and submitted for bench tests next

year. However, this work is intended for the

future. However, in the near future, we are

ready to supply the FGA-29 and FGA-35

radars with the AESA which have proven

their top-notch capabilities in flight.

We are offering such radars to our Indian

partners as well, because they can pro-

vide a hefty further increase in the com-

bat performance of their MiG-29K/KUBs.

In addition, we hope for India to recon-

sider its position on the Russia-offered

Generation 4++ MiG-35 fighter fitted with

our Zhuk-AE AESA radar.

Pha

zotr

on-N

IIRP

iotr

But

owsk

i

Zhuk-AE (FGA-29) on MiG-35 technology demonstrator, February 2007

Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) full-size AESA radar




m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | n e w s

20

Irkut JSC, a subsidiary of the

United Aircraft Corporation, met

its commitments under last year’s

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 2012–15.

The training centre’s 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

year’s 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-130’s 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 with

new 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.

Mik

hail

Kho

khry

akov

Ser

gey

Ale

xand

rov

Irkut

Cor

p.

Irkut delivers first 15 Yak-130s to RusAF

First two Su-30SMs delivered to RusAFOn 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 of

auxiliary 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.

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

Tel./fax: +7 (495) 232-91-63www.uk-odk.ru


m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | n e w s

22

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 manufacturer’s 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

2010–13.

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 Ministry’s 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 have

been delivered until 2020.

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

UA

CU

AC

Suk

hoi

Nowadays JSC “558 ARP” is a technology

intensive enterprise, the only in the country

and one of few in CIS countries which provide

a wide range of services on overhaul and

upgrade of various types of aviation materiel.

The main activity of the plant is overhaul

of Su-22, Su-25, Su-27, Su-30, MiG-29,

An-2 and L-39 aircraft, Mi-8 (Mi-17)

and Mi-24 (Mi-35) helicopters. JSC “558

ARP” performs the entire cycle of repair of

airframe and all component items.

Over the last decade the plant has mastered

upgrade of Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft and

Mi-8 helicopter. Upgraded aircraft acquire new

characteristics and combat capabilities. The

information-and-control area of the cockpit,

radar fire control system and navigation system are

being upgraded; the range of weapons widened.

Services rendered by JSC “558 ARP” are

most advanced and economically efficient.

Much attention is paid to development of

new types of weapons. Specialists of JSC

“558 ARP” have designed a carrier of aircraft

weapons – Module-A. It is an autonomous

long-range system ensuring all-weather

high-accuracy guidance of unguided aerial

bombs weighting up to 500 kg.

In the structure of Module-A high-

precision gliding weapon with GPS-guidance

integrated with 250 kg aerial bomb the plant

used its long-term experience, including

principles of optimal weight, operational

flexibility and engineering psychology.

The flight control is made by inertial

navigation computer with satellite correction

by means of differential deviation of ailerons.

Main advantages of the system:

• increase in range (up to 60 km) and

guidance accuracy to the target (3–20 km);

• increase of operational efficiency of

airborne destructions means;

• weight of combat load achieves 70% out of

launching weight (in the similar air-to-ground

missile it makes 15–20%);

• high accuracy of target destruction without

entering of carrier aircraft into the area covered

by enemy’s air defence;

• no modification of aircraft systems and

equipment or changes in onboard program

software required;

• compatible with wide range of aircraft

weapons;

• compatible with all types of combat

aircraft;

• allows correction of target position data

in flight;

• facilitation of pilot’s work by implementing

the principle “drop and forget”.

The plant was founded 70 years ago.

The traditions of high-quality production

providence have been settled and followed

during this period of time. Modern economic

tendencies conduce the development and

widening of these worth-while traditions

558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC

Bldg. 7, 50 let VLKSM, Baranovichi, Brest

region, 225320, Republic of Belarus

Tel.: +375 (163) 42-99-54

Fax: +375 (163) 42-91-64

E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.558arp.by

558 ARP OFFERS MODULE-A558 ARP OFFERS MODULE-A

commercial

Bomb divingtrajectory Diving to target

Manoeuvringin guided mode

Weapon release

Target hitting precision: 3 to 20 m12000 m

60 km

900

0 m

900

0 m

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 and

performed 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 plane’s 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 h

on 17 January in heavy snow and under the

limited visibility conditions after a stopover in

The fourth flying prototype of the PAK FA Russia’s Future Tactical Fighter – the T-50 fifth-generation fighter being developed by the

Sukhoi 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 KnAAZ

completing 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 AIRCRAFTIN FLIGHT TRIALSIN FLIGHT TRIALS


m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t

Chelyabinsk (Shagol airfield). The PAK FA’s

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 prior

to 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 Sukhoi’s 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 prototype’s flight test

phase commenced at Sukhoi’s flight test station

in Zhukovsky in mid-June 2012. Sukhoi’s 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

FOUR AIRCRAFTIN FLIGHT TRIALS

T-50-4, PAK FA’s fourth flying prototype, during factory tests. Komsomolsk-on-Amur, December 2012

m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | p r o g r a m m e


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

Sukhoi’s 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 radar’s 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 FA’s 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 radar’s 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 month

later, 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 Ministry’s 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.

Ser

gey

Lyse

nko

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



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 FA

test 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 Ministry’s 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 2016–20. 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 known

in 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 Russia’s 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-

hoi’s 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 aircraft’s co-pro-

duction at Sukhoi’s and HAL’s 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 Rosoboronexport’s 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 2009–11, 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 Tactical

Fighter 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 in

2017. However, a year later, in October 2012,

IAF’s 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 India’s 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 contract

for 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-rate

production, with the production facilities sup-

posed to be launched in Nasik by 2020.

From Russian PAK FAto Russian-Indian PMF

w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u 27 take-off february 2013


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-

NIIP’s test rigs and handed over to the Sukhoi

company that installed it in the PAK FA’s

third flying prototype brought to Zhukovsky

from Komsomolsk-on-Amur in late 2011 for

flight tests. The radar’s 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 all

air-to-air and air-to-surface modes from the

outset. Having used late last year’s scheduled

improvements of the aircraft, we dismounted

the radar from it and checked it out on a

test bench of ours: its AESA’s operability

and characteristics remained unchanged, no

improvements 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 will

soon 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 to

the customer is ensured through the institute

having two test rigs. One of them, the chief

designer’s 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 the

customer and the produced results meeting all

expectations. Test pilots praise our radar too.

TO SEE FIRST MEANS TO WIN

Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely

Last year, the Tikhomirov-NIIP research

institute launched the flight tests of

an active electronically scanned array

(AESA) radar on board the Sukhoi

PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft. The

third flying prototype of the aircraft

has logged a number of test sorties

to test the advanced radar that has

demonstrated stable operation in all

modes. At the same time, the institute’s

personnel are participating in the

official trials of the Su-35S multirole

fighter fitted with the production-

standard Irbis passive electronically

scanned array radar, with the trials

having produced unique results. The

success in the development of the Irbis

and the AESA radar predetermined the

choice of Tikhomirov-NIIP in 2012 as

developer of the radars to fit upgraded

and future long-range bombers.

In addition, last year saw the completion

of the governmental test programmes

on the upgraded MiG-31BM interceptor

and upgraded Su-27SM(3) fighter and

the Russian Defence Ministry taking

delivery of the first Su-30SM multirole

fighters, with all of these warplanes

being equipped with improved radars

from Tikhomirov-NIIP.

Tikhomirov-NIIP radars are known well

in India. The Bars electronically scanned

array radar fits IAF’s Su-30MKI fighter

fleet of more than 150 aircraft of the

type, with the contracts signed to boost

the number to 272 over time. The radar

for the advanced Russian-Indian fifth-

generation fighter known as Perspective

Multirole Fighter (PMF) is being derived

from the AESA radar designed for the

PAK FA. In the run-up to the Aero India

2013 air show in Bangalore, the Take-

off had met Tikhomirov-NIIP Director

General Yuri Bely and asked him about

the key achievements of the company he

leads in 2012 and about the prospects of

the cooperation with India.

m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w


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 fighter’s 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 to

support the use of advanced weapons. Then,

the Bars’s 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 struck

two 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 entering

service 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 way

back in the ‘70s. The Zaslon became the

world’s 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

backseater’s 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 world’s aircraft

NIIP

AESA prototype

m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w


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-NIIP’s support. The

radar’s 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 of

the 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-22M3s

and 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, there

is 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-130’s 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

And

rey

Fom

inm i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w


SU 30MKONLY THE BEST

www.irkut.com


i n d u s t r y | n e w s

32

The MC-21 advanced short/medi-

um-haul airliner remains the Russia’s

United Aircraft Corporation’s and the

Irkut corporation’s priority in the civil

aviation field. Last year saw a number

of key milestones passed: prototype

components of the advanced airliner

were manufactured and submitted for

tests concurrently with the devising of

its working design documents.

For instance, the first phase of the

endurance tests of the second MC-21

composite wing box was complete

in the Central Aerohydrodynamics

Institute (TsAGI) in December 2012.

The work is under way on order by

the AeroComposit close corporation

in charge of the manufacture of the

MC-21’s ‘black’ wing and empennage

(AeroComposit’s production facilities

in Ulyanovsk has been under way

since late 2011). The tests being run

by TsAGI are supposed to prove that

any kind of damage to the wing will

not grow in size and affect flight safe-

ty. 7,000 flights had been simulated

at a test bench during the first phase

of the endurance tests, after which

examination and ultrasonic inspection

of the pre-inflicted impact damage

areas were held. Based on the whole

cycle of tests, TsAGI scientists will

perform experimental evaluation of

the characteristics and properties of

the wing box design, approve the

choice of the wing box’s structural

layout, gauge the actual strength and

survivability of structural areas and

test the standard repair and test/

inspection methods.

Now, TsAGI has four prototypes of

the wing box of the MC-21 composite

wing, made by foreign companies

Diamond and Fisher at the request of

the AeroComposit close corporation.

Their strength tests have been run in

TsAGi labs since summer 2011. The

first and third wing box prototypes

have been subjected to the rigidity,

frequency and static tests all the way

to the maximal loading and disinte-

gration. The landing gear and engine

hinge brackets have been tested too,

which has allowed the strength of the

metal/composite joints to be evalu-

ated. The composite wing box and

centre wing section have been joined

and sealed using a standard technolo-

gy for the first time. Plans provide for

the fourth wing box prototype to be

used for researching into the impact

of climatic factors on the strength of

composite components.

The MC-21’s empennage shall be

composite too. The first experimental

set of the carbon-filled plastic tail unit

expected to kick off its tests this year

is being manufactured in Ulyanovsk.

The ORPE Technologiya scientific and

production company is the supplier of

the composite elements of the experi-

mental empennage.

In addition, Aviastar plant in

Ulyanovsk manufactured the first

experimental module of the MC-21’s

fuselage tail section in December 2012.

It was shipped to Riga for long-term

endurance tests. 300,000 test cycles

will be conducted to prove the manu-

facturer’s useful life of 60,000 flights.

At the same time with performing

the design and experimental work,

the Irkut corporation signed a number

of important agreements with its key

partners and suppliers under the pro-

gramme last year. The one with the

Russian Agency for Export Credit and

Investment Insurance was a memo-

randum on MC-21 export insurance

cooperation. An agreement with the

Zodiac Aerospace Group was for the

development of the interior, avionics

and primary power supply distribu-

tion system. A five-year agreement

with Jeppesen (a division of Boeing

Flight Services) was on a service

package in support of the MC-21

aircraft development, etc.

According to Irkut’s official state-

ments, the MC-21 orderbook compris-

es 185 orders now, including options.

150 orders fall on aircraft powered by

Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines

and 35 on those equipped with

Russian-made PD-14s (this contract

was placed by the Rostec state cor-

poration in June 2012 in support of

governmental customers). After the

change of the owner of Malaysian

company Crecom Burj, which had

ordered 50 MC-21s in 2011, the order

became optional. Now, the launch

customer is the Aeroflot (50-airliner

contract with Rostec corporation was

signed in 2011).

Irkut assures that the MC-21 pro-

gramme is on schedule. The maiden

flight of the MC-21 prototype is slated

for mid-2015 and the completion of

its certification by the IAC Aircraft

Registry and the commencement of

deliveries are planned for 2017.

MC-21 development on schedule

And

rey

Fom

in

take-off february 2013w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u 33


On 5 December 2012, a new

Tupolev Tu-154M (RA-85042) took

off from the Aviakor plant’s airfield

in Samara on its first flight. It is the

second of the two Tu-154M VIP air-

craft ordered by the Russian Defence

Ministry in November 2008 and,

possibly, the last Tu-154 ever made

over the 40-year-plus history of the

airliner’s production in Samara.

For a number of reasons, the

construction of the two Defence

Ministry-ordered Tu-154Ms dragged

its feet, and the first of them

(RA-85041, c/n 12A997) managed

to fly for the first time only on 9 July

2012. Its delivery was time to the

celebration of the 100th anniver-

sary of the Russian Air Force – on

8 August 2012. By the end of the

month, the aircraft was ferried to

its base – Chkalovsky AFB in the

Moscow Region.

Given a check flight in December,

the Tu-154M c/n 12A998

(RA-85042) has been delivered.

It has become the 885th Tu-154

manufactured since the launch of the

type’s production in Samara and the

303rd aircraft in the Tu-154M ver-

sion. According to Aviakor Director

General Alexei Gusev, the company

has a production backlog of four

Tu-154M airframes in various states

of completion. They can be com-

pleted, if orders for them are placed.

However, the feasibility of the

completion of their construction at

present seems to be low because

subcontractors are wrapping up the

production of a number of Tu-154

components. Due to this, RA-85042

is likely to become the last produc-

tion-standard Tu-154M crowning

the programme on the full-scale

production of the airliner in Samara

(the former city of Kuibyshev) that

has been under way since 1969.

Meanwhile, Aviakor will continue

to maintain and overhaul the in-

service Tu-154B2s and Tu-154Ms

in the coming years.

The old year’s most important event

in Russian air engine industry has been

the assembly and testing of the tech-

nology demonstrator engine in Perm

under the development programme on

the family of new-generation PD-14

turbofan engines designed for powering

the future MC-21 short/medium-haul

airliner and other advanced and upgrad-

ed passenger and transport aircraft

(particularly, provision has been made

for installation of PD-14M engines on

the future MTA medium airlifter being

co-developed by Russia and India).

The PD-14 technology demonstra-

tor development had been preceded

by the development of the design and

process flow documentation, produc-

tionising, preparation of test benches

and laboratories, conduct of numer-

ous tests, preliminary development of

each engine unit individually and core

engine assembly and tests. All of the

above had been completed on time

owing to a large-scale cooperation of

the subsidiaries of the United Engine

Corporation (UEC), accurate calculation

of the production capabilities, stringent

compliance enforcement and prompt

response to contingencies.

The assembly of the PD-14 tech-

nology demonstrator was complete

on 30 May 2012, and its first test-rig

start took place as soon as 9 June.

The open and enclosed test benches

were reconstructed and re-equipped

at the same time with the manufacture

of the engine demonstrator. The tests

were performed in compliance with

the effective standards and with the

use of the cutting-edge measuring and

recording systems allowing real-time

supervision of the tests both from the

observer booth and from test engineer

workstations.

Mention should be made that the

design of the cutting-edge PD-14 is a

radically novel one differing from the

Perm-based developer’s earlier designs

very much. This necessitated a drasti-

cally advanced, unique engine assem-

bly technology. The need to use a huge

number of sensors introduced extra

difficulties to the assembly process,

or the engine was fitted with about

2,000 special sensors. Nonetheless, the

engine demonstrator was assembled

on schedule and passed its trials. The

trials proved the operability of all of its

parts and units, including those made

using ‘critical’ technologies (hollow tita-

nium fan blades, monocrystal/interme-

tallic alloy turbine blades, compressor

blisks, etc.).

In autumn 2012, the engine passed

its tests at an outdoor acoustical test

bench using an antiturbulent air intake.

According to Aviadvigatel JSC, the test

results produced are what the designers

expected them to be.

Another phase of the PD-14 devel-

opment will be the manufacture and

tests of engine prototypes. At pres-

ent, work is in full swing in Perm and

at partner plants on making parts

and units for the prototype batch.

According to Aviadvigatel Designer

General and PD-14 programme man-

ager Alexander Inozemtsev, flight

tests of a prototype PD-14 on board

the Il-76LL flying testbed are slated

for 2014.

Last Tu-154M built?

PD-14: prototype engine manufacture begins

Val

ery

Am

otni

k

Ale

xey

Zak

haro

v



34

The full-rate production and

sales of Be-200 amphibians are

a priority of Beriev company, and

the Be-200 programme is facing

new vistas.

As is known, the Be-200 amphib-

ian’s baseline model is designed for

suppressing forest fires by airdrop-

ping water or an extinguisher onto

flame bases. It served the basis for

the Be-200ChS derivative designed

for the Russian Emergencies Ministry

that was the launch customer for

the plane. The ministry’s air arm

has been operating six Be-200ChS

amphibians.

Four of them (c/n 101, 102, 201

and 202) were made and delivered to

the customer by the Irkutsk Aviation

Plant of the Irkut corporation. The

fifth production-standard aircraft

made in Irkutsk (c/n 203) was

delivered to the Azeri Emergencies

Ministry in April 2008.

In 2011, the Russian Emergencies

Ministry took delivery of two more

new Be-200ChS’s c/n 301 and 302

from Beriev this time around. They

were assembled and check-flown

in Irkutsk during 2010–11 and then

modified in Taganrog to meet a more

accurate requirements specification

issued by the customer.

In May 2011, the government

ordered from Beriev six more

Be-200ChS amphibians for deliv-

ery to the Russian Emergencies

Ministry in 2013–14. The assem-

bly of the first of the Beriev-built

Be-200ChS (c/n 303) is in full swing

now, and the manufacture of fuse-

lage parts of the second aircraft

(c/n 304) has begun.

In addition to the delivery

of amphibians to the Russian

Emergencies Ministry, a contract

is being in the pipeline for eight

amphibians of the Be-200 fam-

ily aircraft to the Russian Defence

Ministry. The Federal Forestry

Protection Agency’s air branch

known as Avialesookhrana may

join the ranks of the customers for

amphibians made in Taganrog too.

Beriev is working on wooing

new customers all over the world,

and an important advantage of the

Be-200ChS is that it has been cer-

tificated in Russia and the EU. The

IAC Aircraft Registry certificated the

amphibian as compliant with the

AP-25 aviation rules in 2003. In

2007, the Be-200ES-E received a

supplemental type certificate clear-

ing it for hauling 43 passengers

on medium-haul lines and for bas-

ing both at airfields and on water.

Finally, EASA issued the Be-200ES

with the European type certificate in

September 2010.

In line with Beriev’s general strat-

egy designed to promote the Be-200

amphibian on foreign markets,

efforts are being made to obtain

the clearance of the US Air Tanker

Board. The clearance of the Be-200

as compliant with the board’s stan-

dards will pave the way for the

Russian plane to the North American

forest fire-fighting market.

European fire fighters, the French

ones in the first place, have displayed

their interest in the Be-200 too.

The Be-200’s fire-fighting capa-

bilities could be in demand on the

other side of the globe, in Asia.

For instance, a Beriev delegation

and Chinese officials met at Airshow

China 2012 in Zhuhai to discuss

the use and acquisition of Be-200

planes. According to the Chinese

officials, they have been looking into

the feasibility of updating their fire-

fighter aircraft fleet and operating a

Be-200 in China in 2013 for the pur-

pose of evaluating its performance

and drawing up a plan of further

cooperation.

In addition to the amphibian’s

fire-fighting role, its potential buy-

ers – those in India and Southeast

Asian countries in the first place –

are interested in its maritime patrol

and SAR capabilities

In this field, Beriev’s coopera-

tion with Italian company SELEX

Galileo in fitting the Be-200 with its

ATOS Airborne Tactical Observation

and Surveillance System looks very

promising.

Another line of refining the

Be-200’s avionics will be the use of

advanced technologies to spot forest

fires and put them out from the air in

poor visibility conditions, including

thick smoke.

The Be-200’s cockpit can be fit-

ted with head-up displays (HUD)

and an optical monitor camera.

Above the windscreen, there may

be an infrared camera installed,

with its footage to be displayed

on the pilot’s HUD. Such a system

has been tested on the Be-200 pro-

totype (side number 21512) and,

at the customer’s request, can be

installed in both in-construction and

in-service amphibians.

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

Ale

xey

Mik

heye

vB

erie

v

Ber

iev

The governmental resolution on the devel-

opment and productionising of the upgraded

Il-76 in the city of Ulyanovsk was issued on 20

December 2006. Since 1972, the Il-76’s pro-

duction had been produced in Uzbekistan by

the Tashkent Aircraft Production Corp. named

after Valery Chkalov (TAPC) that had built a

total of almost 900 aircraft of the type over four

decades. The transfer of the Il-76’s production

to Russia was caused by the snags hit by the

implementation of the September 2005 con-

tract for 38 Il-76MDs, including several tanker

planes, for China, with the contract having

been awarded to TAPC by Rosoboronexport. It

turned out that the financial standing of TAPC

and the financial conditions proposed would

not allow the deal to pan out. In addition, it

became obvious that in addition to future com-

mercial orders, there would be high demand

for the Il-76 on the part of Russian users as

well, the Defence Ministry in the first place.

To avoid dependence on the manufacturer

sitting in a foreign, albeit friendly, country, the

Russians weighed the pros and cons and opted

for having the Il-76 productionised in Russia,

at the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk.

The aircraft developed almost 40 years ago

was to be upgraded heavily and its design

documentation was to be digitized, essen-

tially worked out anew in the form of 3D

digital models. The Il-76’s basic upgrades

included the replacement of its engines with

more powerful and more efficient PS-90A-76

turbofans made in Perm (by then, the engine

had been tested on Il-76MF and Il-76MD-90

prototypes) and a heavy update of its avionics

suite, including the introduction of the ‘glass

cockpit’.

At the same time, several considerable

design and technological improvements have

been introduced too. For instance, the wing,

which retained its airfoil section and outline,

has been given a new structural layout – the

wing panel became a one-piece job using

long-measuring panels with riveted stringers,

and the number of the wing spars dropped

from three to two. This allowed a sizeable

reduction in structural weight and an increase

in terms of manufacturability.

Owing to the new wing and reinforced

undercarriage, the airlifter’s maximum take-

off weight has grown from 190 t of the

TAPC-built production-standard Il-76MD

to 210 t, while its maximum payload has

increased from 47 t to 60 t. Owing to the 12%

fuel efficiency increase of its PS-90A-76,

the aircraft have seen an increase in its

range from 4,000 km to 5,000 km with the

52-t payload. The greater thrust allowed

an improvement in its takeoff and landing

performance, with the length of the run

UNDERGOING TESTSUNDERGOING TESTSLast autumn saw the start of the flight tests of the upgraded Il-76MD-90A

(‘476’) transport aircraft prototype made by the Aviastar-SP close corporation

in Ulyanovsk – the first aircraft of the Ilyushin Il-76 family, built in Russia (until

recently, the previous Il-76 versions were made in Uzbekistan). The new airlifter’s

first flight took place in Ulyanovsk on 22 September 2012. Two weeks later, on

4 October, the aircraft was shown in flight to the authoritative governmental del-

egation led by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The demonstration flight was

followed by the signing of the contract for 39 production-standard Il-76MD-90As to

be built in Ulyanovsk for the Russian Defence Ministry, with the total value of the

deal being almost 140 billion rubles (around $4.5 billion). According to participants

in the event, this has been the most lucrative deal on aircraft acquisition for the

Russian Air Force over the post-Soviet years. The contract has become the launch

order for the Il-76MD-90A and is expected to be followed by more orders, since

Russian ministries and other governmental agencies alone will have needed at

least hundred aircraft of the type until the end of the decade.

ILYUSHINILYUSHIN476476Andrey FOMIN

Photos provided by UAC


i n d u s t r y | p r o g r a m m e

diminishing from 1,750 m to 1,600 m. The

TA-6A auxiliary powerplant was replaced

with the more advanced TA-12A to enhance

the operating characteristics.

The Kupol-II analogue flight naviga-

tion system has been ousted by the digital

Kupol-III-76M(A), and the SAU-1T-2B

analogue automatic flight control system has

been replaced with the digital SAU-76 allow-

ing ICAO Category II landing approaches and

RNP and RVSM navigation. The traditional

‘steam-gauge’ instruments in the cockpit have

given way to the KSEIS integrated electronic

display and warning system comprising eight

colour multifunction liquid-crystal displays

(MFD). The advanced BPSN-2 satnav sys-

tem has made its way onboard the airlifter too.

The upgraded aircraft has been designated

as Il-76MD-90A and given the index 476

(for this reason, it is called Il-476 sometimes,

though the designation is unofficial). In addi-

tion to the prime developer, the Ilyushin

Aviation Complex JSC, a wide range of con-

tractors has taken part in the upgrade, e.g.

the Perm Engine Company, Kotlin-Novator

close corporation, Tekhpribor JSC, MIEA

JSC, Gidroagregat JSC, Aviaagregat JSC,

Electroprivod JSC, etc.

The Russian Ministry of Industry and

Trade ordered the construction of the first

two prototypes, and UAC – Transport

Aircraft JSC acted as prime contractor. The

order for the construction of the first exam-

ple, c/n 01-01 designed for endurance tests,

was placed with the Aviastar-SP close cor-

poration on 15 March 2007 and the one for

the manufacture of the first flying prototype

(c/n 01-02) on 30 September 2009. To make

them, Aviastar set up a separate shop on the

plant’s premises of the aggregate assembly

facility. The first two aircraft were being

assembled in Ulyanovsk as portions of the

digitised design documentation arrived from

Ilyushin. Aviastar kicked off the assembly

of the first components and compartments

under the 476 programme in 2009. To speed

up the construction of the first flying proto-

type, the empennage, wing high-lift devices

and wingtips set was ordered from TAPC that

had a virtually completed backlog. The com-

ponents ordered were brought to Ulyanovsk

in April 2011. The flying prototype’s assem-

bly had been complete by year-end 2011, and

the roll-out ceremony for the Il-76MD-90A

(c/n 01-02) took place on 15 December

2011. Two and a half months before that,

on 1 October 2011, the F2 fuselage sec-

tion, wing centre box and wing panels – a

structural component set for the endurance

prototype (c/n 01-01) – was delivered from

Ulyanovsk to Zhukovsky, Moscow Region,

for static tests in TsAGI.

Following the rollout in December last

year, the flying prototype of Aircraft 476

returned to the assembly shop to complete the

systems assembly and shop tests. The plane’s

handover to the plant’s flight test facility took

place early in July of this year, and the first

Il-76MD-90A registered as RA-78650 was

unveiled late in August during the MATF

2012 International Air Transport Forum at

Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport.

The first engine run took place on

13 September, and a week later, the air-

craft was prepared for its flight tests after

the ground debugging of its new avionics.

Finally, on Saturday, 22 September 2012, at

about 15.30 an Ilyushin test pilot crew led by

Honoured Test Pilot, Hero of Russia Nikolai

Kuimov took the Il-76MD-90A for its maiden

flight. The crew consisted of Honoured Test

Pilot Vladimir Irinarkhov (co-pilot), Valery

Grechko (navigator), Alexei Zhuravlyov

(flight engineer) and Sergei Orlov (flight radio

operator) as well as Vladimir Lysyagin (flight

test engineer), Alexander Tsvetkov (electric

systems operator) and Alexei Mitin (cargo

compartment operator).

The new aircraft’s second flight was on

the morning of 28 September, and 4 October

saw the Il-76MD-90A’s presentation to

Russian President Vladimir Putin on a visit to

Ulyanovsk for a meeting on the governmental

acquisition of Russian-made aircraft. The

diminishing from 1 750 m to 1 600 m The

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Il-76MD-90A just landed after its maiden flight. Ulyanovsk,22 September 2012



President was pleased with what he had seen:

Nikolai Kuimov’s crew flew the new aircraft

on a short but spectacular sortie. “I have

every reason to thank and congratulate the

Designer General and plant Director, and

the whole of the team who have worked hard

to achieve this stage of the development of a

new Russian transport aircraft. Today, we have

actually witnessed the final stage of its devel-

opment”, Vladimir Putin said. “The event we

have witnessed today is not a mere flight of the

revitalised Il-76 aircraft. Essentially, this is a

drastically new aircraft upgraded by 70%. We

have got an advanced aircraft featuring cut-

ting-edge characteristics in terms of reliabil-

ity, range, efficiency and lifting capacity. I am

certain that the aircraft will be in demand

both in this country and with our possible

partners abroad”, the President concluded.

Then there was the ceremony of signing

the launch contract for 39 Il-76MD-90A

aircraft for the Russian Defence Ministry,

attended by Vladimir Putin. After the event

was over, the President’s chief of staff Sergei

Ivanov said: “This is the largest contract

the Russian aircraft industry has ever seen”.

The deliveries under the contract will have

taken place from 2014 to 2020. The con-

tract’s value stands at 140 billion rubles (about

$4.5 billion), i.e. more than 3.5 billion rubles

(around $115 million) per aircraft. The con-

tract will not be the only one signed by the

Defence Ministry. As was reported in the

press, the Il-76MD-90A shall serve the basis

for an advanced tanker plane intended to

succeed the in-service Il-78M and for several

specialised aircraft, which development has

been assigned to Beriev company. According

to Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin, the 2020

State Armament Acquisition Programme pro-

vides for procurement of “more than 100”

Il-76MD-90As in several versions.

In addition, other governmental cus-

tomers are expected to place orders for the

Il-76MD-90A in the coming years. “Now, we

need to consolidate other customers, because

the aircraft features a widest range of applica-

tions”, Sergei Ivanov told the media in the

wake of the meeting in Ulyanovsk. “It can

operate in the fire-fighting, medevac, air-

borne assault and freighter roles. Therefore,

the Emergencies Ministry, Ministry of the

Interior, Federal Security Service, Office of

the President, Transport Ministry and several

other governmental agencies should form a

pool of customers within a month and work

out a line of credit stipulating a proactive use

of leasing arrangements”.

Ilyushin JSC Director General/Designer

General Victor Livanov said: “The congratu-

lation by President Vladimir Putin imposes

on us a high responsibility. We have passed

an important stage, but a lot has to be done

further down the line: we are to test and

productionise the aircraft – both the baseline

model and a whole range of its derivatives. We

are certain that the Il-76MD-90A aircraft is

facing new vistas”.

At present, Aviastar plant is manufac-

turing the first three production-standard

Il-76MD-90A airlifters. Their construction

commenced as far back as 2010 under the

contract with UAC – Transport Aircraft.

According to Aviastar-SP Director General

Sergei Dementyev, two of them are to be com-

pleted as soon as this year, with the deliveries

to begin in 2014. The company’s production

plan provides for a gradual increase in the

annual Il-76MD-90A output all the way to 18

aircraft per annum in 2018.

Meanwhile, the first flying prototype of the

Il-76MD-90A was painted late in December last

year. Once it has completed a series of ground

tests and fixes, it is to fly to Ilyushin’s flight test

facility in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, where

its flight tests will continue. The move was

planned for late January or early February 2013.

According to Ilyushin Designer General Victor

Livanov, the first stage of the Il-76MD-90A’s offi-

cial tests, which includes 50 test sorties, is to be

completed in the third quarter of 2012. One pro-

totype will be enough for this purpose, because

the official trials of the upgraded Il-76MD-90

(RA-78854) aircraft, which were conducted with

success in 2011, will be taken in consideration.

This test aircraft made in 2005 on the basis of

the Il-76MD (c/n 81-05) built in 1991 was used

for testing the advanced powerplant consisting of

four PS-90A-76 turbofan engines as well as new

avionics now used in the Il-76MD-90As made

in Ulyanovsk.

Ilyushin 476 first flying prototype being paintedat Spektr-Avia JSC, 22 December 2012



Il-76MD-90A prototype in its second flight, 28 September 2012. Registration has been already changed from RA-78650 to 78650

The United Aircraft Corporation expects

that the new Il-76MD-90A airlifter and its

derivatives will be in demand not only in

Russia, but abroad as well. For instance, its

derivative Il-78MK-90 tanker plane was used

by Rosoboronexport JSC to bid in a tender

held by the Indian MoD that has operated

six Il-78MKI tankers built in Tashkent and

delivered in 2003–05. IAF’s advanced tanker

plane requirements are estimated at 12 air-

craft. According to the Indian media, the

first six of them will be Airbus A330MRTTs,

but no decision has been made on the other

six yet, and the Il-76MK-90 may become a

good choice.

According to official information released

by Rosoboronexport, the Il-78MK-90’s obvi-

ous advantages include its ability to be quickly

converted by its ground crew into a full-

fledged airlifter for quick redeployment and

airdrop of cargo, heavy vehicles and para-

troops. The multifunction capability of the

baseline Il-76MD-90A platform enables it to

derive fire-fighting, flying hospital, airborne

command post and AEW&C versions. The

Il-78MK-90 can refuel planes with fuel of two

types on a single sortie and distribute fuel on

the ground at a rate of 1,500 l/min to refuel

simultaneously up to four aircraft, wheeled or

armoured vehicles on the ground. Since the

Il-78MK-90 can operate from both paved and

unpaved airfields, it can use more than 80%

of the Indian runways and, for this reason,

there will be no problem with dispersing the

tanker planes throughout the airfield network,

if need be.

It is also important that unlike the

Il-76MD and Il-78MKI aircraft earlier

supplied to India, the Il-76MD-90A and

Il-78MK-90 can conduct unrestricted

international commercial flights owing to

their advanced powerplant based on effi-

cient PS-90A-76 engines and to their up-

to-date avionics suites.

Comparative data of Il-76MD-90Aand production-standard Il-76MD

Il-76MD Il-76MD-90AEngines D-30KP-2 PS-90A-76

Takeoff thrust, kgf 4 x 12,000 4 x 16,000

Maximum take-off weight, t 190 210

Maximum landing weight, t 151.5 170

Maximum payload weight, t 48 60

Range, km:

- with 60-t payload – 4,000

- with 48-t payload 3,800 5,300

- with 40-t payload 4,750 6,500

- empty 9,300 9,700

Cruising speed, km/h 750–780 780–800

Runway length required, m 2,250 2,150

Takeoff run with max

take-off weight, m 1,750 1,600

Fuel efficiency, g/tonne-km 232.4 187.1

Crew 7 6



Il-76MD-90A first flying prototype (c/n 01-02)under final assembly at Aviastar plant, June 2012

Airframe assembly of the first production Il-76MD-90A, December 2012

The aircraft flown by a crew led by Antonov

test pilot Vladimir Mosin took off from

Svyatoshin airfield in Kiev and landed at Kiev-

Antonov airfield in Gostomel 32 minutes later.

According to Vladimir Mosin, the first sortie

tested the operation of the basic avionics and

test data recorders and assessed the aircraft’s

stability and controllability in the takeoff and

landing configurations. The An-70 flew two

more test flights in Gostomel on 29 and 30

September, having taken part in the Aerosvit

air show there on those days.

Antonov commenced the upgrade of the

An-70’s avionics suite and powerplant in line

with the specifications requirement approved

by the Russian and Ukrainian defence minis-

tries in August 2010. The last, 625th, flight of

the An-70 c/n 01-02 prior to the upgrade had

taken place on 28 July 2010.

The An-70 upgrade led to the replacement

of the SV-27 propfans of the D-27 engines

with more sophisticated ones, with the pitch

between the front and rear props increased by

300 mm. This resulted in noise reduction and

propfan performance improvement. In addi-

tion, a modified engine FADEC and propfan

control system was introduced as well as the

TA-12-60 auxiliary power unit was ousted by

the TA-18-200-70 one from the Aerosila sci-

entific and production company in Stupino

(Moscow region), which features an expanded

operating conditions bracket.

The avionics suite underwent heavy

upgrade owing to its transition to advanced

electronic componentry and the need of

accomplishing new missions in line with the

customer’s requirements specified more accu-

rately. In the cockpit, TV-type CRT displays

were replaced with six colour multifunction

liquid-crystal displays. The ball of the electro-

optical system designed for night landing

on unpaved airfields and round-the-clock

airdrop operations appeared under the nose

section. Antonov news release stressed: “The

mathematical models and algorithms embod-

ied in the aircraft control system and aircraft

components remained the same. This ensured

the continuity with the earlier performed

stages of the trials and guarantees the suitabil-

ity of the results produced”.

The upgraded An-70’s preliminary test pro-

gramme designed for 20 sorties was completed

with success in December 2012, and the air-

craft entered the final phase of its official trials,

which provides for 75 test sorties, according

to Antonov Designer General Dmitry Kiva’s

UPGRADED AN-70 IN TRIALSOn 21 December 2012, the fuselage of the first production-standard An-70 short

takeoff and landing airlifter (c/n 01-04) was taken out of the stocks in a ceremony at

the Antonov aircraft production plant in Kiev, attended by Ukrainian Prime Minister

Nikolai Azarov. The fuselage was then moved to the final assembly shop. It is the first

of the two production-standard An-70s ordered by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry

in 2004 and laid down by Antonov as far back as 2001. The other production An-70

c/n 01-05 is at the fuselage sections assembly stage. The set of wings to fit the two

aircraft was ordered from TAPC in Uzbekistan. The first production-standard An-70

built in Kiev may be completed in 2014. Meanwhile, the tests of an upgraded An-70

prototype (c/n 01-02, reg. UR-NTK) continue in Kiev. The plane conducted its maiden

flight on 27 September 2012 following its two-year-long upgrade.

Mikhail SUNTSOV

Vas

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i n d u s t r y | u p g r a d e


statement made during the Aerosvit air show

in September 2012.

The flying and ground crews involved in

the programme had been trained at Antonov’s

Training Centre, where an An-70 flight test

stand was introduced. The stand is designed for

testing aircraft systems, particularly, the fly-by-

wire system, and checking their fail safety as

well as for preparing pilots or various situation

possible during the trials and for pilot training.

According to Dmitry Kiva, the test programme

is to be completed in May 2013.

The An-70 is planned for productionising by

a pool of Russian and Ukrainian companies.

The final assembly site for the An-70s intended

for the Russian Air Force Military Transport

Command expecting about 60 aircraft of the

type has been changed repeatedly in recent

years. Russian Premier Dmitry Medvedev

voiced the latest decision in June 2012. A new

production facility was to be built on Gorbunov

KAPO’s premises in Kazan, with the fuselage

panels supposed to be supplied by the Avistar-

SP plant in Ulyanovsk and the wings and

empennage by the Antonov plant in Kiev.

The D-27 engine co-production will be run

by Motor Sich in Zaporozhye and Salut in

Moscow, while Aerosila in Stupino will sup-

ply SV-27 propfans and TA-18-200-70 APUs.

Early production An-70s were expected to be

made in Kazan in 2015–16, with the plant pos-

sibly manufacturing up to 12 aircraft a year by

the end of the decade.

However, the reshuffle of the leaders of the

Russian Defence Ministry, which took place

in November 2012, may cause a revision of

the plans. At the late-December conference

chaired by the new Russian defence minister

General of the Army Sergei Shoigu and dedi-

cated to the acquisition of advanced aircraft for

the RusAF Military Transport Command, it

was said that a decision on the An-70 procure-

ment could be put on the back burner until the

completion of the aircraft’s test programme.

The Russian Defence Ministry will bankroll

the trials and completion of the first produc-

tion-standard aircraft in Kiev, but abstain from

allocating money for the launching of An-70

assembly in Kazan so far. A decision on series

acquisition of An-70 aircraft and, hence, on

their production in Russia is expected to be

made later this year based on the outcome of

the An-70’s official test programme and talks

with Ukraine about the intellectual property

matters pertaining to the programme.

Fuselage of the first production An-70being delivered to final assembly shop, 21 December 2012

Cockpit of the An-70 prototype after upgrade, September 2012

Upgraded An-70 prototype (c/n 01-02) during flight tests, December 2012

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i n d u s t r y | u p g r a d e



c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | n e w s

42

In December 2012, another

Russian carrier, Irkutsk-based

Angara, started commercial

operations of its newly acquired

Antonov An-148-100E regional pas-

senger jets built by VASO plant

in Voronezh. The first scheduled

passenger services took place on

the Irkutsk–Novosibirsk–Irkutsk

and Irkutsk–Mirny–Irkutsk lines on

20 December 2012.

The ceremony of the hando-

ver of the first An-148-100E (reg.

RA-61713) to the Angara airline was

held in Irkutsk on 30 October 2012.

The aircraft was delivered under the

agreement signed by the Angara

air company, VASO plant (a UAC

subsidiary) and Ilyushin Finance Co.

leasing company on March 2012 as

part of the Regional Aircraft Fleet

Modernisation Programme pursued

with support of the Irkutsk Region

administration. The contract stipu-

lates for Angara to take delivery

of five VASO-made An-148-100Es

in 2012–13, including three before

year-end 2012 and two in 2013.

There are also five options for deliv-

ery in 2014.

Angara’s planes have 75 pas-

senger seats in the economy class

and can operate on routes up to

4,400 km long. Considering the

peculiarities of the expected oper-

ations under harsh weather and

cold climate conditions (an ambi-

ent temperature above ground of

up to -52°C) and from unpaved

airfields, VASO performed an extra

set of preparations on the planes

prior to their delivery.

The new aircraft are supposed to

expand Angara’s route network by

far both in Russia and abroad.

The first Angara-accepted

An-148-100E (RA-61713, c/n

41-10) was manufactured by VASO

last spring, with its first flight on

22 March 2012. Its non-stop flight

from Voronezh to Irkutsk, which

measured about 4,300 km and 5 h

15 min, took place on 29 October

2012 and was followed by the

handover ceremony on the next

day.

The delivery of the second

An-148-100E (RA-61711, c/n 41-07)

was on 8 November 2012. The

VASO had made the aircraft a year

before. It first flew on 4 October

2011 and was initially earmarked

for the Polyot airline. The third

An-148-100E (RA-61714, c/n

42-01), which had been first flown

in Voronezh on 11 September 2012,

was accepted by Angara on

28 November and brought to Irkutsk

on 15 December 2012. The air com-

pany had 10 crews trained last year

to operate the new type, with the

pilots given relevant ground school

and simulator training.

Scheduled flights of Angara’s

An-148s commenced from

Irkutsk to Novosibirsk and Mirny

on 20 December 2012. The ser-

vice to Bratsk was added on

24 December, followed by the

I r k u t s k – N o v o s i b i r s k – M i r n y

line on 25 December. Since

15 January 2013, the new regional

airliners have been operating from

Irkutsk to Yakutsk famous for its

cold climate and to Khabarovsk

in the Russia’s Far East since

25 January. Plans provide for the

introduction of new lines from

Novosibirsk to Yekaterinburg in

February and Chita in March as

well as from Irkutsk to Ust-Kut

in February and Vladivostok in

March, etc. This summer is to see

the launch of international ser-

vices from Irkutsk to destinations

in China, Japan and South Korea.

The fourth and fifth An-148-100Es

are planned for entering service

with Angara in summer and autumn

2013 respectively. VASO is manu-

facturing them now.

Angara has been the third Russian

carrier to operate VASO-made

An-148s. Six An-148-100Bs were

delivered to the Rossiya air company

in St. Petersburg in 2009–10, with two

An-148-100Es received by the Polyot

airline in Voronezh in summer 2011.

The Grozny Avia carrier, operating

from Chechnya, is going to take deliv-

ery of two An-148-100Es this year.

Angara launches An-148 commercial services

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c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | n e w s

Operating out of Vnukovo Airport

in Moscow, the Rossiya special

air detachment of the Russian

President’s Office remains a major

customer for new Russian-made

passenger aircraft. Several Ilyushin

Il-96, Tupolev Tu-204, Tu-214 and

Antonov An-148 airliners were made

for it in 2012. Early last year, two

Tu-204-300 VIP aircraft (RA-64057,

RA-64058) started their operation,

after having been tesed in Ulyanovsk

in 2011. In spring last year, a special

Tu-214SUS (RA-64524) airborne

command post made in Kazan a year

before followed suit. Two upgrad-

ed Il-96-300 airliners (RA-96014,

RA-96017), which had been flown

by the now-defunct KrasAir carrier

(it went bust in 2008), began to fly

for the Rossiya special air detach-

ment last year.

The first of the two new Ilyushin

Il-96-300PU(M1) VIP aircraft

ordered by the Russian President’s

Office (RA-96020) was rolled out

to VASO’s flight test facility in

July 2012. The government placed

the order for these two VIP planes,

designed to carry top governmental

officials, on 26 May 2010. Late in

December 2012, it was delivered and

has been based in Vnukovo since

11 January 2013. The construction

of the second airliner of the type is

under way in Voronezh. It will have

entered service this year, after which

the presidential air detachment will

operate as many as eight aircraft of

the Il-96 family.

Another new An-148 took to the air

in Voronezh on 16 November 2012.

It was an An-148-100EA (RA-61716,

c/n 42-03), the first of the two

ordered by the Russian President’s

Office. The airliner is in VIP con-

figuration for 39 seats (two seats in

the highly comfortable ‘main pas-

senger’ cabin furnished with a sofa,

12 seats in business class and 25

in economy class). The contract for

two An-148-100EA aircraft to be

delivered to the Russian President’s

Office before December 2013 was

placed on 5 December 2011. A

modified cabin layout and a num-

ber of advanced systems necessi-

tated extra certification tests that had

been completed by the end of 2012,

and on 29 December 2012, the IAC

Aircraft Registry issued the modi-

fied An-148-100EA with Supplement

Type Certificate CT264-An-148/D09,

giving the green light to the plane’s

operation. The acceptance report

had been signed by New Year Day,

and the new An-148-100EA flew

from the factory airfield to Vnukovo

Airport in the Moscow Region on

17 January 2013. VASO is assem-

bling the second An-148-100EA

under the contract.

Another new aircraft destined

for the Rossiya special air detach-

ment flew from the Kazan Aircraft

Production Association named

after S.P. Gorbunov (KAPO) on

5 December 2012. It is a Tu-214

VIP airliner (RA-64521) ordered

by the Russian President’s Office –

the seventh Tu-214 made by KAPO

for the customer over the past

several years. It was ordered on

12 January 2011 in enhanced com-

fort configuration for 150 seats

(12 in business class and 138 in

economy class). The aircraft is

slated for delivery this year.

RA-64521 is the only new

Tu-214 KAPO built last year. Three

more Tu-214s are being assem-

bled for the Russian President’s

Office in the wake of the signature

on 31 October 2012 of a contract

for three more Tu-214SR com-

munications relay aircraft to be

delivered prior to December 2015.

These aircraft are expected to get

registration numbers RA-64526,

RA-64527 and RA-64528. After

they have been delivered, the

Rossiya special air detachment

will operate 15 aircraft of the

Tu-204/214 family, including

13 KAPO-made Tu-214 in various

versions.

New aircraft for presidential air detachment

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In Aeroflot

The acceptance report for the 10th Sukhoi

Superjet 100 intended for Aeroflot was signed

in Ulyanovsk on 15 September 2012. The

airliner (c/n 95018), which conducted its

maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on

12 July 2012, got side number RA-89010.

The aircraft was ferried from Ulyanovsk to

Sheremetyevo airport on 19 September and

kicked off commercial operations by its first

revenue flight on 21 September 2012.

In all, the Russia’s flag carrier has taken

delivery of six new SSJ100s last year out of the

30 it had ordered with four deliveries in 2011.

Next airliners of the type to be delivered to

Aeroflot will have a modified cabin interiors.

The assembly of the first of them (c/n 95025)

began last spring, but its rollout and ferry

flight to Ulyanovsk for cabin interior assembly

and airframe painting is now been scheduled

for February 2013 at the earliest. Next aircraft

for Aeroflot (c/n 95029) is now ready for

assembly.

Aeroflot’s SSJ100s fly scheduled ser-

vices to more than 20 Russian and foreign

destinations. In Russia they fly to Anapa,

Astrakhan, Kazan, Krasnodar, Nizhnekamsk,

Nizhnevartovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm,

Samara, St. Petersburg, Tyumen and

Volgograd now. Several flights are being made

to Ukraine’s Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk,

Kharkov and Odessa as well as to Belarusian

capital Minsk. European destinations include

Bucharest, Copenhagen, Krakow, Stockholm,

Vilnius and Zagreb.

As of 1 January 2013, Aeroflot’s Superjets

had logged over 8,500 flights totalling in excess

of 16,000 flight hours, of which almost 7,300

flights and 14,000-plus flight hours were flown

last year. A flight averages 2 h, and an average

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet

was the most productive programme

in Russia in 2012 in terms of new pas-

senger aircraft production. During the

year, the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company

made 12 SSJ100-95B jets, including five

for Aeroflot, two for Yakutia airline and

five for foreign customers. Six planes,

including one flown in 2011, were deliv-

ered to Aeroflot and one to Yakutia (the

other shall be delivered in February

2013). In addition, the acceptance

report on the first SSJ100-95B intended

for Indonesian airline Sky Aviation was

signed in late 2012. Of two aircraft

built and check-flown for Mexican car-

rier Interjet, the first one was ferried to

Venetia in autumn 2012 for customisa-

tion by the Superjet International joint

venture, with the second to follow it

in early 2013. Also in February 2013,

the airliner built for Laotian carrier Lao

Central Airlines in late 2012 is to be

delivered. During 2012, the SSJ100s

type certificate was recognised by

as many as three countries – Mexico,

Indonesia and Laos, which will enable

them to launch revenue operations of

the new Russian regional jet.

SUKHOI SUPERJET 100SUKHOI SUPERJET 100ARRIVES TO NEW CUSTOMERSARRIVES TO NEW CUSTOMERS

Yur

i Kab

erni

kc o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | p r o g r a m m e


Andrey FOMIN

monthly flight hours per aircraft accounted

for about 140 h (the maximal flight hours

were logged by RA-89010 in October 2012,

when it accumulated 327 h on 158 services).

As of 1 January 2013, the biggest flight hours

had been logged by Aeroflot’s first Superjet

(RA-89001) – 2,700 h on 1,495 flights.

All of Aeroflot’s Superjet 100s have the two-

class 87-seat configuration with 12 seats in

business class and 75 in economy class.

In frosty Yakitia

Another Russian carrier to have launched

operation of its SSJ-100s in late January

2013 is the Yakutia air company that had

ordered two aircraft of the type. The first

one (c/n 95019, reg. RA-89011) made its


13 August 2012 and headed for Ulyanovsk for

the assembly of its interior and for painting

4 days later. Its interior was assembled and

the aircraft was painted in October 2012, and

it was displayed at Airshow China 2012 in

Zhuhai in November. Its delivery and ferry

flight from Ulyanovsk to Yakutsk took place

on 18 December 2012 and its first scheduled

passenger flight on the Yakutsk-Khabarovsk

line was conducted on 23 January 2013.

Yakutia’s SSJ100 starts to operate the Yakutsk-

Novosibirsk and Yakutsk-Harbin lines in late

January or early February 2013. The com-

pany’s short-term plans provide for launching

operations from Yakutsk to Krasnoyarsk and

Blagoveshchensk also.

Ser

gey

Lyse

nko

Yur

i Ste

pano

v

Yakutia airline got its first SSJ100in December 2012

SSJ100 c/n 95021, the second jet built for Armaviain June 2012, is now going to change its customer

SSJ100 c/n 95018 became the 10th Superjet acquired by Aeroflotand launched its operations in September 2012

c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | p r o g r a m m e


The other Superjet 100 intended for Yakutia

(c/n 95020, reg. RA-89012) conducted its


25 November 2012, then it received its cabin

interior in Ulyanovsk and in mid-December it

was painted in the Czech Republic. Its deliv-

ery is planned for early February 2013, after

which it will fly to Yakutsk and commence its

scheduled operations.

The Yakutia-operated SSJ100s have a

93-seat cabin, with eight passengers seated in

business class and 85 in economy class.

Armavia’s planes searching for new owners

Early in October 2012, following a

four-month break, Armenian air carrier

Armavia – the Superjet’s launch customer

since spring 2011 – resumed passenger

operations on its SSJ100. Having logged a

bit over 2,000 flying hours on almost 900

commercial flights since April 2011, the first

production SSJ100 (c/n 95007, EK-95015)

flew in to Sukhoi Civil Aircraft’s facility in

Zhukovsky for A-Check routine mainte-

nance in early June 2012. However, due to a

financial dispute between the manufacturer

and operator, the aircraft had sat there for a

long time, while Armavia changed its mind

as for the second Superjet built for it (c/n

95021, EK-95016), meanwhile. This plane

first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 3

June 2012 and was prepared for delivery in

the same month. In all probability, the air-

craft sitting in Zhukovsky now will get itself

a new customer.

Ultimately, the parties came to terms about

continued operation of the first SSJ100 by

Armavia, and it finally flew from Zhukovsky to

Yerevan on 2 October 2012. It has been flying

passenger services for Armavia from Yerevan’s

Zvartnots airport to Moscow’s Domodedovo

and Vnukovo, to Krasnodar, Nizhny

Novgorod, Sochi, Ufa and Yekaterinburg as

well as to Dubai, Milan and Tel Aviv.

However, the flights hadn’t lasted long –

the carrier’s financial problems caused the

termination of its Superjet operation on

22 October 2012. In all, the airliner had

logged 2,300 flight hours on 932 flights with

Armavia, and its average monthly flight time

(less the four months of sitting at the tarmac

in Zhukovsky) standing at about 166 h (the

maximum time is 240 h per month). The

average flight of the Armenian Superjet last-

ed 2.5 flight hours and its average daily flight

time accounted for 5.5 flight hours.

The airliner’s cabin layout allows for 98

seats in economy class.

Mexico: Western Hemisphere’s launch customer

On 12 September 2012 another production

Sukhoi Superjet 100 (c/n 95023) made its maid-

en flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, becoming

the first SSJ100 built for a Western air carrier.

The aircraft is the lead plane under the contract

placed by Mexican carrier Interjet that has

awarded 20 firm orders for the type to date. The

supplier of the Interjet aircraft is Russo-Italian

joint venture SuperJet International, which

facility in Venetia will be used for assembly

of the passenger cabin interior developed by

Italian designer bureau Pininfarina, painting of

the aircraft and training of customer’s air and

ground crews. For this reason, the unpainted

aircraft flew in to Venetia’s Marco Polo airport

Yur

i Kab

erni

k

SSJ100 c/n 95024, the second aircraft for Interjet of Mexico, in flight tests, December 2012



on 6 October 2012 following a small series of test

fights in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Mexico’s aviation authorities have issued the

type certificate for the SSJ100 in April 2012, but

the new passenger cabin for 93 economy-class

seats will necessitate additional certification,

due to which the delivery of the first of Interjet’s

SSJ100s has been slated for March 2013. The

training of Mexican air and ground crews in

Venetia is to commence soon. The Superjet’s

Full Flight Simulator (FFS) has been delivered

to SJI facility in Venetia in November 2012

(until recently, there has been only one SSJ100

FFS at SCAC’s facility in Zhukovsky; the sec-

ond one has been brought to Aeroflot’s training

centre in Sheremetyevo in July 2012).

The second Mexican SSJ100 (c/n 95024)

first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 16

December 2012 and is now gearing up for the

ferry flight to Venetia in February for customisa-

tion. The third Interjet’s SSJ100s (c/n 95028) is

being assembled, with its first flight and ferrying

to Venetia slated for March 2013.

First SSJ100 for Indonesia

20 October 2012 saw the first flight of the

Sukhoi Superjet 100 c/n 95022 – the first of

the aircraft intended for Indonesian airline Sky

Aviation that had ordered 12 airliners of the type

from Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, with the delivery to

take place between 2012 and 2015. Less than

a week later, on 26 October, the airliner with

temporary registration number 97007 came to

Ulyanovsk for the installation of its cabin inte-

rior and the subsequent painting. The work

had been complete by early December, and the

aircraft was given registration number PK-ECL

when it was being painted in the Sky Aviation

colours. The airliner was handed over to the cus-

tomer on 29 December 2012, with its departure

to Indonesia planned for January 2013.

The SuperJet International JV, which handles

aftersales support and training, gave training to

the first crews of Sky Aviation. It trained eight

Indonesian pilots and 18 flight attendants as

far back as late last year and 12 technicians in

January 2013. This enables the carrier to start

using the aircraft right after it has been received.

Now, there are two more aircraft designed for

Indonesia (c/n 95027 and c/n 95031), sitting in

the SCAC’s final assembly shop. They are to be

rolled out in March and April respectively and

delivered in May and June 2013.

The cabins of Sky Aviation’s Sukhoi Superjet

100s are designed to seat 12 passengers in business

class and 75 in economy class – a total of 87 seats.

Laos in wait of Superjet

Another Sukhoi Superjet 100 (c/n 95026)

performed its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-

on-Amur on 12 December 2012. The airliner is

the first of the three SSJ100s ordered by Laotian

carrier Lao Central Airlines. On the third day

after its first flight, on 14 December, the newly

built aircraft with temporary reg. 97008 headed

for Ulyanovsk for cabin interior installation and

livery painting. This done, it was issued with

Laotian registration number RDPL-34195. The

airliner is to be delivered in February 2013. The

Laotian air authorities recognised the SSJ100’s

type certificate in December 2012, which allows

the aircraft’s export to the country and its unre-

stricted operation by Laotian carriers. Lao

Central Airlines plans to fly its SSJ100s on both

domestic and foreign routes, particularly, to

Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Singapore, etc.

The aircraft have been configured for 93 seats –

eight in business class and 85 in economy class.

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is completing the sec-

ond of the Lao Central airliners (c/n 95030).

Its roll out is scheduled for March or April this

year and its delivery for May. The third Laotian

SSJ100s (c/n 95037) is having its airframe

components being made. It could be delivered

before year-end.

As of January 2013, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft

Company and SuperJet International have had

179 orders for SSJ100s, of which 13 have been

delivered already. 72 airliners have been ordered

by Russian carriers – UTair (24), Gazpromavia

(10) and Transaero (6) in addition to Aeroflot

and Yakutia. The deliveries to the former two

may kick off in 2013–2014 and to Transaero in

2015. 107 aircraft have been ordered by foreign

air carriers and leasing companies.

SC

AC

SC

AC

Indonesian carrier Sky Aviation got its first SSJ100 (c/n 95022) in late December 2012

The first Superjet built for Lao Central Airlines, c/n 95026,after painting in customer’s colours, January 2013



Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant KUPOL,

JSC, being part of the ALMAZ-ANTEY Air

Defense Concern, unveils its new surface-

to-air missile system Tor-M2KM, which

differs from the widely known SAM systems

Tor-M2K and Tor-M2E in a modular design

of the combat and support vehicles.

SRSAM system Tor-M2KM with its

modular combat and support vehicles is

designed for air defence of vital public facilities.

It is very reliable and effective against high

maneuvering targets, guided and gliding aerial

bombs, anti-radar and cruise missiles, UAVs,

aircraft and helicopters within the SRSAM

engagement area day and night under adverse

weather and countermeasures environment.

Independent combat module (ICM) of

the SRSAM system is an autonomous missile

launcher which incorporates radar and optical

facilities, special equipment, surface-to-air

missiles, primary and backup power supply

sources and crew. A shelter with unified mount

adapters has been specially designed for the

ICM, allowing its arrangement on truck, semi-

trailer, trailer or other platforms of appropriate

load-carrying capacity.

ICMs mounted on various platforms can

significantly expand application range and

scope of missions carried out by the SRSAM

system, besides modular design results in

substantial reduction of operational costs.

Being deployed on various platforms

SRSAM system Tor-M2KM is capable of

accomplishing AD missions of Land Forces,

Air Forces and Navy, protecting vital strategic

military and civilian facilities against air attack.

Due to modular design, the ICM can be

sling-loaded beneath a Mi-26T helicopter or

its analogs.

Helicopter-transported ICM can be

deployed in very hard-to-reach places,

for example, in mountains and roofs of

buildings.

Tor-M2KM is the first system to fully meet air

defence needs of the big cities (megalopolises).

The system is fitted with up-to-date

computers and radars, making it possible to

destroy four aerial targets simultaneously.

Combat operation of the SRSAM system

Tor-M2KM is fully automated, operator only

needs to select a target to hit from the list

given by computer and then press Start button.

Surface-to-air missile is guided to the selected

target automatically, and SAM warhead

blows up in a target impact point. The missile

carries irregular shape fragmentations made of

special tungsten-nickel-iron alloy, providing

high non-ricocheting penetrating efficiency

of fragmentations. Radio fuse adaptation to

the air target type along with special missile

munitions make the system very effective

against all types of targets.

Independent combat module provides

transportation, storage and launch of four

surface-to-air missiles. Transporter/loader

module can be mounted on the automobile

chassis similar to the ICM chassis.

ICM is fitted with power supply source

ensuring its autonomous operation in any

weather conditions irrespective of the platform

the ICM is placed on. The ICM has also

a backup power source allowing ICM (if

deployed without platform) to operate from

commercial network or any mobile power plant

generating voltage of 220V 50Hz and power of

not less than 80 kW.

Maintenance tools and spare parts for the

SRSAM system are placed in the unified

shelters which can be mounted on any trucks,

semi-trailers and trailers.

The maximum weight of the loaded ICM

does not exceed 15 tons.

The combat crew is 2 men.

SRSAM system Tor-M2KM can successfully

accomplish AD missions both independently

and as part of various AD units, and be integrated

with Russian and foreign AD systems.

Over 50 years Izhevsk Electromechanical

Plant KUPOL, JSC has been manufacturing

high quality surface-to-air missile systems.

High technologies, skilled personnel and

many years’ experience in production and

modernization of the military equipment make

the company successful in the foreign and

domestic markets.

Through creation of air defense missile

systems for today’s and tomorrow’s army

KUPOL company upholds its reputation as

a Russian high-grade weapon manufacturer.

Air Defense Concern ALMAZ-ANTEY, JSC

41 Vereyskaya str., Moscow, 121471, Russia

Tel.: +7 (495) 276-29-65, fax: +7 (495) 276-29-69


Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant KUPOL, JSC

3 Pesochnaya str., Izhevsk, 426033, Russia

Tel.: +7 (3412) 90-3211; fax: +7 (3412) 72-6819


SRSAM SYSTEM TOR-M2KMSRSAM SYSTEM TOR-M2KMWITH ITS MODULAR COMBAT AND SUPPORT VEHICLESWITH ITS MODULAR COMBAT AND SUPPORT VEHICLES

commercial w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u48 take-off february 2013

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