To 12

november 2008 Special edition for Airshow China 2008
& IndoDefence/IndoAerospace 2008
SUKHOI
FIGHTERS
on Asian
market
Su-35
programme
progress
[p.22]
[p.18]
Tikhomirov-NIIP
from phased array
to AESA
HIGH TECHNOLOGIES SAFEGUARDING PEACEFUL SKIES
[p.38]

Russias largest defence holding company

more than 40 industrial and research organizations
powerful research and productive potential
full range of air defence systems and assets
integrated technological process from development to serial production
of weapons and military equipment
full liability and timely fulfillment of contractual obligations
Our products are successfully operated in 50 countries worldwide
Air Launch
for Russia
and Indonesia
MiG-29K
again at Nitka
[p.46]
[p.28]
ALMAZ-ANTEY CONCERN
41, Vereiskaya str. Moscow 121471, Russia
l.: (495) 780-54-10; Fax: (495) 780-54-11
E-mail: vts@almaz-antey.ru
New Russian airborne weapons
[p.10, 26]
november 2008
Editor-in-Chief
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Editor
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Columnist
Alexander Velovich
Special correspondents
Alexey Mikheyev, Vladimir Karnozov,
Victor Drushlyakov, Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev,
Alina Chernoivanova, Natalya Pechorina,
Marina Lystseva, Dmirty Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov,
Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski,
Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi
Design and pre-press

Grigory Butrin
Web support
Georgy Fedoseyev
Translation
Yevgeny Ozhogin
Cover picture
Alexey Mikheyev
Publisher
Director General
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Director General

Nadezhda Kashirina
Marketing Director
George Smirnov
Director for international projects

Alexander Velovich
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
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.
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
Dear reader,
You are holding another issue of the Take-Off magazine a special
supplement to Russian national aerospace magazine VZLET. The
issue has been timed with Airshow China 2008 and IndoDefence/
IndoAerospace 2008.
By tradition, the aerospace exhibition in Zhuhai has been attended
by numerous Russian participants and businessmen. Small wonder,
because the Russian-Chinese aerospace cooperation has been given a
strong impetus over the past dozen and a half years. As a result, China
has become a top importer of Russian aircraft, first and foremost, Sukhoi
jets. Today, the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27SK/UBK and Su-30MKK
fighters have been the mainstay of PLAAFs new-generation fighter fleet
while two dozens Su-30MK2s serve with PLANAF. Moreover, Chinas
own aerospace plants have mastered Su-27SKs licence production.
Engine deliveries also have been high on the priority list of the RussianChinese aviation cooperation, with these turbofans powering both
Russia-supplied and advanced indigenous Chinese fighters, the J-10
and FC-1 (JF-17). Russian experts consult their Chinese counterparts
developing new aircraft, e.g. latest Chinese trainer L-15, to power which
an advanced Ukrainian-Russian AI-222 turbofan engine afterburner
version is intended.
However, the Russian-Chinese cooperation does not limit itself
to combat planes. China operates Russian-made Mil Mi-8 and
Mi-17/Mi-171 helicopters and Ilyushin Il-76 freighters on a large scale, with
Beriev Be-103 light multipurpose amphibians and Tupolev Tu-204-120CE
freighters to start arriving to Chinese buyers soon. The cooperation has
been on the rise, with new contracts for combat and commercial aircraft
could be placed in the future.
Another country in the region, Indonesia, has become an important
Russias partner in the field of aerospace cooperation. Indonesia has
already bought four Sukhoi fighters and a batch of Mil Mi-35 helicopters
with new deliveries of six Su-30MK2 and Su-27SKM jets are expected in
2008 and 2009. Moreover, Russia and Indonesia have established a joint
venture aimed at implementation of the unique Air Launch aerospace
programme. Russian-Ukrainian Antonov An-124-100 transport plane
will take-off from Indonesias airfield at Biak island to airdrop at a height
of 10 km a new Russian space launch vehicle to orbit satellites for
customers in Indonesia and other countries.
All these themes became the main topics of this issue. As usual, you
are also getting news on the other key events in the Russian and CIS
aerospace fields over the past couple of months. I hope the materials
will come in handy for you to have a better grasp of the large Russian
expositions at the Zhuhai and Jakarta shows and keep abreast of the
latest development in Russias aviation and space exploration fields.
I wish all participants and guests of Airshow China 2008 and
IndoDefence/IndoAerospace 2008 to meet new partners, establish
useful links and snag lucrative contracts. See you at new air shows!
Aeromedia, 2008
Sincerely,
P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia

Tel. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19
Fax +7 (495) 644-17-33
E-mail: info@take-off.ru
http://www.take-off.ru
Andrey Fomin
Editor-in-chief
Take-Off magazine
contents
CIVIL AVIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
More Tu-204-300 and A320 for Vladivostok Avia
Beefing up Red Wings fleet
Another Tu-214 built
Aeroflot-Cargo gearing up for getting Il-96-400T
Aeroflot kicks off discarding its Tu-154 fleet
November 2008
MILITARY AVIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Blackjacks over the Caribbean
JDAM and JSOW la russe
10
Last summer, the Bazalt federal unitary company, which turns 70 this year and is Russias major
diversified company specialising in developing and manufacturing close-in battle weapons for the Army
and aerial weapons for the Air Force, held a presentation, during which the companys leaders shed
some light on weapons systems under development. Bazalt Director General Vladimir Korenkov said that
the company was completing the development of several cutting-edge air-launched precision-guided
weapons systems expected soon to start fielding with the Russian Air Force and being sold abroad
in addition to rocket launchers, mortar bombs, hand grenades and self-propelled gun rounds well
known abroad, as well as unguided aerial weapons of all types long and widely employed by RusAF.
The novelties in question include, in the first place, the advanced PBK-500U commonised gliding
cluster-bomb unit (CBU) with homing submunitions and a special set of glide-and-guide range-extension
modules to fit production gravity bombs. The development of the two systems is a kind of response
of Russian designers to the US development of the JSOW gliding CBU and a series of JDAM smart
bombs already in the inventory of the US Air Force, US Navys air arm and a number of other militaries.
Take-offs correspondent Yevgeny Yerokhin attended Bazalts presentation
CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
17
Beriev and Vega carry on with AEW systems

Mi-171 for Mongolian military
Ka-226T throws its hat into Indian tender ring
IFC increases Russian airliner exports to Latin America
Russian-German JV gets first order for A320 conversion
First Ukrainian An-148 delivered
Il-114-100 finds new buyers
Sukhoi fighters on Asian market
18
According to the annual arms output rating of Russias major defence manufacturers published by the
Russian independent Centre of Analysis of Strategies and Technologies last year, the Sukhoi company
ranked first in 2007, having more than doubled its income. Its proceeds exceeded $1.9 billion last year,
which accounted for almost half the gross revenue of the United Aircraft Corporation. Sukhoi produced
such high production and sales results owing to its export success in the first place, with customers
having taken delivery of over 50 aircraft of the Su-30MK family. In 2007, Sukhois exports exceeded
$1.35 billion, totalling almost a quarter of the aggregate revenue earned from all Russian weaponry
exports that year. More than half of the Sukhoi aircraft exported last year went to Asian countries. The
Asian market remains key to Sukhoi that has clinched deals to deliver upwards of 550 Sukhoi fighters
to the region, of which more than 350 have been delivered. This is the lions share of the Sukhoi aircraft
exported after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which makes the Asian market especially important
to the company
Su-35: two prototypes under tests!
22
take-off november 2008
The second prototype of the advanced Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter completed its maiden flight in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Russias Far East, on 2 October 2008, controlled by the Sukhoi design bureaus
test pilot Sergey Bogdan, an Honoured Test Pilot of the Russian Federation. The mission lasted about
an hour. Sergey Bogdan tested the operation of fighters powerplant and fly-by-wire system in various
modes, examined its stability and controllability and became completely satisfied with the aircrafts
performance. It means that already two Su-35 prototypes are undergoing flight tests now with the third
one to join them soon. The first Su-35 aircraft made its maiden flight earlier this year, on 19 February,
and have successfully fulfilled more than 40 test sorties by the beginning of October. Joining the
second flying prototype to flight test programme enables to fasten Su-35s testing process that is to be
completed in a couple of years. According to Sukhoi, the full-rate production of the cutting-edge 4++
generation fighter and its deliveries to both domestic and foreign users are slated for 2011. The Su-35
entering service will bolster the national defence capability and enable Sukhoi to remain competitive on
the global market until its fifth-generation fighter becomes ready for deliveries, Sukhois press release
emphasises. Andrey Fomin analyses Su-35 programme progress
www.take-off.ru
contents
New weapons for advanced Sukhoi fighters
26
In early June, the Tactical Missiles Corp. launched a campaign to promote a number of latest air-launched
guided missiles on the market. The weapons promoted include the new-generation Kh-38ME air-launched
modular guided missile and several heavy upgrades, including the Kh-58UShKE antiradiation missile
equipped with a wideband passive radar homer, Kh-59MK2 air-launched guided missile with a
self-contained target area recognition capability and KAB-1500LG-F-E laser beam-riding smart bomb. All
these weapons will be incorporated in Su-35s weapon suite being available for other new Russias combat
aircraft as well. Yevgeny Yerokhin reviews the new Tactical Missiles Corp's weapons
MiG-29K back at Nitka

Vikramadityas arresting gear kicks off trials in Crimea
28
On 1 September, the Crimea-based Nitka training facility saw the kick-off of tests of the first arrestor designed
to fit the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, with the Sevmash company in Severodvinsk working on it under the
Russian-Indian Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier overhaul and upgrade contract on order by the Indian Navy.
The MiG-29K prototype serialled 312 had arrived from Russia to test the first arresting gear at the Nitka facility
in the Crimea-based Saki airbase. A Take-off correspondent Victor Drushlyakov covered the tests
INDUSTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
30
38
42
IFC orders large batch of Tu-204s from UAC

MC-21 clearing second gate
Sukhoi SuperJet 100 to begin certification tests
UACs second subsidiary registered
Tu-142s upgraded in Taganrog
AL-55I trials on MiG-AT started
Another Yak-130 enters trials
First Taganrog-built Be-200ChS to be ready in three years
Work on Beriev A-42 continues
Berievs new programmes
Be-32s rebirth?
Kamov company turns 60
Tikhomirovs radars: from phased array to AESA

Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely
A key component of formidable combat capabilities of advanced fighters is the sophisticated fire
control system wrapped around an efficient radar. All Sukhoi Su-27/Su-30 family fighters both
exported and in service with the Russian Air Force are fitted with fire control systems developed by
the Tikhomirov-NIIP research institute. Tikhomirov-NIIP became a pioneer in developing phased-array
radars. Its first airborne radar debuted on the MiG-31 interceptor, and starting with the Su-30MKI these
radars have been equipping Sukhoi fighters. This year, the advanced Su-35 multirole fighter entered the
trials, with Tikhomirov-NIIP developing the Irbis-E passive phased array radar the most refined in its
class to fit it. As far as the future fifth-generation fighter is concerned, the company is developing its
first active electronically scanned array radar (AESA). To learn the status of the programmes, Take-offs
editor Andrey Fomin met Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely who was kind enough to grant us
an interview
Aircraft computers made in Ryazan

Take-off has repeatedly covered various spheres the State Ryazan Instrument-Making Plant (GRPZ) a
major Russian manufacturer of airborne radars operates in, including its productionising of the active
phased array and development of heliborne radar. In addition, GRPZ develops a family of airborne
digital computers and airborne computer systems for various applications. Take-offs correspondent
Yevgeny Yerokhin has been to the plant again and seen Nikolay Andreyev, chief of the airborne computer
department of the corporate scientific and technical centre
COSMONAUTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Air Launch:
Indonesian prospects of Russian space programme
46
www.take-off.ru
During the Russian presidents official visit to Indonesia in September 2007, about a dozen memoranda and
agreements were signed, of which the principal one was the agreement on a $1 billion loan to Indonesia for
acquisition of Russian armament and associated equipment. During their official meeting with the media,
the two presidents confirmed their interest in stepping up bilateral high-technology cooperation, including
joint space programme. This means, among other things, that they gave the green light to the well-known
Air Launch programme that became an international endeavour. The programme provides for orbiting small
spacecraft by launch vehicles blasting off not from the ground as usual, rather from an altitude of 10 km
after air-dropping from an An-124-100 Ruslan carrier aircraft. The first air launch has been slated for 2010.
civil aviation | news
on the eve of the Day of the Air Fleet

celebrated on 16 August.
Meanwhiule, another Airbus
A320 medium-haul airliner joined
Vladivostok Avias aircraft fleet in
July. The A320-211 (VP-BEQ) made
in 1994 became the fourth aircraft
of the type, sporting the colours of
Vladivostok Avia. The airline has been
flying its first A320-212 (VP-BRB)
since February last year, and two
A320-214s (VP-BFX and VP-BFY)
started flying operation with the airline
earlier this year. While Vladivostok
Avias Tu-204-300s are mostly used
for carrying Far Eastern passengers
to Moscow, St. Petersburg and
the Ural, its A320s mostly operate

from Moscows Vnukovo airport on
services to Yekaterinburg, Kemerovo,
Novokuznetsk, Abakan, etc.
Due to an avgas price spike,
Vladivostok Avia works hard to
Andrey Pechenkin
Two
Tupolev
Tu-204-300
medium/long-haul airliners built by
Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk this year
on order from the Ilyushin Finance
Co. (IFC) joined the aircraft fleet of
Far-Eastern airline Vladivostok Avia
this summer, having become the
fifth and sixth airliners of the type
operated by the carrier since 2005.
Its Tu-204-300s log an average of
400 flight hours monthly.
The first of the two airliners
(RA-64044) was received in
a ceremony in Vladivostok on
12 July, with the other Tu-204-300
(RA-64045) arriving from the aircraft
factory to Vladivostok a month later,
Valdivostok Avia
More Tu-204-300 and A320 for Vladivostok Avia
renovate its aircraft fleet with more

operationally efficient Airbuses and
Russian-made Tu-204-300s. It is
going to ditch all of its Tu-154s by
2009 (in addition to six Tu-204-300s
and four A320-200s, its fleet
includes now five Tu-154Ms and
two grounded Tu-154B-2s). To
discard the Tu-154s, the company
has signed memorandums of
understanding for three more A320s
to be delivered in 200911. Owing
to a hike in business activities in the
Far East anticipated in the run-up
to the APEC summit meeting and
Vladivostok Avias plans to buy
A330 wide-bodies, it has ordered
its first A330-300 with the 327-seat
capacity, which delivery is slated for
April or May 2009.
Another Tu-214 built
The new Tupolev Tu-204-100V

medium-range airliner with side
number RA-64043, which had been
built for the Red Wings airline on
order from the IFC leasing company,
flew from the Aviastar-SP factory
airfield in Ulyanovsk to Vnukovo
airport in Moscow on 13 August. It
became the fifth Tu-204 operated by
Red Wings, which launched services last year on four earlier-built
Tu-204-100s, and the 35th production Tu-204 made by Aviastar-SP.
The acceptance ceremony took
place at Aviastar-SP on 3 June this
year, but the new aircrafts commercial service entry had dragged
feet due to the need of obtaining
certification documents reflecting the Tu-204-100Vs standard
design modifications (the planes
has a Russian-language flight
deck and the 210-seat cabin layout). Finally, IACs Aircraft Registry
Another new Tupolev Tu-214

(RA-64513) airliner conducted its
maiden flight from the airfield of the
Kazan Aircraft Production Association
(KAPO) on 16 August 2008. The
aircrafts construction had been ordered
by the Financial Leasing Company (FLC)
for the Transaero air carrier.
KAPO built Transaeros first Tu-214
(RA-64509) in November 2006, with
the airliner entering commercial
operation on 19 April 2007. Transaero
expected the same year to take
delivery of another airliner of the type,
but its assembly was completed only
issued Type Certificate Supplement

No. ST233-Tu-204-120CE/D06
and Aircraft Noise Certificate
Supplements
No.
SSh170-Tu-204/D01
and
No. 63/D02, thus allowing the new
aircraft to carry passengers.
Under the contract Red Wings
and IFC signed in August last
year, Aviastar-SP is to deliver five
more new Tu-204s to the airline in
200809. The sixth Tu-204 earmarked for Red Wings (Tu-204-100V
RA-64046) was built by Aviastar-SP
and completed its maiden flight in
September 2008, with its delivery
slated for October.
Ildar Valeyev
Beefing up Red Wings fleet
this summer. According to Transaero,

its personnel started the reception
of the new Tu-214 from KAPO in
late September, with its delivery
and commercial service entry slated
for earlier November. In all, under
the Transaero FLC contract made
in 2005, the airline is to lease for
15 years ten Tu-214s, of which five
were to enter operation before 2006
year-end and another five during
2007. Unfortunately, the deadline has
slipped behind schedule considerably,
and Transaero has had to buy more
foreign-made planes.
www.take-off.ru
civil aviation | news
Aeroflot-Cargo gearing up for getting Il-96-400T

six Il-96-400Ts for 15 years in
June 2007. Under the contract,
IFC is to lease three aircraft in
2008 and three in 2010 to the
carrier. The first two transports
(RA-96102 and RA-96101), which
VASO made last summer and this
spring respectively and which
had initially been earmarked for
Atlant-Soyuz carrier, are virtually
ready for commercial operation,
with the former already painted in
the Aeroflot-Cargo paint scheme.
Under the delivery schedule, the

airline will have received the third
airliner before year-end 2008,
with VASO completing the airliner
now.
The Il-96-400Ts being leased
to Aeroflot-Cargo are the first
aircraft of the type. They can haul
up to 92 t of cargo on medium and
intercontinental routes on all types
of international-standard cargo
pallets and containers loaded
through the side-loading door.
IFC
On 2 September, personnel of
the Aeroflot and Aeroflot-Cargo
carriers started receiving two
new Ilyushin Il-96-400T long-haul
freighters on the premises of the
Voronezh Aircraft Production
Association (VASO). The planes had
been ordered by Aeroflot-Cargo, a
subsidiary of Aeroflot Russian
Airlines. The supplier is the Ilyushin
Finance Co. (IFC).
IFC and Aeroflot-Cargo struck
a deal for financial leasing of
The Il-96-400T is a derivative of

the Il-96-300 long-haul wide-body
airliner, from which it differs in
having a stretched fuselage. It
is powered by advanced Perm
Motors PS-90A1 enhanced-thrust
turbofan engines and is fitted
with a Russian-made upgraded
flight navigation system allowing
the aircraft unrestricted operation
throughout the world.
Before the arrival of the first
Il-96-400Ts, Aeroflot-Cargos fleet
had been made up of foreign-built
aircraft only. At present, the
company flies three MD-11F and
three DC-10-40F wide-bodies
as well as two Boeing 737-300F
medium-haul freighters. With
returning the DC-10-40Fs to the
lessors, Aeroflot-Cargo is going
to start operating three more
MD-11Fs it is going to buy. The
carrier hauls cargo on its regular
operations to Germany, Finland,
Norway, France, Japan, South
Korea, China, Hong Kong, the UK
and Kazakhstan.
Aeroflot kicks off discarding its Tu-154 fleet
Aeroflot is intent on beginning to

discard the remaining Tu-154Ms in
the fourth quarter of 2008. As a result,
the first seven eldest aircraft made
in 1988 will have been written off by
early 2009. Next year, 14 more aircraft,
which were built in 198890, will be
decommissioned gradually and, finally,
the last four Tu-154Ms manufactured
in 199092 will retire in 2010.
The airline will continue its
acquisition of Airbus A320s to
replace its written-off Tu-154Ms.

In October through December,
Aeroflot is to take delivery of five
more new A320s being leased from
RBS, GECAS and AerCap under
various deals. In 2009, they are
to be joined by six more A320s
and four A319s, and most of them
will have entered operation by the
beginning of next summer. The
new airliners will beef the Russian
flag carriers Airbus fleet up to 53
units. To date, Aeroflot has been

operating as many as 38 such
aircraft 11 A319s, 17 A320s
and 10 A321s. The company is
going to keep on buying new West
European aircraft. For instance, it
made another deal with Airbus at
the recent Farnborough air show
on 16 July for five A321 powered
by CFM-56 engines. The planes
will be delivered from August to
December 2013.
Sergey Krivchikov
The Aeroflot Russian Airlines

company has gone public with its
plans for decommissioning its fleet
of Tupolev Tu-154M medium-haul
airliners. As Aeroflots chief Valery
Okulov has repeatedly said, the
Russian flag carrier is going to
cease operation of the aircraft of
the type by 2010. Now, some details
have been published.
A largest Russian Tu-154
operator along with the Siberia (S7)
air carrier, Aeroflot had had 26
aircraft of the type by this summer.
Following the June incident in
Pulkovo airport, their number
dropped to 25. (As is known, on
30 June 2008, Moscow-bound
Tu-154M (RA-85667) suffered the
disintegration of the left engine on
takeoff, which caused fire on board;
fortunately, the skilled aircrew
managed to abort the takeoff,
suppress the fire and avoid a grave
flight incident, but the structural
damage sustained prompted the
decision not to rebuild the airliner).
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | news
Alexey Mikheyev
Blackjacks over the Caribbean
Expanding the zone of continuous aerial patrolling resumed on

order from the Russian president
in August last year, the Russian Air
Forces Long-Range Aviation has
been going ever farther away from
the national boarders. The turn of
South America and the Caribbean
has come this time around.
On 10 September, two Tupolev
Tu-160 strategic bombers with
the 37th Air Army, named after
Alexander Molodchy and Vassily
Senko, stationed at Engels
AFB vic. Saratov made the first
long-range non-stop flight over
the neutral waters in the Arctic and
Atlantic oceans and landed at the
Venezuelan Air Forces Libertador
airbase at 20.50 hrs Moscow
time on the same day under the
remote area air patrolling plan and
Russian-Venezuelan intergovernmental agreements.
Their visit to a Latin American
country came as no surprise,
since RusAF Commander-in-Chief
Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin said
as far back as August that the
Long-Range Aviation might well
use airfields of other countries.
The mission featured a long
flight over terrain lacking any reference points. The flight lasted
about 13 hours, during which
about 10,000 km were covered.
On the initial leg, a pair of NATOs

F-16s escorted the bombers briefly over the neutral waters to be
replaced with two USAF F-15 fighters following them for 1015 minutes on approach to Iceland, after
which the Tu-160s proceeded to
Venezuela in relative solitude.
In the course of the flight, we
are going to familiarise with the
situation in the area and navigation
conditions so that other our aircrew know what environment they
may have to operate in, Maj.-Gen.
Pavel Androsov, commander,
Long-Range Aviation, said at a
news conference.
The Venezuelan voyage of the
Russian strategic bombers have
been their first ever mission to the
Americas. According to Maj.-Gen.
Androsov, another reason for the
flight being unique is that the landing had been performed during
a thunder in high ambient temperature and high humidity. We
have made certain that our aircraft
are prepared to operate anywhere
in the world, the Long-Range
Aviation commander emphasised.
Rear Adm. Joseph Kernan, US
Navy 4th Fleet commander, in turn,
told foreign media that his command would keep the tabs on the
operations of the Russian strategic
bombers in the 4th Fleets AO (the
Caribbean and South America), but

said, In my mind if the Russians
flew those aircraft down to this
region because of a threat from
the U.S., then I think they wasted
gas.
The flight was led by
Long-Range Aviation Deputy
Commander Maj.-Gen. Alexander
Afinogentov who flew the Vassily
Senko bomber. The other aircraft,
the Alexander Molodchy, was
manned by the crew led by Deputy
Regimental Commander Lt.-Col.
Andrey Senchurov qualified as 1st
class pilot.
In Venezuela, the Russian aircraft stayed at Libertador air base
near Caracas. According to the
Russian crews, Libertador fits the
Tu-160 in terms of infrastructure
with its 3,000m runway, good surfacing and all relevant equipment.
On 13 September, the bombers conducted the first of
the flights scheduled for the
TDY, flying over the Caribbean
towards Panama and back. The
flight was uneventful and lasted about six hours. We have
flown along the coastline of the
Caribbean countries, Maj.-Gen.
Afinogentov said afterwards,
There have been no incidents,
and the materiel operated like
clockwork.
The second mission, which lasted

six hours too, was accomplished on
14 September towards Brazil this
time. They flew over the neutral
waters far enough from the coastline. Foreign fighter planes did not
escort the Tu-160s on both training missions. The missions have
been accomplished, said Maj.-Gen.
Anatoly Zhikharev, chief of staff,
Long-Range Aviation.
Having taken off from Libertador
air base at 10.00 hrs Moscow time on
18 September, the two bombers set
off for long a way back home. Their
return flight took about 15 hours. On
the final leg of the flight, the Tu-160s
performed a nighttime mid-air refuelling from an Ilyushin Il-78 tanker
plane over the Norwegian Sea. While
near Norway, they were accompanied
by Norwegian Air Force F-16 fighters
for about 5 minutes. The bombers
landed at Engels AFB at 01.20 hrs on
19 September. The crews were given
a high-profile reception attended by
Long-Range Aviation commander
Maj.-Gen. Androsov.
All flights by Russian Air Force
aircraft have been performed over
the neutral waters in compliance
with the international aerial navigation rules without intrusion into
airspace of other states, a RusAF
spokesman said concerning the
trans-Atlantic mission.
www.take-off.ru
TURBOFAN ENGINE
PS-90-76
PS-90A-76 turbofan engine is a version
of PS-90A turbofan featuring a thrust of 14,500 kg
(with a possibility to increase up to 16,000 kg).
PS-90A-76 is intended for remotorisation of Ilyushin Il-76 family aircraft
now in operation with D-30KP engines as well as for fitting new aircraft.
Aircraft powered by PS-90A-76 turbofans meet
ICAO Chapter 4 standards for noise and emission (2008).
PS-90A-76 ADVANTAGES:
operation costs reduction by 1.7 times;
powerplant reliability increase by 1.52 times;
fuel consumption reduction by 1315%;
engine on-condition maintenance;
FADEC installation.
PS-90A-76 turbofan engine powers the following modern aircraft:
Il-76TD-90
Il -76MF
Il -76MD-90
www.ukpmk.ru
Viktor Drushlyakov
military aviation | weapons
Yevgeny YEROKHIN
Last summer, the Bazalt federal unitary company, which turns 70 this year and is
Russias major diversified company specialising in developing and manufacturing
close-in battle weapons for the Army and aerial weapons for the Air Force, held a
presentation, during which the companys leaders shed some light on weapons
systems under development. Bazalt Director General Vladimir Korenkov said that
the company was completing the development of several cutting-edge air-launched
precision-guided weapons systems expected soon to start fielding with the Russian
Air Force and being sold abroad in addition to rocket launchers, mortar bombs, hand
grenades and self-propelled gun rounds well known abroad, as well as unguided aerial
weapons of all types long and widely employed by RusAF. The novelties in question
include, in the first place, the advanced PBK-500U commonised gliding cluster-bomb
unit (CBU) with homing submunitions and a special set of glide-and-guide wing
modules to fit production gravity bombs. The development of the two systems is a
kind of response of Russian designers to the US development of the JSOW gliding
CBU and a series of JDAM smart bombs already in the inventory of the US Air Force,
US Navys air arm and a number of other militaries. Take-offs correspondent attended
Bazalts presentation.
PBK-500U: Russian response to JSOW

Bazalt launched development of the advanced
gliding cluster-bomb dispenser as far back as
the mid-1990s to enhance RusAFs effectiveness and combat capabilities. However, the programme was affected by the economic turmoil
in the country and has been re-energised and
completed only recently. As was said at the presentation, flight tests of the advanced weapon are
to begin this year. The official trials are supposed
to take place in 2009. If they prove to be a success, the fielding of the PBK-500U with the Air
Force may launch already in 2010.
Bazalts advanced gliding cluster bomb is,
essentially, a Russian analogue of the American
JSOW weapons system. Bazalts earlier RBK-500
disposal CBU as well as fragmentation, concrete-busting, shaped-charge, incendiary, cluster, homing and mine submunition modules for
the KMGU airborne container are an effective
means to destroy hostile aircraft, missile systems
and armoured vehicles. The lethality of such
weapons is several times as that of monoblock
bombs. With the same calibre, RBK and PBK
10
need 10 times less munitions to destroy similar

targets, with their yield being adaptable to a
specific target.
The advanced PBK-500U gliding cluster
bomb packing SPBE-K homing submunitions
is derivative of the RBK-500 series of disposable
cluster bomb units, ensuring more effective application by tactical aircraft, such as the Su-34, etc.
It is designed for all-weather round-the-clock
standoff employment with precise delivery of
submunitions to the target. The gliding CBU has
a calibre of 500 mm and kills armour, SAM systems, command posts and other military installations with the radar or infrared signature giving
them away against the underlying terrain in the
face of clutter and countermeasures from an
altitude ranging from 100 m to 14,000 m at the
carrier aircrafts speed varying from 700 km/h to
1,100 km/h. The weapons range is about 50 km
if released from an altitude of 10 km. The CBU is
3,100 mm long and 450 mm in diameter.
The baseline model now undergoing tests
has its submunitions dispenser fitted with the
inertial navigation system (INS) and a GPS/
Bazalt
JDAM and JSOW la russe
GLONASS satnav receiver to ensure accurate

delivery of submunitions to the target area.
This is an all-passive guidance package requiring no information contact with the target
neither before, nor after the release, which is
important for the survival of the launch platform and for mission accomplishment. The
PBK-500U is a launch-and-leave weapon.
The PBK-500U can be fitted with various
cluster submunitions or monoblock warheads.
The baseline model is fitted with SPBE-K
combined heat-seeking/radar-homing submunitions wiping out a wide range of military
weapons systems and vehicles in various types
of terrain. According to Bazalt representatives,
even rather old homing submunitions, such as
SPBE-D, remain superior to many western
analogues, while the new-generation SPBE-K
does not even have rivals abroad. A single
CBU packing such submunitions can knock
off up to six armoured vehicles both those
emitting in the infrared part of the spectrum
and those emitting nothing. The SPBE-Ks
can be applied against enemy tanks in a
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | weapons

close-range armoured free-for-all, since it has
the identification friend-or-foe capability. The
submunitions are expected to be extremely
effective even against future armoured threats.
The CBUs version filled with BETAB-M
concrete-piercing submunitions is superior to
all known analogues too.
The advantages offered by the commonised gliding CBU over an air-to-surface missile
handling similar tasks are its lower cost, much
heavier warhead totalling more than 70% of the
PBK-500Us weight and multiple-kill-per-pass
capability.
According to Bazalts leaders speaking at the
presentation, in future the PBK-500U is to
be fitted with an efficient motor, which will
considerably extend the weapons controlled
flight distance while retaining its precision. This
PBK-500U variant will be comparable to the
US-made JSOW-ER.
PBK-500U
Dumb bombs gaining wings

Bazalt Director General Vladimir Korenkov
said during the presentation that his companys
development of special commonised glide and
guidance kits has been in full swing to fit them
to gravity bombs and disposable cluster-bomb
dispensers. One or more kit comprising folding
wings and guidance, navigation and satellite
update packages will be attached to a bomb
depending on the mission. Such kits may be
fitted to the existing dumb bombs in RusAFs
inventory and all of the future ones. The programme will enhance the range, precision and
functionality of gravity bombs and, depending
on the type of kits, create, essentially, precision-guided weapons released from low altitude
at a standoff range.
Such an approach to aerial bombs upgrade
have been used by the United States deriving
the GBU-31, GBU-32, GBU-38 and other
smart bombs from the production Mk-82,
Mk-83, Mk-84 and a number of other 500,
1,000 and 2,000lb gravity bombs under the
www.take-off.ru
Yevgeny Yerokhin
FAB-500M62 with MPK model
JDAM programme. However, Bazalts upgrade

costs far less. Mounting the new tailkit, guidance package and empennage under the JDAM
programme involves factory assembly, and any
factory assembly jacks up the costs. Bazalt offers
a cheaper and more flexible variant: the modular design allows assembly of smart bombs in
the required configuration at the airfield, rather
than at the factory.
In addition, the urgency of retrofitting
Russian bombs with range-extension wing kits
is highlighted by the fact that development of
similar-performance missiles or smart bombs to
handle the same tasks would have cost 50 times
more, according to Bazalt.
At present, the design that has advanced
farthest is the one providing the wingkitting
of a most mass-produced Russian bomb, the
FAB-500M-62, remaining in the inventory of
many air forces throughout the world.
According to Bazalts managers, there are
four different baseline upgrade variants. The
first one provides for equipping a bomb with the
so-called simple wing kit. This is a purely aerodynamic solution allowing the bomb to self-stabilise and offset the wind drift and providing
for attaching only a simple glide-and-guide
module to the bombs body without any electronic modules. The kits cost will be within the
cost of the weapon itself. Aerial bombs in such a
configuration can be used at a range of 68 km
but from a minimum altitude of 50100 m,
rather than 3,0004,000 m usual for dumb
HE bombs and making the aircraft vulnerable
to hostile air defences.
The second option goes for using the standard-issue glide-and-guide module and the
small-size INS unit, the latter allowing the bombs
in-flight stabilisation and arrival to the target
area. This variant will ensure a release range of
1215 km while retaining the required accuracy.
The third version provides for beefing up the
INS-based range-extension kit, whose accura-
cy is not too high, with extra drives and a GPS/

GLONASS satnav receiver. The solution will
allow release at a range of 4060 km depending
on the carrier aircrafts flight mode and speed
and will ensure a circular error probable (CEP)
of at least 10 m.
The fourth variants kit comprises a pulsed
ramjet engine in addition to the glide-and-guide
module and guidance package and will have a
range of 80100 km.
Upgraded bombs in the glide-and-guide
module + INS/GPS and glide-and-guide
module + INS/GPS + engine configurations gain new characteristics turning them
into full-fledged standoff PGMs producing
a greater bang for a far smaller buck. An
advantage of modernised bombs is the payload
weight totalling in the neighbourhood of 70
per cent of the launch weight as opposed to
1520 per cent of a similar-purpose missile.
As far as the range-extension kit cost is concerned, Vladimir Korenkov said it would cost
only 5 to 10 times more than the bomb, which
is much cheaper than the cost of advanced
smart bombs and guided missiles. The bombs
upgraded by Bazalt will feature the following
characteristics: 400 mm in diameter, 645
2,000 mm in wingspan and 3,000 mm in
length. The winged bomb will weigh up to
540 kg, with its warhead weighing 300 kg.
On the eve of Bazalts anniversary, the Russian
government issued a resolution on setting up an
integrated entity based on Bazalt to make aerial
bombs and close-in battle weapons. Under the
presidential decree dated 10 July 2008, Bazalt
and members of the future integrated entity
joined the Russian Technologies state corporation. The emergence of the integrated entity
will speed up the development of cutting-edge
munitions, so, hopefully, advanced Bazalt-built
glide CBUs and winged bombs will enter
service with the Russian Air Force and foreign
air forces real soon.
11
contracts and deliveries | news
in brief
III
Beriev and Vega carry on with AEW systems
The Sri Lankan Air Force has

taken delivery of five MiG-29
fighters, the local daily Sri Lanka
Watch reported on 1 October. The
talks on buying four upgraded
MiG-29SM singleseaters and
a MiG-29UB twin-seat combat
trainer worth estimated $75 million had been under way since
early 2007. The acquisition of the
MiG-29 fighters is being implemented under the national air
defence modernisation programme
to beat back air attacks of the
Tamil Tigers insurgents.
III
6 August witnessed the handover ceremony for six new Mil
Mi-17V-5 helicopters to the
Indonesian Army Aviation at
Surabaya air base, Indonesia.
They had been built by Kazan
Helicopters under the deal clinched
in 2005. The first three aircraft
were brought from Russia on
3 July and the other three had
arrived by early August. A group
of Indonesian flying and ground
crews had been given relevant
training in the city of Kazan in
operating and maintaining their
Mi-17V-5s prior to the delivery.
12
The Vega Radio Engineering

Corp. has maintained a long-time
partnership with Beriev company
in developing airborne early warning and control systems (AEW&C).
The A-50 AEW&C aircraft developed by the tandem have been in
service with the Russian Air Force
for almost a quarter of century (by
the way, this year will mark the
30th anniversary of the maiden
flight of the first prototype A-50
that took place on 19 December
1978). These days, Beriev and
Vega have been cooperating in
two principal fields the A-50EI
programme for the Indian Air
Force (IAF) and the A-50 upgrade
programme for the Russian Air
Force.
Take-off has already covered the
status of the Russian-Israeli-Indian
contract on three A-50EI aircraft for
IAF, estimated at $1.1 billion. As is
known, the first A-50EI derived by
Beriev from a TAPC-built Ilyushin
Il-76TD airlifter airframe and fitted
with four PS-90A-76 engines from
Perm Motors completed its maiden
mission in Taganrog on 29 November
2007 and was ferried to Israel on
20 January 2008 for installation of
the radar system and conduct of the
full set of improvements and tests.
The guidance and communications
equipment for the aircraft was supplied by Russian concern Vega. The
aircraft is now in Israel where the

Phalcon radar from Elta has been
mounted and tested on it. The flight
trials of the first A-50EI carrying the
Israeli-made Phalcon radar kicked off
in Tel Aviv on 5 June 2008.
According to Vegas Director
General Vladimir Verba speaking
at Gidroaviasalon 2008 held in
Gelendzhik in September, the first
A-50EI is slated for delivery to India
in January or February 2009 (the
aircraft will arrive to the customer
directly from Israel). The remaining
two aircraft being assembled now
in Taganrog will be delivered during
the subsequent two years. Vladimir
Verba stressed that there may
be more orders for the aircraft.
During the Gidroaviasalon 2008
show, Beriev, Rosoboronexport,
Perm Motors and Vega clinched a
deal on launching the establishing
of the A-50EI aftersales maintenance system for IAF.
Vegas chief also said the company in cooperation with Beriev

carried on with upgrading the airborne warning and control systems of the A-50s in service with
RusAF. The first aircraft has been
upgraded and, according to Mr.
Verba, is undergoing the official
trials with success. Vegas leader
did not go into detail, confining
himself to a statement that the
upgraded system will be on a par
with the best international achievements in the field, and they surpass
their Western-made analogues in a
number of ways.
In addition, Vega also works on
other types of AEW systems. At
present, the Vega concern has been
working proactively on developing
such a system based on a medium-haul aircraft due to the interest
shown by several Southeast Asia
countries, Vladimir Verba said in
Gelendzhik.
Rami MIzrahi
On 12 August, the Peruvian Air

Forces Chiclayo air base saw the
signing of a $106 million contract
on overhauling and upgrading all
of the 19 MiG-29 fighters in service
with the Peruvian Air Force. Work
will be handled by MiG Corp. and
include bringing the MiG-29 singleseaters to MiG-29SM multirole
fighter standard. As is known,
Peru bought 16 Soviet-built
single-seat MiG-29s and two
twin-seat MiG-29UB combat
trainers from Belarus in 1996,
which were then beefed up with
three new MiG-29SEs procured
directly from MiG Corp. One of
the Belarus-exported aircraft
was lost in a crash, with another
being decommissioned later on.
The Peruvian government took
a decision to have the remaining 19 MiG-29s overhauled and
upgraded under the $645 million
Peruvian armed forces development programme until 2011.
Rami Mizrahi
III
www.take-off.ru
Mi-171 for Mongolian military

UUAP trained a group of the customers flight and ground crewmembers on its premises. The
Mi-171 flew to Mongolia on its
own.
Not long before the delivery, the
Mongolia-ordered Mi-171 had been
shown as a static display during
the 6th International Mi-8/Mi-171
UUAP
The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant

(UUAP), a subsidiary of the
Russian Helicopters joint stock
company, delivered the first Mil
Mi-171 multirole helicopter to the
Mongolian Defence Ministry. The
machine was delivered under a
contract signed last November.
Earlier under the same contract,
User Conference hosted by UUAP

(see picture). The machine was a
hit with the participants owing to
its avionics suite and a new layout
of its instrument panels.
Although the Mi-171 has been
bought by the Mongolian Defence
Ministry, it will be used in various civil roles, such as search
and rescue (SAR), ambulance and
cargo hauling in the first place. To
this end, the machine is equipped
with two rescue hoists with the
150kg and 300kg capacities, a set
of medical gear for carrying up
to 12 patients on stretchers, an
enlarged starboard-side sliding
door, an electrically and hydraulically powered cargo ramp, an
external sling and other equipment.
The helicopter is fitted with
numerous flight navigation instruments, including a GPS receiver
doubling as a backup VHF radio,
the VOR-ILS navigation system,
directional/glide-path indicator, air

traffic control responder, rangefinder, encoding foot-graduated
altimeter, EGPWS, TCAS, etc. To
make it easier for the crew to
handle the wide range of avionics,
the cockpit was fitted with an integrated instrument panel instead
of two as in the standard layout.
This layout is used in the Mi-171
helicopter for the first time.
It is worth mentioning that
the cooperation between UUAP
and Mongolia has been surging. The company trained a big
group of Mongolian flight and
ground crews late in 2007. Then
the Mongolians took delivery of
a Mi-171. The Mongolian Civil
Aviation Department issued the
Mi-171 with the type certificate
in February 2008. Now, another
team of flight and ground crews
has been trained and another
aircraft delivered under a new
contract.
Ka-226T throws its hat into Indian tender ring
14
cent. A considerable part of the

helicopters is to be licence-produced by HAL. Tenders were
issued to Eurocopter, Bell Textron,
AgustaWestland and Kamov.
Kamov joins the tender as a
division of the Russian Helicopters
holding company, pitching its
upgraded Ka-226T helicopter that
differs from the earlier Ka-226
model in being powered by
Turbomeca Arrius 2G1 engines.
The engines boost the machines
performance, especially when
operating in the high and hot
environment. A prototype Ka-226T
was re-engined with Turbomeca
Arrius as far back as late 2004. The
prototypes tests have displayed a
considerable improvement in its
flight characteristics.
To implement the programme,
Russian Helicopters is launching the Ka-226T large-series
production on the premises of
another of its subsidiaries, the
Kumertau Aircraft Production
Plant (KumAPP). To this end,
Vnesheconombank in September
issued it a 2.38 billion ruble (about
$95 million) loan. The measures
being taken may result already by
late 2011 in KumAPP churning out

up to 70 Ka-226s annually, including at least 50 Ka-226Ts. Under
the companys business plan,
KumAPP will have built 398 helicopters by 2020, with their worth
estimated at $45 million.
According to Kamov company Executive Director Roman
Chernyshev, in addition to the
potential lucrative Indian contract,
the Ka-226 order book includes
120 more aircraft ordered, includ-
ing firm orders for 40 machines.

Following an additional work under
the updated specification, an updated contract with the Gazpromavia
company for 40 Ka-226AG is to be
signed. In addition, helicopters of
the type remain in demand with
the Russian Emergencies Ministry,
Federal Security Service and Ministry
of Interior. Negotiations also are in
progress with several foreign customers, covering, inter alia, the
Ka-226s licence production abroad.
Alexey Mikheyev
It became known in September

that the Kamov company, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters
holding, was gearing up for competing in a major tender issued by
the Indian Defence Ministry earlier
this year and estimated to be worth
almost $2 billion for replacing the
obsolete Cheetah and Chetak light
helicopters in the Indian Army
Aviations and Air Forces (IAF)
inventories with advanced light
multirole aircraft.
Indian
Defence
Minister
A.K. Antony officially stated his
decision on issue a new helicopter
tender in April, several months
after the $600 million programme
on buying and licence-producing
197 Eurocopter AS550C3 helicopters for the Indian Army Aviation
had been cancelled in December
2007 (60 machines were to be
imported, with the rest to be
licence-produced by Indias HAL
corporation). The Indian militarys
requirement for advanced light
helicopters have now been estimated at 384 units, of which 259
are to be received by the Army
Aviation and 125 top go to IAF,
with the offsets hiking to 50 per
www.take-off.ru
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IFC increases Russian airliner exports to Latin America

delivered during 200506, two
Tu-204-100E medium-haul airliners
delivered in December 2007 and
a Tu-204CE medium-haul freighter
delivered in August 2007. Russia
has assisted Cuba in setting up a
maintenance centre to support their
operations.
Russian aircraft are exported
to Cuba under the Russian governmental programme on financial
(guaranteed) support of industrial
production export. The government
provides such guarantees to banks
issuing long-term loans to buyers
During the Cuban visit of the

Russian governmental delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister
Igor Sechin, the Ilyushin Finance
Co. (IFC) and Cuban foreign trade
company Aviaimport made a contract on delivery of another Tupolev
Tu-204CE cargo aircraft to the
Cubana de Aviacion airline.
This has been the seventh
Russian-made aircraft leased by IFC
to the Cuban airline over the past
three years. Cubana de Aviacion
operates three Ilyushin Il-96-300
long-haul wide-body airliners
of Russian planes. Russias Bank

of Development and Foreign Trade
(Vnesheconombank) is the main
lender to foreign buyers.
According to UAC President Alexey
Fyodorov attending the contract signature ceremony, Russia has always
regarded Latin American countries
as partners and has had successful
long-term trade and economic relations with Cuba. A good example of
the cooperation is the programme
on exporting Russian commercial
aircraft to Cuba, which lays the foundation for expanding the Russian
aircraft exports to other countries
in the region. The Cuban party
has shown interest in buying more
Russian planes. We will continue
the negotiations, hoping that that
we will keep on running successful joint programme with our Cuban
partners. The five-year experience of
our companys work in Cuba allows
us to count on this, said IFC Director
General Alexander Rubtsov.
The Aviastar-SP plant in
Ulyanovsk built the second
Cuba-destined Tu-204CE freighter

(production number 64037) earlier
this year. The plane has completed
most of its tests and been given
the customers paintjob and registration number (CU-C1703). The
contract for the plane was signed
as part of the Russo-Cuban agreement made during the MAKS 2007
air show and providing for making
two more Tu-204 family aircraft
and three Antonov An-148 regional aircraft for Cuba to the tune of
over $150 million.
Meanwhile, IFC announced on
26 September that its leaders and
the Venezuelan authorities had
agreed on delivery of Russian
commercial aircraft to Venezuela
for service with local airlines. The
agreement was reached during the
September visit to Venezuela by a
Russian governmental delegation
led by Deputy Prime Minister Igor
Sechin. Relevant contracts are
being drafted for signing before
year-end, the IFC announcement
said.
On 16 July, Russian-German
joint venture AFC (Airbus Freighter
Conversion GmbH) signed a contract on conversion of 30 Airbus
A320/321 airliners into freighter
variant for the first customer, a
major leasing company AerCap (the
Netherlands).
AFC is a joint venture set up
by Russian corporations UAC and
Irkut, on the one hand, and EADS
divisions EFW (Elbe Flugzeugwerke
GmbH) and Airbus, on the other.
The venture was established in
Dresden in April 2007. The Russian
share in the venture stands at 50 per
cent and is divided equally between
UAC and Irkut, with the other 50 per
cent divided by Airbus (18 per cent)
and EFW, EADSs aircraft plant in
Dresden (32 per cent).
AFC was set up specifically for
converting A320/321 airliners into
cargo versions. Project work kicked
off at the facilities in Toulouse,
Hamburg, Bremen and Dresden in
December 2007. In the course of
16
EADS
Russian-German JV gets first order for A320 conversion
conversion, the passenger cabin is

dismounted, reinforced floor and
cargo handling gear are installed
and a large cargo hatch is cut in
the fuselage to facilitate loading and
unloading operations. Conversion
kits will be made by Irkut Corp.s
aircraft plant in Irkutsk, and conversion itself will take place in Dresden
and Zhukovsky.
The first prototype of the converted A320 is to be released in 2011,

with the production kickoff slated
for 2012. It is planned that up to 40
airliners are to be converted annually by 2016. A320/321P2F freighters,
capable of hauling 2128 t of cargo
on services up to 3,700 km long, will
become the only up-to-date solution
in the small freighter segment to
serve the quickly growing urgent

cargo delivery market. According to
a preliminary estimate of both parties, the ventures annual turnover
may account for $200 million with
the estimated market capacity until
2026 equalling 400 aircraft.
Russias
United
Aircraft
Corporation is very keen on the A320
conversion programme. The Irkut
Corporation is the prime contractor
under the programme. Now, a facility
is being prepared for converting airliners into freighters in the Zhukovsky
(Moscow Region), the promising
Russian aircraft-making centre, UAC
President Alexey Fyodorov emphasised after signing the contract.
On 10 October 2008 the first fuselage of A320 (c/n 004) was delivered
from Toulouse to Dresden onboard
Airbus A300-600ST Beluga special transport aircraft to test conversion technologies and optimise
design solutions under A320/321P2F
programme at EFW facility of AFC
Russian-German joint venture.
www.take-off.ru
First Ukrainian An-148 delivered

on 17 December 2004. It was used
for conducting certification tests.
However, the bulk of the certification
trials fell on the second prototype
(c/n 01-02, UR-NTB) built in April
2005. Therefore, delays in productionising the An-148-100 by the
Aviant plant in Kiev and the liabilities to the Kazakh launch customer
prompted the manufacturer to prepare the aircraft c/n 01-01 for delivery to the first Ukrainian operator.
Naturally, all test gear had to be
dismounted, the passenger cabin fit-
attending the ceremony, thanking his

team for the timely completion of
the work and underlined that they
had to maintain the same pace in
continuing the development of the
construction and tests of the 99-seat
of An-148-200 stretch and other new
An-148 variants.
Leasingtechtrans Director General
Alexander Vlasishen expressed his
satisfaction with the pace of the first
An-148-100s preparation for service
entry, in particularly, he said, The
An-148 is the future of our aviation.
We are very glad to be Ukraines
launch customer for the aircraft. We
have signed a firm order for four
such aircraft.
It
remains
unclear
yet
which airline will lease the first
Ukrainian An-148-100B. At first,
Leasingtechtrans had planned
to deliver it to the airline of the
410th plant (ARP-410), but the airline itself has shown no optimism in
this connection. Therefore, it is possible that the first An-148-100 will
first be received by the Ukraine government-owned company providing
transport services to top national officials and operating an An-74TK-300
in the VIP layout already.
and in the third quarter of 2010,

Mr. Pogrebnoy said. The airliners are being delivered under the
contract snagged in April this year.
The financing has been launched,
and construction of the first aircraft has begun, he added.
Russian Aircraft is going to
make the second contract for four
Il-114-100s for Russian carriers
before year-end. We are mulling over ordering 25 Il-114-100s,
which would keep TAPCs production lines busy, Vladislav
Pogrebnoy said in this connection. In particular, the Il-114-100s
unveiling in India is slated for

mid-October 2008, during which a
contract with local carrier Hindavia
for 10 airliners is planned for
signature.
Fulfilling the orders of
Uzbekistan Airways and Russian
Aircraft will allow TAPC to launch a
real Il-114-100 series production.
As is known, the full-rate production of the Il-114-100 is to become
a main field of TAPCs cooperation with Russias United Aircraft
Corporation (UAC). TAPC is supposed to make 120150 airliners
of the type prior to 2015.
Andrey Fomin
A key event on the first day of

Ukrainian international air show
Aviasvit XXI held at the Kiev-Antonov
airfield in Gostomel near Kiev on
2529 September was the delivery
of the first new-generation Antonov
An-148 regional passenger aircraft
to the customer. The customer was
Ukrainian government-owned leasing company Leasingtechtrans, and
its first aircraft was the first An-148
(c/n 01-01, reg. number UR-NTA)
built by Antonov almost four years
ago and flown for the first time
ted and, overall, the layout had to

be brought in line with the standard
An-148-100B layout approved by the
IAC Aircraft Registrys type certificate dated 26 February 2007.
The rollout of the modified aircraft from the assembly shop of the
Antonov company took place on 3
July 2008. The aircraft will enter commercial service as soon as it has
completed all acceptance tests, during
which all of its systems will be tested
in operating mode. Mind you, some of
the tests will continue even after the
aircrafts delivery to Leasingtechtrans.
Before the roll-out, Antonov Director
General Dmitry Kiva addressed those
In September, Uzbek national carrier Uzbekistan Airways

received in a ceremony another
production Ilyushin Il-114-100
regional turboprop aircraft made
by the Tashkent Aircraft Production
Corp. named after Valery Chkalov
(TAPC). The aircraft is powered
by a pair of Pratt&Whitney Canada
PW-127H turboprop engines
and has been given registration
number UK-91105 (c/n 02-05). The
Il-114-100 has become the second
aircraft in this version, operated
by Uzbekistan Airways and the
first one under last years contract
on supplying the Uzbek national
carrier with six new Il-114-100s
during 200809 to replace the
Yak-40 jets being discarded from
service now.
The six aircraft to be built under
the new contract will differ from the
Il-114-100 (UK-91102, c/n 02-02)
built by TAPC as far back as 1999
in the advanced TsPNK-114M dig-
www.take-off.ru
ital avionics suite using Rockwell

Collins systems. The avionics
have been proved themselves on
aircraft c/n 02-05 that has now
entered service after being built
by TAPC in 2006. This airliner
could be seen at the MAKS 2007
air show in Zhukovsky last August,
while the First Aviation Leasing
Company, which promotes the
Il-114-100 on the Russian aircraft
market, teamed up with its Uzbek
partners and Ilyushin organised
its demonstration tour of Russian
cities in the early 2008.
Another leasing company,
Russian Aircraft, announced its
plans for promoting the Il-114-100
in September. Its Director General
Vladislav Pogrebnoy told the media
that TAPC would deliver first three
Il-114-100s to Russian Aircraft
during 200910. The first of the
three planes is to be delivered in
August 2009 and the other two in
December 2009 or January 2010
Dmitry Pichugin
Il-114-100 finds new buyers
17
contracts and deliveries | market overview
SUKHOI FIGHTERS
KnAAPO
ON ASIAN MARKET
According to the annual arms output rating of Russias major defence manufacturers published by the Russian independent
Centre of Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST) last year, the Sukhoi holding company ranked first in 2007,
having more than doubled its income. Its proceeds exceeded $1.9 billion last year, which accounted for almost half the
gross revenue of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). Sukhoi produced such high production and sales results owing
to its export success in the first place, with customers having taken delivery of over 50 aircraft of the Su-30MK family. In
2007, Sukhois exports exceeded $1.35 billion, totalling almost a quarter of the aggregate revenue earned from all Russian
weaponry exports that year.
More than half of the Sukhoi aircraft exported last year went to Asian countries, with India getting 18 Su-30MKI fighters and
eight licence production kits and the Royal Malaysian Air Force fielding its first six Su-30MKMs. The Asian market remains
key to Sukhoi that has clinched deals to deliver upwards of 550 Sukhoi fighters to the region (including licence production
kits for China and India), of which more than 350 have been delivered. This is the lions share of the Sukhoi aircraft exported
after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, which makes the Asian market especially important to the company in light of the
prospects of development of the air forces in this corner of the world.
18
www.take-off.ru
Tske-off's archive
Su-27UBK twin-seat fighters were delivered to China

in several batches in 1992, 1996 and 20002002
Sukhoi fighters exports to Asian countries in 19912008

Contract signing
date
Contract type
1991
delivery
1995
delivery
1996
1999
1999
2001
2003
license
production
delivery
delivery
delivery
delivery
1995
delivery
1996
delivery
2003
delivery
1996
delivery
1998
2007
2007
delivery
license
production
delivery
delivery
2003
delivery
2007
delivery
2003
delivery
www.sinodefence.com
At the photo above: Su-27SK and Su-30MK

fighters of the Indonesian Air Force delivered
in 2003
Bottom: Su-27SK of the PLAAF with its full
combat load
2000
*
**
***
N/A
www.take-off.ru
Aircraft type
Supplier
and number
Contracts with China
22 Su-27SK
KnAAPO
4 Su-27UBK
Irkut
16 Su-27SK
KnAAPO
6 Su-27UBK
Irkut
200 Su-27SK*
Delivery
dates
Contract value,
billion US$
1992
1992
1996
1996
1,7
KnAAPO
19982004
2,5
28 Su-27UBK
Irkut
38 Su-30MKK
KnAAPO
38 Su-30MKK
KnAAPO
24 Su-30MK2
KnAAPO
Contracts with Vietnam
5 Su-27SK
KnAAPO
1 Su-27UBK
Irkut
2 Su-27SK
KnAAPO
4 Su-27UBK
Irkut
4 Su-30MK2V
KnAAPO
Contracts with India
8 Su-30K
Irkut
32 Su-30MKI
Irkut
10 Su-30K
Irkut
20002002
20002001
20022003
2004
N/A
1,5
N/A
N/A
140 Su-30MKI
Irkut
18 Su-30MKI***
Irkut
40 Su-30MKI
Irkut
Contracts with Indonesia
2 Su-27SK
KnAAPO
2 Su-30MK
KnAAPO
3 Su-30MK2
KnAAPO
3 Su-27SKM
KnAAPO
Contracts with Malaysia
18 Su-30MKM
Irkut
contract suspended after 105 kits delivered

including two Mi-35 helicopters delivery
trade-in deal (18 earlier delivered Su-30Ks returning back to Russia)
no data available
1995
1995
1998
19971998
2004
N/A
N/A
N/A
1997
20022004
1999
N/A
20042014
3,3
2007
20082009
N/A
N/A
2003
2003
20082009
20082009
20072008
1,8
0,2**
N/A
0,9
All data and figures are based on

information published in Russias
and foreign mass media
19
SUKHOI JETS
Sergey Krivchikov
IN ASIA
Su-30MKI in service
with Indian Air Force,
February 2007
Su-30MKK of the first batch

delivered to PLAAF in 20002001
KnAAPO
Tske-off's archive
Another Su-30MK2 just arrived in Vietnam,

November 2004
20
www.take-off.ru
KnAAPO
Su-27SK fighter in service

with Vietnamese Air Force
sinodefence.com
Chinese Su-27SK and J-11

locally assembled fighters
Andrey Fomin
Su-30MKM of the Royal Malaysian Air Force,

December 2007. Delivery of the whole batch
of 18 fighters is to be finished by 2008 end
www.take-off.ru
KnAAPO
Su-30MK in service with Indonesian Air Force, September 2003.

Six more Su-30MK2 and Su-27SKM fighters are to be delivered to Indonesia in 2008-2009
21
Sukhoi
contracts and deliveries | project
Su-35
TWO PROTOTYPES UNDER TESTS!
The second prototype of the advanced Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter completed its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur,
Russias Far East, on 2 October 2008, controlled by the Sukhoi design bureaus test pilot Sergey Bogdan, an Honoured Test
Pilot of the Russian Federation. The mission lasted about an hour. Sergey Bogdan tested the operation of fighters powerplant
and fly-by-wire system in various modes, examined its stability and controllability and became completely satisfied with the
aircrafts performance. It means that already two Su-35 prototypes are undergoing flight tests now with the third one to join
them soon. The first Su-35 aircraft made its maiden flight earlier this year, on 19 February, and have successfully fulfilled
more than 40 test sorties by the beginning of October. Joining the second flying prototype to flight test programme
Andreyenables
FOMIN
to fasten Su-35s testing process that is to be completed in a couple of years. According to Sukhoi, the full-rate production of
the cutting-edge 4++ generation fighter and its deliveries to both domestic and foreign users are slated for 2011. The Su-35
entering service will bolster the national defence capability and enable Sukhoi to remain competitive on the global market until
its fifth-generation fighter becomes ready for deliveries, Sukhois press release emphasises.
Our magazine has covered the Su-35s
features in detail (see Take-off, June 2007,
p. 4653). Therefore, let us only touch on
its principal features setting it apart from
other aircraft of the Su-27/Su-30 family
being popular on global market and on the
programme progress over the past year.
Mention should be made outright that
the differences are far more numerous than
meets the eye, with the Su-35 resembling
the usual Su-27 and Su-30MK in outward
appearance only. Virtually all elements of
its structure, systems, powerplant, avionics
and weapons suites have been modified
with an extensive use of design solutions
borrowed from the current fifth-generation
fighter development programme. This is a
reason for calling the Su-35, essentially, an
all-new aircraft.
22
The airframe was modified heavily to

meet the requirements for the assigned life
extension up to 6,000 flying hours, service life
extension up to 30 years, an increase in the
fuel load and introduction of latest aircraft
and avionics systems. The fuselage, wing and
empennage basic components were reinforced
to this end in the first place. The introduction
of the advanced Tikhomirov-NIIPs Irbis-E
radar and mid-air refuelling system resulted
in a modified design and layout of the forward
fuselage. The aft-cockpit avionics bay was
shortened, and the remaining volume now
houses an extra fuel cell. The upper surface of
the fuselage centre section lacks the air brake,
with his job now being handled by differentially
operated rudders. The rudders were enlarged
and now have the vertical trailing edge, while
the tail tips are made of metal.
The central and side tail booms have

extra room to house fuel. The fuel load
grew by more than 2 t, totalling 11,500 kg.
In addition, the Su-35 is the first in the
Flanker family able to carry two drop tanks
2,000 litres each. Another first for the aircraft
of the type is the Aerosila TA14-130-35
gas-turbine auxiliary power unit (APU) in
the fuselage tail section (previously, each
engine had had a starter APU of its own).
The TA14-130-35 is designed to start the
engines and provide power supply and air
conditioning of the equipment and cockpit
during maintenance autonomously. The
fighter also has an integral oxygen generation
unit to enhance its self-contained operation
capabilities. To reduce its radar signature,
the aircraft makes an extensive use of
radio-absorbing materials, and the cockpit
www.take-off.ru
canopy has electro-conductive coating.

Wrapping up this outline of the basic airframe
modifications, mention should be made of
the total revamping of numerous antennas
on the fuselage, wings and empennage due
to the introduction of advanced avionics.
An important feature distinguishing the Su-35
from the previous aircraft of the Su-27 family is
its NPO Saturn 117S engines, which thrust
has grown by 2,000 kg and assigned life has
increased up to 4,000 flying hours. The engines
are fitted with an integrated digital control
system and swivelling nozzles embodying the
all-aspect thrust vector control concept.
The fighter carries a radically advanced
digital integrated quadruple-redundant
control system KSU-35 from Avionika
company. It allows both manual and
automatic control of the aircraft in all axes,
ensures the fighters stability, controllability
and centre of gravity, controls the swivelling
nozzles, ensures supermanoeuvrability, flight
conditions constrains, aircraft control while
on the ground, and wheel braking.
By the way the Su-35s primary difference
from the earlier Su-27 derivatives is its
new-generation avionics suite. Let us
underline once again the advantages furnished
by the fighters cutting-edge Irbis-E phased
www.take-off.ru
ev
Alexey Mikhey
Andrey FOMIN
array radar with additional

hydraulic steering from Tikhomirov-NIIP.
The radar guarantees lookup acquisition
and lock-on at a range of 200 km (170 km
in the lookdown mode) and features an
unrivalled range in a more narrow coverage
sector of 100 sq.deg., spotting airborne
threats with the 3 sq.m radar cross-section
at the record-breaking 350400 km range.
The Irbis-E tracks up to 30 targets in the
track-while-scan mode and can engage
eight of them at the same time. It acquires
surface targets at a range of 400 km. Its
electro-hydraulic actuator steering the array
in azimuth and roll allowes a considerable
coverage sector increase in azimuth up to
120 deg., with all advantages of electronic
scanning retained.
The second information channel of the
Su-35s fire control system the infrared

search and track (IRST) sensor uses targets
IR signature to acquire and track them at
a range of 90 km in the pursuit mode. The
IRST ranges aerial and surface targets with its
integral laser rangefinder at 20 km and 30 km
respectively. In addition, the IRST can be used
to paint ground targets for laser beam-riding
missiles. A surveillance/targeting optronic
pod will provide the fighter with even greater
capabilities in the lookdown mode and in the
navigation and piloting roles.
The Su-35 has a drastically different
cockpit management system. The 30x20 deg.
wide-angle head-up display (HUD) and two
large 15 colour LCDs on the instrument
panel display all data the pilot needs to fly
the fighter and use its weapons. The aircraft
is controlled by means of the joystick-type
control stick, pedals and strain-gauge throttles.
23

KSU-35 three-channel digital
fly-by-wire system actuator
Sukhoi Su-35
multirole
fighter
Drawing by Alexey Mikheyev
TA14-130-35 APU
Strengthened
airframe with
increased service life
Rudder of enlarged area

also used as an air brake
NPO Saturn 117S turbofans

with more power, increased
service life and TVC
New fin tip

made of metal
Formation flight lights
New RWR/elint
system aerial
RVV-AE
medium-range AAM
R-73E
close-range AAM
New RWR/elint
system
New ECM system pod
KAB-500Kr
TV-guided bomb
KAB-1500Kr
TV-guided bomb
B-8M1 rocket pod
S-8 rocket
KAB-500S-E
GPS/GLONASS-guided bomb
24
www.take-off.ru

Increased internal fuel cell
New navigation and

communication systems
modules
R-27ER1 semiactive radar-homing

medium-range AAM
RVV-AE active radar

homing medium-range AAM
R-27ET1 heat-seaking
medium-range AAM
Canopy with
electro-conductive
coating
K-36D-3,5E
ejection seat
Kh-31A/P antiship/
anti-radiation ASM
New 'glass cockpit' with

two 15'' LCDs and a new
wide-angle HUD
Refuelling probe
OLS-35 optronic
system
GSh-301
cannon
Irbis-E
phased-array radar
Strengthened
landing gear
30mm rounds for
GSh-301 cannon
S-108 communication
suite forward aerial
KAB-500L
Kh-29T TV-guided
short-range ASM
KAB-500LG
laser-homing bomb
3M-14AE/3M-54AE1
active radar-homing
long-range ASM
Kh-59MK
active radar-homing ASM
www.take-off.ru
25

All key system and weapon controls are on the
stick and throttles in line with the HOTAS
concept. There is a helmet-mounted target
designator at the pilots disposal. To reduce
the workload on the pilot, his information
support involves the so-called dark cockpit
approach, with prompting messages issued
to him in an emergency only. Piloting and
navigating are made much easier owing to
a precision laser strapdown inertial/satellite
navigation system, digital moving terrain map
and radio-technical navaids. The Su-35s
BINS-SP inertial/satellite navigation system
was developed by the Moscow Institute of
Electromechanics and Automation in
cooperation with other members of the
Aviapribor-holding company. Several
other navaids and the display system were
developed by the Ramenskoye Instrument
Design Bureau and other members of the
Technocomplex scientific production centre.
The S-108 communications suite from

the Nizhny Novgorod-based Polyot
company includes two UHF/VHF radios
and a short-wave one and Link-16 datalink
capability. The S-108 allows voice and data
communication between the aircraft and
ground control stations, among aircraft
within a mixed package, etc. Automatic
data swapping is exercised through the
radios channels with both voice and data
communications being encrypted.
The Su-35 is very capable in battle
owing to its sophisticated electronic
warfare
suite
comprised
by
an
individual/mutual protection active
electronic countermeasures (ECM) system
and a group protection ECM system (at the
customers request), an antiradiation missile
targeting system, radar and laser warning
receivers, a missile attack warning system and
chaff/flare dispensers.
Along with the existing guided and

non-guided weapons used by the Su-30MK
and Su-27SM, the Su-35s weapons suite is
to be beefed up with latest precision-guided
munitions under development by the
Tactical Missiles Corp. and Novator design
bureau, including advanced long-range
air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. The
Su-35s maximum payload on 12 hardpoints
accounts for 8,000 kg.
The first Su-35 prototype designated
Su-35-1 and given side number 901 was
built by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft
Production Association (KnAAPO) in
summer 2007. In August, it was ferried to
the Gromov LII Flight Research Institute
in the town of Zhukovsky, Moscow
Region, where it was unveiled during
the MAKS 2007 air show (see Take-off,
November 2007, p. 14). Right on the heels
of the show, Sukhoi and its subcontractors
New weapons for advanced Sukhoi fighters

In early June, the Tactical Missiles Corp.
launched a campaign to promote a
number of latest air-launched guided
missiles on the market. The weapons
promoted include the new-generation
Kh-38ME air-launched modular guided
missile and several heavy upgrades,
including the Kh-58UShKE antiradiation
missile equipped with a wideband passive
radar homer, Kh-59MK2 air-launched
guided missile with a self-contained
target area recognition capability and
KAB-1500LG-F-E laser beam-riding
smart bomb. All these weapons will be
incorporated in Su-35s weapon suite
being available for other new Russias
combat aircraft as well.
Tactical Missiles Corp. unites most of Russian
developers of precision guided munitions for the
Russian and foreign militaries. The corporations
subsidiaries are the manufacturers of both all
up-to-date Russian air-to-air guided missiles
carried by fighters (R-73E dogfight missile,
various variants of the RVV-AE and R-27
medium-range missiles and R-33E long-range
missile from the Vympel design bureau) and
a wide range of tactical air-to-surface guided
missiles (Kh-25M short-range missile family
from the corporations head plant, Kh-29L/T
short-range missile from the Vympel design
bureau, Kh-25MP and Kh-31P antiradiation
missiles from the head plant and Kh-58E
from Raduga, Kh-31A and Kh-35E antiship
missiles from the head plant and Kh-59MK
from Raduga, etc.) and also a whole family
of KAB-500 and KAB-1500 smart bombs
with various guidance packages from Region
company.
26
Yevgeny YEROKHIN
The performance of the missiles is on a

par with those of advanced Western designs,
however, to meet market requirements better
and enhance the effectiveness of upgraded and
cutting-edge aircraft, Tactical Missiles Corp.s
have been for several years both developing
radically novel guided weapon types and
modernising the existing missiles and guided
bombs heavily. The efforts have been under
way under the Comprehensive Air-Launched
Weapon Development Programme devised
by Tactical Missiles Corp. in 2006, the
corporations President Boris Obnosov said
during the MAKS 2007 air show last August.
Among the latest designs from Tactical
Missiles Corp., the family of new-generation
Kh-38ME modular multirole short-range
air-to-surface missiles under development by
the corporations head plant that are designed
to kill a wide range of armoured, hard and soft
single and multiple ground targets and surface
threats in the littorals as well. The model line

includes four basic versions with combined
guidance systems: Kh-38MLE (with INS and
semiactive laser homing head), Kh-38MKE
(with INS and satnav update capability),
Kh-38MTE (with INS and heat-seeker), and
Kh-38MAE (with INS and active radar homer).
Over time, the Kh-38ME variants are to oust the
corporations existing versions of the Kh-25M
and Kh-29 missiles from Russian warplanes
weapons suites. In terms of the dimensions, the
new weapon is to occupy a niche between them,
with the Kh-38MEs launch weight to equal
520 kg. Its 250kg warhead is to have various
types of payload. The missile measures 4.2 m in
length and 310 mm in diameter. Its maximum
firing range will be 40 km.
Another Tactical Missiles Corp. novelty is
the Kh-59MK2 medium-range air-to-surface
missile being derived by the Raduga JSC from
the Kh-59MK radar homing antiship missile.
www.take-off.ru
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Kh-38ME

been rolled out for its first taxiing. Following
a series of tests on the runway, including
high-speed taxiing, the methodological
council allowed its first flight, and Sukhoi
design bureau test pilot Sergey Bogdan took
the Su-35-1 to the skies for the first time
at 11.25 hours on 19 February. Another
Sukhoi fighter, the Su-30MK2 side number
502 two-seater, accompanied the new
aircraft. During the flight at altitudes up to
5,000 m, operation of key systems, stability,
controllability and powerplant operation
were tested. Sergey Bogdan landed safely
55 minutes after the takeoff. According
to Sukhoi, the tasks assigned for the first
mission were fulfilled. By the early October,
the Su-35-1 successfully fulfilled more
than 40 test flights with the most of its
performances approved.
The second flying prototype, the
Su-35-2 with side number 902, became
ready to join flight tests by early autumn.

Its maiden flight took place on 2
October at the KnAAPOs airfield in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur with the Sukhois
test pilot Sergey Bogdan under controls.
Su-35-2 became the first aircraft of the
type to be fitted with advanced Irbis-E
phased array radar. The next prototype,
Su-35-4, is under construction by
KnAAPO now to join the test programme
in early 2009.
The Su-35 test programme is slated for
completion by 20102011 when KnAAPO
will launch the full-rate production
of aircraft of the type. Sukhoi Director
General Mikhail Pogosyan told the media,
Deliveries of Su-35s to the Russian Air
Force will begin in 2011. We also are going
to promote the fighter on our traditional
markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, the
Middle East and South America.
The Kh-59MK2 can be used in any season,

under the 10-3105 lux condition and in any
terrain. The weapon is designed to kill a wide
range of static ground targets with known
coordinates, including those with no radar,
infrared and optical signatures. The missile is a
fire-and-forget weapon reliant on autonomous
target area identification. The low-altitude
route is downloaded to the missile together
with its mission. The Kh-59MK2s navigation
and self-contained control system is wrapped
around the strapdown inertial navigation system,
satnav receiver and optronic system. It provides
a circular error probable (CEP) of 35 m. The
Kh-59MK2 will have a launch weight of up to
900 kg, with the weight of the penetrator-type
or cluster bomb warheads to be 320 kg and
283 kg respectively. The missile is 5.7 m long,
with its diameter measuring 380 mm (nose
section 420 mm) and its wingspan standing
at 1.3 m. The maximum range is estimated at
285 km. The weapon can be fired within the
20011,000m altitude bracket with the launch
platform travelling at a speed of Mach 0.50.9.
The target aspect angle at launch may be up to
45 deg. After launch, the Kh-59MK2 will fly
at a speed of 9001,050 km/h and at an altitude
of 50300 m depending on the relief.
The advanced Raduga Kh-58UShKE
antiradiation missile, which full-scale
mockup was unveiled at MAKS 2007, differs
from the known Kh-58E and Kh-58UShE
missiles in a new folding wing. The pop-up
wing enables the weapon to be launched
from both external weapon stores of the
existing fighters and internal weapons bays
of future combat aircraft. The Kh-58UShKE
carries a wideband passive radar homing head
operating in the A, A, B, B and C bands and
a navigation/autonomous guidance system
based on the strapdown navigation system.

The missile is designed to eliminate ground
radars operating in pulse radiation mode
in the 1.211GHz band and in continuous
radiation mode in the A band. The missile
can be launched at both pre-programmed
and pop-up radar targets. The Kh-58UShKE
has a launch weight of 650 kg, with its HE
warhead weighing 149 kg. The weapon is
4.19 m in length and 380 mm in diameter,
and its wing span measures 0.8 m. In case of
internal carriage, the lateral dimension of the
missile with the wings and empennage folded
drop to 0.4x0.4 m. When launched from
underwing hardpoints at an altitude 200
20,000 m, the missile has a maximum range
of 76245 km. The minimum range in case
of the 200m altitude launch is 1012 km,
with the aircraft flying as fast as Mach 1.5
and the target aspect angle at launch being
up to 15 deg. The solid-propellant motor
accelerates the weapon to 4,200 km/h, or

almost 1,200 m/s.
Tactical Missiles Corp. recently also
provided information on an advanced 1,500kg
guided bomb, the KAB-1500LG-F-E with
the gyro-stabilised laser homing head (its
predecessor, the KAB-1500L, mounts the
so-called feathering gimballed laser homer).
The 1,525kg bomb with the 1,170kg HE warhead
(HE fill weighs 440 kg) is reported to be designed
for eliminating stationary surface pinpoint
targets (reinforced-concrete shelters, railway
and motorway bridges, military and industrial
installations, ships, ammunition dumps, rail
junctions, etc.). The CEP is 47 m. The bomb
is 4.28 m long and 580 mm in diameter with the
0.85m and 1.3m wing span in the folded-wing
and extended-wing configurations respectively.
The KAB-1500LG-F-E is released from an
altitude ranging from 1 km to 8 km at the
carriers speed from 550 to 1,100 km/h.
www.take-off.ru
Yevgeny Yerokhin
launched the planned preparations for

the Su-35s maiden flight. Efforts were
mostly focused on debugging its advanced
integrated flight control system and ground
tests of other sophisticated equipment.
Concurrently, a test programme was being
run on the 117S engines intended to power
the Su-35 on its maiden mission. The
whole prototype batch passed the set of
tests. The batch consisted of the 117S-01
used in special trials in support of the
Su-35s fight flight; the 117S-02 used
in gas-dynamic stability and endurance
tests; the 117S-03 tested on the Su-27M
(T10M-10) flying testbed; and the fourth
and fifth prototypes (117S-04 and -05)
delivered to KnAAPO and mounted on
the Su-35-1 last spring following their rig
tests.
By mid-February, the ground tests of the
avionics had been over, and the fighter had
Kh-58UShKE
27
contracts and deliveries | report

As is known, the Indian Navys
Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, once overhauled and upgraded, will be able to carry
and operate advanced MiG-29K and
MiG-29KUB multirole fighters whose first
production batch is being made by MiG
Corp.s production centre in Lukhovitsy
(Moscow Region). Todays MiG-29K
and MiG-29KUB fighters are heavily
upgraded versions of the MiG-29K carrierborne fighter tested on board the Tbilisi
through-deck cruiser (Russias only current
carrier designated as Admiral Kuznetsov
now) in the Black Sea in 198991. The
aircraft did not enter the inventory then,
but displayed high accuracy of landing
on arrestors during the trials. Therefore,
when devising the upgrades for the former
Admiral Gorshkov carrier for the Indian
Navy, designers decided to fit her deck with
three sets of arresting gear (instead of the
four fitting the Admiral Kuznetsov).
In accordance with the performance specification, advanced arrestors developed and
produced by the Proletarsky Zavod plant in
St. Petersburg should undergo ground tryout on
Victor DRUSHLYAKOV
Photos by the author
MiG-29K BACK AT NITKA

Vikramadityas arresting gear kicks off trials in Crimea
On 1 September, the Crimea-based Nitka training facility saw the kick-off of tests of the first arrestor designed to fit the
Vikramaditya aircraft carrier, with the Sevmash company in Severodvinsk working on it under the Russian-Indian Admiral
Gorshkov aircraft carrier overhaul and upgrade contract on order by the Indian Navy. The MiG-29K prototype serialled 312
had arrived from Russia to test the first arresting gear at the Nitka facility in the Crimea-based Saki airbase. A Take-off
correspondent covered the tests.
an aircraft before being fitted to the carrier. To

this end, a decision was taken to use MiG-29K
No 312 that used to fly from the Tbilisi and now
being used by MiG Corp. under the Indian
MiG-29K/KUBs test programme. The task
can be fulfilled only at the Nitka facility situated in the Crimea and owned by the Ukrainian
Defence Ministry. For this purpose, Russian
state-owned company Rosoboronexport and
Ukraines Ukroboronservice made a contract
on organising and conducting the trials of
advanced arrestors.
This summer, the first arrestor was
brought by train to the Crimea and assembled at Nitka. MiG-29K side number 312
controlled by MiG Corp. chief test pilot
Pavel Vlasov arrived in mid-August. Against
the backdrop of the conflict in the Caucasus
and the growing tension concerning the
Sevastopol-based Russian Black Sea Fleet,
the trials at Nitka could have been disrupted, but, nonetheless, did take place, albeit
after a delay.
28
On 1 September, the MiG-29K controlled by MiG Corp. test pilot Mikhail

Belyayev completed its first roll onto the
new arrestor and snagging of its cable with
the hook. Several days later, following a
number of snaggings, during which the
fighters weight and speed varied and the
manufacturing plants engineers debugged
the arresting gear, the work was continued by MiG Corp. test pilot Nikolay
Diorditsa who had had a wealth of Admiral
Kuznetsov landing experience dating back
to the trials of the Sukhoi Su-33 carrierborne fighter.
The Nitka training facilitys experienced
top-notch staff led by Alexander Pleshkov
has provided invaluable assistance in preparing and conducting of the tests of the
advanced arrestors. Those specialists have
for years been supporting the training
of the pilots of the 279th Independent
Carrierborne Fighter Air Regiment of the
Russian Navys Northern Fleet.
Northern Fleet pilots were supposed to

begin another training session at Nitka in
August. They were gearing up for hopping
in their Su-33s and Su-25UTGs to the
Crimea and the advance party of ground
crews flew in from Severomorsk on board
an An-12 airlifter. However, another deterioration of the Russian-Ukrainian relations due to the problem of basing of the
Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, coupled
this time with the crisis in South Ossetia
and Ukraines whole-hearted support of
Georgia, Ukrainian leadership at the last
moment took a political decision not to
allow Russian naval pilots to the Crimea. On
9 August, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
issued a statement calling Russia pilots
training in the Crimea inexpedient in a
situation like that. In all probability, Kiev
must have decided that Russian carrierborne
fighters arriving to Nitka, naturally, without
any weapons would hamper the prevention of the return of the Russian warships
www.take-off.ru
contracts and deliveries | report
then third arrestors. The process will take

some time and will be followed by testing
new MiG-29Ks and MiG-29KUBs at the
Nitka ground facility, flight training of the
lead-in team of Indian pilots and, after the
Vikramaditya puts out to sea, first arrested
landings on and ramp-assisted takeoffs
from the upgraded carrier.
www.take-off.ru
Yevgeny Sholkov
to Sevastopol, conceived by Ukraine. The

decision remained unchanged irrespective
of the advance payment for using the facility this year, which, according to the RIA
Novosti news agency, had been made, with
the total payment to be to the tune of $17
million. As a result, the Severomorsk-based
naval pilots got no training at the ground
training facility this year due to the decision
of Ukrainian leaders, as they did two years
ago. For this reason, they had to refresh
their deck landing and takeoff skills on
board the Admiral Kuznetsov, which could
not but complicate the training of rookies.
However, let us get back to the September
tests at Nitka, which did take place, unlike
the naval pilots training derailed by
Ukraines demarche. Following two weeks
of tests, including those involving the
MiG-29K No 312, the first arresting gear
was dismounted and shipped to Sevmash
for installation on board the Vikramaditya.
It will be succeeded by the second and
Specialists of Nitka facility,

Proletarsky Zavod plant,
Sevmash plant and MiG Corp., who took
part in Vikramaditya's arrestor tests.
MiG Corp.'s test pilot Nikolay Diorditsa
is the fifth from right
29
industry | news
and abroad (foreign lessees could

include Iran and Latin American
countries).
As far as the current Tu-204
production programme is concerned,
UACs head Alexey Fyodorov said
that the 2008 plan provides for
Aviastar-SP to make seven airliners
two Tu-204-300s for Vladivostok Avia
and five Tu-204-100Vs for Airlines 400
also known as Red Wings.
Alexey Fyodorov also spoke about
the prospect of manufacture of the
Tu-204 family. Once the upgraded
Tu-204-100SM has been certificated
and its production has been

launched, all aircraft newly built by
the plants in Ulyanovsk and Kazan
will be made in a commonised variant
(today, Kazan-made Tu-214s feature
a number of substantial differences
from Ulyanovsk-built Tu-204s),
with all passenger versions to be
made by Aviastar-SP alone while
KAPO will manufacture only special
variants under the governmental
procurement programme. KAPO
also will make wings for all aircraft
of the type being assembled both by
it and by Aviastar-SP.
As far as the Tu-204 is concerned,
UAC pins great hopes on the
so-called Iranian contract. According
to Alexey Fyodorov, the current
plans provide for Iranian carriers
to receive in the upcoming 10 years
advanced medium-haul aircraft with
a total capacity of 20,000 seats, with
the bulk of them to be made in Iran.
Talks on Tu-204 delivery and licence
production have been under way for
quite a while and have reached the
decisive stage recently, with a draft
contract submitted to the Iranians,
according to Fyodorov. Thus, UAC
may be looking at about a hundred
Tu-204-100SMs to be built by
Aviastar-SP and licence-produced
by the HESA plant in Isfahan.
to make the wing and empennage

all-composite. As to the use of
composites as part of the fuselage,
the issue is being pondered and
will have been decided on before the
third gate, i.e. the preliminary design
approval stage.
Irkut launches the MC-21
preliminary design work late this
year. The preliminary design stage is
supposed to last throughout 2009.
Andrey Matveyev believes the

MC-21 programme may become
international. In such case it could
be joined by the aircraft industry
of China that is running a large
passenger aircraft programme of its
own. However, Russia will remain
the MC-21s systems integrator in
any case, Matveyev thinks, with
Irkut to remain the prime contractor
under the programme.
This summer, Alexander Rubtsov

and Alexey Fyodorov, the leaders of
the Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC) and
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)
respectively, signed an agreement
on IFCs acquisition of a large batch
of advanced Tupolev Tu-204-100SM
airliners to be built by UACs
Aviastar-SP plant.
Under the agreement signed on
15 July during the Farnborough air
show, IFC in 201012 is to buy
31 such aircraft for the tune of
about $1.5 billion in list prices for
subsequent lease to air carriers.
The Tu-204-100SM will differ from
the current-production Tu-204 in
an upgraded Russian-made avionics
suite meeting all current and future
navigation accuracy and flight safety
standards and enabling the aircraft
to be flown by a crew of two pilots
(the so-called twin-member flight
crew). In addition, the aircraft will
be powered by advanced PS-90A2
engines being developed by Perm
Motors assisted by Pratt&Whitney.
The aircraft ordered will also mount
a new digital air conditioning system
and electric drives of the wing
high-lift devices. Other systems
Andrey Fomin
IFC orders large batch of Tu-204s from UAC
of the Tu-204-100SM will be

upgraded as well, which will boost
its consumer properties by far. The
updated airliners certification trials
are slated for completion by 2010.
The agreement signed by the two
companies also makes provision for
30 options for IFC during 201012.
According to IFC Director
General
Alexander
Rubtsov
speaking at the signing ceremony,
all Tu-204-100SMs ordered have
already been earmarked for specific
buyers and will be delivered to
IFCs customers both in Russia
In September, Irkut Corp.s MC-21

prospective short/medium-haul
airliner passed a key stage the
conceptual design approval stage
also known as the second gate. Not
long before, during the Farnborough
air show, the developer had shared
some details on the status of the
programme in the course of Irkuts
news conference.
UAC leader Alexey Fyodorov
said at Farnborough that the
programmes worth was estimated
at 150 billion rubles (about $6
billion), half of which is to be
provided by the government. The
sum does not include the costs of
developing the engine to power the
MC-21. According to Yakovlev Chief
Designer Andrey Matveyev, who is
dual-hatted as Irkuts vice-president
for the MC-21 programme, tenders
for a powerplant and equipment for
the new airliner will be issued this
30
Andrey Fomin
MC-21 clearing second gate
autumn right after the conceptual

design has been approved. The
tender on the MC-21s engine is
to be completed by next summer:
Matveyev promised to announce its
results at the Le Bourget air show in
June 2009.
The MC-21 is to feature a lot
of composite materials as part of
its design. According to Andrey
Matveyev, a decision has been taken
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
The Sukhoi SuperJet 100

regional airliner is getting ready for
certification tests. The president of
the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company
(SCAC), Victor Subbotin, said at the
Farnborough air show in July that
the SuperJet 100s certification tests
were to kick off in earnest in August
or September this year after the first
flying prototype (No. 95001) had
flown from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to
Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region.
As of 14 July, the SuperJet
100s first flying prototype had
logged 12 flights totalling more
than 30 flying hours under the
development flight test programme
in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. According
to Subbotin, the takeoff weight
of the aircraft varied from 35 t to
40 t during the test flights at an
altitude of up to 3,000 m and at a
speed of 680 km/h, with maximum
individual flight duration standing
at 4 hr 10 min. However, as of
early October, the aircraft remained
in Komsomolsk-on-Amur where
it completed its 22nd sortie on
30 September. The delay of the
certification tests is attributed to
the need to debug the brand-new
SaM146 engine being co-developed
for the SuperJet 100 by Russias NPO
Saturn and French Snecma. This is
believed to have been the reason for
a brief lull in the development flight
tests of the first SuperJet 100s and a
delay in the second flying prototype
joining the trials.
In Farnborough, Victor Subbotin
said that the SuperJet 100s
certification was to be completed
in mid-2009 and its deliveries to
begin in September 2009, with the
aircraft first to be certificated under
the Russian and EU airworthiness
rules and then under US ones. The
four flying prototypes are to enter
the certification trials gradually (one
more is to be used for endurance
tests), with all four SuperJet 100s
to fly before year-end 2008. In this
connection, the companys flight
service started converting additional
aircrew to fly the prototypes: Nikolay
Pushenko first flew a SuperJet on
29 June and Leonid Chikunov first
flew in the SuperJet left pilots seat
on 2 July.
www.take-off.ru
Marina Lystseva
Sukhoi SuperJet 100 to begin certification tests
Under a revised schedule as of

early October, the second flying
prototype (No. 95003) is to enter
the trials in October, the third one
(No. 95004) in December and the
fourth one (No. 95005) in January
2009. The second non-flying
prototype (No. 95006) will be made
and subjected to endurance tests at
the same time. In this situation, the
SuperJet will hardly obtain its type
certificate until later next year, and
its delivery to its launch customer
is unlikely to commence until late
2009 or early 2010.
At the same time, NPO Saturn
believes the SaM146s debugging
is running on schedule agreed
with SCAC. As of 20 September,
SaM146 engines had powered the
SuperJet 100 in flight 21 times,
having logged over 60 flight hours
as well as over 52 flight hours on
board the Il-76LL flying testbed.
The SaM146s total operation
time, including its rig tests, had
accounted for 1,617 hr by the date.
November is to see the beginning
of the SaM146s flight tests second
stage on the Il-76LL, during which
the FADEC systems software
will be tested in the first place.
Concurrently, TsAGI will continue
testing the static-test SuperJet 100
prototype (No. 95002) in support of
launching the certification trials.
Each of the flying prototypes plays
a part of its own in the certification
test programme. The first and
second flying prototypes will be used
mostly for gauging the flight, takeoff/

landing, stability, controllability and
strength characteristics. They also
will be used in the most hazardous
tests involving high-alpha and stall
flying and assessment of aeroelastic
stability and flutter safety. The third
and fourth flying prototypes are
designed, in the first place, for testing
the avionics and cabin equipment,
in particular, for demonstrating
emergency passenger evacuation
procedures. In addition, they will
be used for proving the operational
performance category and declared
environmental noise.
Under the certification test
programme, the four aircraft are
to make more than 600 flights
preceded by brief (1040 flights
for each aircraft) development
tests at SCACs flight-test station in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
It is important that KnAAPO,
NAPO and VASO plants have started
making parts for the first production
aircraft without waiting for the
certification tests to begin: KnAAPO
in June launched the assembly of
the wing centre section of the first
production SuperJet 100 that will
become the seventh aircraft of the
family.
By mid-summer, SCAC had 73
firm orders for the advanced airliner.
Some more new orders were
announced during the Farnborough
air show in July. On 15 July,
SCAC and Perm-based Avialeasing
company went into a preliminary
agreement on 40 SuperJet 100s

worth a total of more than $630
million. Under the agreement,
Avialeasing is to make 24 firm
orders and have 16 options. SCAC
President Victor Subbotin said in
Farnborough, the fundamentals
of the contract have been agreed
on, and SCAC and Avialeasing are
going to sign it in the near future.
Construction of the aircraft intended
for Avialeasing is to start in 2011.
According to Subbotin, Avialeasing
plans to lease them to the UTair
carrier that is holding a tender
now for regional aircraft to replace
the Tu-134s it is discarding from
service. However, if UTair does not
select the SuperJet 100, opting for
the An-148, Embraer or Bombardier
airliners instead, Avialeasing will
offer the SuperJet 100s it buys from
SCAC to other carriers.
On 16 July, the SuperJet
International joint venture, which
had been established for selling the
advanced Russian regional jet on the
global market and providing it with
logistic support, and Swiss leasing
firm AMO signed an agreement for
five SuperJet 100s to the tune of
$150 million. SuperJet International
also announced a firm contract with
an unnamed European customer for
20 more airliners worth a total of
$600 million or so. Deliveries to
AMO will kick off in 2011. According
to the Kommersant daily, the
unnamed European customer may
be Icelandic airline IcelandAir.
31
industry | news
UACs second subsidiary registered

The legal registration of the United
Aircraft Corporations (UAC) transport
aircraft division was completed on
21 August. The joint stock company
dubbed UAC Transport Aircraft
(Russian acronym OAK-TS) was set
up on the basis of the Ilyushin JSC.
Ilyushin Director General Victor
Livanov, who had been appointed
UACs vice-president for transport
aircraft a month before, was
appointed Director General of the
UAC Transport Aircraft subsidiary.
The devision will deal with managing
projects on production and delivery of
ramp-fitted transports for commercial
users and the military. UAC owns the
85.93% package of the stock of the

UAC Transport Aircraft JSC.
UACs transport aircraft strategic
development goals stipulated
by the Fundamentals of the UAC
Development Strategy until 2025 are
restoration of Russias independence
in developing and manufacturing
freighter aircraft, meeting the
demand of the Russian Armed Forces
and aggressive promotion of Russian
freighters on the global aircraft
market. UAC Transport Aircraft will
work to achieve these objectives.
The product line of ramp-fitted
freighters under development,
production and upgrade by UAC
is based on implementing a
four-element baseline model
concept and comprises extra-heavy
(An-124 family), heavy (Il-76
family), medium (MTA international
programme) and light (Il-112
family) transports. UACs strategy
of development for the period until
2025 provides for Russia to retain
its 1215% share of the global
transport aircraft market.
UAC Transport Aircraft is the
second registered subsidiary of
UAC. The first one, UAC Civil
Aircraft, was established in May this
year (see Take-off, July 2008, p.18),
with UAC President/Chairman of the
Board Alexey Fyodorov appointed

Director General.
It was reported in July that there had
been other new assignments made in
UACs leadership. Tupolev President
Igor Shevchuk was appointed UAC
vice-president for long-range aircraft,
while Irkut President Oleg Demchenko
got the job of UAC vice-president for
the MC-21 programme. Shevchuk will
supervise production of long-range and
special aircraft and the corporations
further work in this field. Demchenko
will be in charge of developing and
productionising the MC-21 airliner
UACs largest-scale promising
commercial aircraft programme.
case totals 15.3 t (the aircraft can

haul 9.1 t of various weapons in its
bomb bay). The Tu-142ME has a
maximum takeoff weight of 185 t, a
cruising speed of 690705 km/h and
a low-level (4002,000 m) loitering
speed of 450 km/h. The aircraft will
have a maximum range of 9,500 km
with eight Kh-35E missies on board
and 7,500 km with six BrahMos
missiles. The loitering time at a
distance of 2,000 km away from
the air base stands at 6.77.6 hours

and that at 4,000 km away equals
1.92.2 hours.
The Tu-142MR relay aircraft
was derived from the Tu-142M by
Beriev and was in series production
by TAVIA. Several such aircraft are
operated by the naval arms of the
Northern and Pacific Fleets of the
Russian Navy. A similar aircraft
has been offered to potential
foreign customers (apparently, one
such customer is the Indian Navy
already operating Tu-142MEs).
The Tu-142MRE long-range relay
aircraft designed to maintain
communications with submerged
submarines has a maximum
takeoff weight of 184 t and a
maximum range of 12,000 km
that is extended through in-flight
refuelling. The aircraft loiters with
its antenna extended (the antenna
is several-kilometres-long cable
reeled out from a special wire reel
under the fuselage) at an altitude
of 7,5009,000 m at a speed of
550600 km/h.
Andrey Fomin

airshow in Gelendzhik in September,
Taganrog-based aircraft makers,
Beriev company and the TAVIA JCS
officially unveiled their proposals on
promoting export of upgraded naval
aviation long-range warplanes
the Tu-142ME (Tu-142MSD)
multirole patrol/ASW/strike aircraft
and
Tu-142MRE
submarine
communications relay aircraft.
Developed by the Tupolev
company and built in series by the
aircraft plant in Taganrog (now
known as TAVIA), the Tu-142M
long-range ASW aircraft is in service
with the Russian Navys air arm
in several versions, being operated
by the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
In addition, eight Tu-142ME ASW
planes were exported to India in
the later 1980s. In all probability,
32
it is them that the proposed

upgraded Tu-142ME is aimed at
(its designation is Tu-142MSD, with
SD standing for the Sea Dragon
advanced surveillance and targeting
system from Leninets company),
being designed for seeking,
tracking and sinking submarines,
killing surface and littoral targets
with antiship missiles, refuelling
other aircraft in midair, conducting
MASINT, patrolling and observing
the national littoral area, fulfilling
environment-protection
sea
monitoring, etc. A new avionics suite
and a new antiship guided weapons
suite are the principal features of
the new aircraft version that carries
eight Kh-35E or six Russian-Indian
BrahMos antiship missiles under
wing on four double hardpoints.
The Tu-142MEs combat load in this
Andrey Fomin
Tu-142s upgraded in Taganrog
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
MiG-AT prototype No. 823 (side

number 83) with one of its organic
French-made Larzac engines had
been replaced with an advanced
NPO Saturn AL-55I completed its
maiden flight from LIIs airfield in
Zhukovsky (Moscow Region) on
28 July. The plane was flown by MiG
Corp. test pilot Oleg Antonovich.
On the 31-min maiden mission at
an altitude of up to 3,000 m and at a
speed of up to 610 km/h, Antonovich
tested the powerplant in various
modes. According to MiG Corp.
Chief Designer MiG-AT programme
manager Vassily Shtykalo, the AL-55I
operated smoothly and proved all of
manufacturers performance rating,
the aircraft systems worked like
clockwork too and the mission task
was fulfilled.
The first stage of the AL-55I
flight test programme implies
30 test flights on MiG-AT No. 823.
According to NPO Saturns
spokesperson, six missions had

been flown by 19 August, during
which the AL-55Is start-up at
various altitudes and its operation
in various modes, including in the
negative g-load mode, were tested.
The test missions were flown on
both engines and on the AL-55I
alone. With the Larzac running,
the AL-55I was used for start-up
tests in autorotation mode. The
AL-55I proved the manufacturers
performance rating in all operating
modes. Test pilot Oleg Antonovich
specifically
mentioned
the
excellent controllability of the new
engine.
The AL-55I is a twin-shaft turbofan
with the subsonic non-variable-area
convergent jet nozzle. Its takeoff
thrust equals 1,760 kg. NPO Saturns
spokesperson stressed that the basic
engine core could be used to derive
a family for various applications with
a thrust varying from 1,700 to 3,500
Alexey Mikheyev
AL-55I trials on MiG-AT started
kg to be competitive on the Russian

and foreign markets.
The AL-55I is under development
on order from Indian corporation
HAL to power its HJT-36 trainers
under NPO Saturns international
contract that came in force on
1 August 2005. NPO Saturn and
UMPO joint stock companies have
teamed up on the parity basis to
productionise the prototype engine
batch, have the engine certificated
and provide its licence production in
India. The developer believes that the

success of the AL-55I engine family
development programme may lead
to fitting a Russian-made powerplant
the MiG-AT trainer now flying on
French-made engines only.
As is known, Oleg Antonovich
also has been flight-testing another
MiG-AT prototype (No. 821) since
27 June 2008 to test the TMKB-Soyuz
RD-1700 turbofan engine mounted
instead of one of its Larzacs too (see
Take-off, July 2008, p. 22).
(GLITs) in Akhtubinsk for tactical

application tests.
From August to November
2007, two Yak-130s (No. 01 and
02) were used in tests to prove
the flight performance declared.
Based on the results produced, the
Irkut corporation in last November
received the Yak-130 Preliminary
Joint Official Tests Conclusion
giving the green light to making and
delivering a first batch. Both aircraft

had been debugged from November
2007 to January 2008 to iron out the
deficiencies noted by the Air Force,
and the Yak-130 combat trainers
have been at the basic weapons
tests stage of the joint official test
programme since January this year.
To date, the stability, controllability
and flight load tests have been
completed under the Yak-130 joint
official test programme. Flights with a
maximum takeoff weight of 10,290 kg
(full fuel load and 3,000 kg of combat
load) and a maximum landing weight
of 9,000 kg (10% of fuel remaining
and 3,000 kg of bring-back load)
have been completed with success.
The fire control system of the aircraft
has been tested in full, and planned
avionics software improvements are
underway.
If all goes to plan, the Yak-130 will
have completed its basic weapons
tests stage of the joint official tests
before year-end, with deliveries of
production aircraft to the Russian
Air Force and the foreign launch
customer, the Algerian Air Force,
to begin.
Another Yak-130 enters trials
Alexey Mikheyev
Another
new-generation
Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainer
built by the Sokol plant in Nizhny
Novgorod joined the Yak-130 test
programme in July. It became the
fourth production-configuration
Yak-130 and the third aircraft of
the type participating in the test
programme (as is known, the
third Yak-130 was lost on 26 July
2006).
www.take-off.ru
Following several check test

flights in Nizhny Novgorod, the
new Yak-130 flew to the Yakovlev
design bureaus flight test facility
in Zhukovsky (Moscow Region)
on 13 August to take part in the
joint official tests, and two first
pre-production Yak-130s (No. 01
and 02) were ferried from Zhukovsky
to the proving ground of the Defence
Ministrys State Flight Test Centre
33
industry | news
Alexey Mikheyev
First Taganrog-built Be-200ChS to be ready in three years
Alexey Mikheyev
As many as two Beriev

Be-200ChS multirole amphibians
have been displayed at the recent
Gidroaviasalon 2008 air show in
Gelendzhik. One of them, RF-21512,
is owned by Beriev and was flown by
the companys test pilots. The other,
RF-32767, was displayed by the
amphibians launch customer, the
Russian Emergencies Ministry. In
all, seven Be-200 aircraft have been
built to date: two prototypes (the first
Be-200 and Be-200ChS are used by
Beriev), four production Be-200ChS
amphibians are in service with the
Emergencies Ministry and one more
Be-200ChS was delivered to the
first foreign customer, the Azeri
Emergencies Ministry, in April this
year (see Take-off, May 2008, p. 7).
All of them were made by Irkut
Corp.s aircraft plant in Irkutsk,
which is now completing two more
production amphibians ordered by
the Emergencies Ministry. However,
all subsequent aircraft of the type
34
are to be assembled by Beriev

in Taganrog with the TAVIA plant
participating.
air show, Beriev Director General
Victor Kobzev shed some light on the
transfer of the Be-200 production to
Taganrov, saying that the rigging had
been moved from Irkutsk to Taganrog
and Beriev had launched production
of parts for the initial batch of ten
Be-200s in August 2008. At the same
time, the Be-200 programme is to
retain the close cooperation with the
aircraft plant in Irkutsk, which will
keep on making wing and high-lift
device kits for all amphibians of the
type. The completion of the first
Be-200 built by Beriev in Taganrog is
slated for 2011.
Victor Kobzev estimates the total
worth of the Be-200 programmes
Irkutsk-to-Taganrog switch and
manufacture costs of the first five
Taganrog-built aircraft at 4.8 billion
rubles (about $200 million), of
which around 1.7 billion rubles ($70

million) are costs of the production
transfer proper. Vneshekonombank
will issue a loan to this end.
Construction of five more aircraft
of the Beriev-made 10-ship initial
batch will be paid with the money
earned by new contracts Beriev
is going to make with Irkut and
UAC, Berievs Director General
believes. According to Mr. Kobzev,
the government has ordered eight
more Be-200ChS amphibians for the
Emergencies Ministry in addition to
the current order for seven aircraft,
of which three are to be delivered
in the near future. Finer points of
the new contract are expected to
be hashed out by November. In
addition, maintains Kobzev, several
European countries, Greece and
Portugal in the first place, may well
order several amphibians. However,
Be-200ChS-E deliveries to Europe
will be feasible only after the EU has
certificated the amphibian, to which
Beriev attaches priority importance.

The government provides some
money to the company under
the UAC commercial aircraft
programmes to have the aircraft
certificated and develop a 68-seat
passenger and cargo variants.
Berievs head deems it possible
that the Russian Defence Ministry will
think about buying Be-200s sooner
or later. The Be-200s dimensions
are similar enough to those of the
Be-12 amphibian that used to be
used widely enough by the Navys
air arm and which production was
terminated as far back as 1973. In
Gelendzhik, Russian Navy Air and
Air Defence Deputy Commander
Maj.-Gen. Nikolay Kuklev said that
the Be-12 remained in service
with the Black Sea Fleet alone as
a nine-ship fleet, with eight aircraft
operated in the ASW role. All of
them have long needed upgrade
and their good repair leaves much
to be desired. Beriev and TAVIA
have been extending the service
life of the Be-12s, but according to
Victor Kobzev, they cannot remain
in the inventory for longer than
five to seven years in any case.
Theyve got to retire on time, he
said, otherwise their further safe
and effective operation will cost
the Navy an arm and a leg. In this
context, the Be-200 can come in
handy as a good replacement of
the venerable Be-12, even more so
that deriving the ASW and patrol
versions from the Emergencies
Ministrys Be-200ChS version
has been proposed a long time
ago. However, the Russian Navys
acquisition of Be-200s has been
barely given thought, according to
Victor Kobzev.
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industry | news
D-27A propfan engines, similar to

those powering the Antonov An-70,
and a 5,200kg Klimov RD-33AS
turbofan engine booster. Another
difference is the upgraded avionics
suite including the Sea Dragon
surveillance and targeting system,
ARIA-V flight navigation system,
etc. The A-42PE propfan-powered
model has been repeatedly
demonstrated at air shows in
Gelendzhik; however, Berievs head
Victor Kobzev said as far back
as at the previous Gidroaviasalon
show in September 2006 that the
Albatross would be given another
powerplant further down the road.
A few years back, the Defence
Ministry ordered the development
of the A-42 multirole patrol/SAR
amphibian powered by a pair of
PS-90A-42 turbofans. Replacing
the current 12,000kg D-30KPV
turbofan engines used on the A-40
prototype will improve the aircrafts
performance and increase its takeoff
weight even further. Perm Motors
has been deriving the PS-90A-42
from the PS-90A engine powering
the existing Tu-204 and Il-96 and
upgraded Il-76 airlifters.
Some details of the Defence
Ministrys plans for the future A-42
became known during this air show.
According to Maj.-Gen. Nikolay
Kuklev, Deputy Air and Air Defence
Commander, Russian Navy, who
spoke at the show, the military

anticipate the arrival of the first
A-42 already in 2010. Developing
the advanced A-42 aircraft, we
went for expanding the number
of missions the A-42 would be
able to accomplish. It has a longer
range and a longer endurance and
features a 20% increase in fuel
efficiency. Naval aviation is to
receive four A-42 amphibians prior
to 2013, of which the first one will
enter service in 2010, Maj.-Gen.
Kuklev told the RIA Novosti news
agency.
However, the general may
have been a bit too optimistic.
At least, Beriev Chief Designer
Victor Ponomaryov, who is
in charge of the A-40 and A-42
programmes, was less enthusiastic
in his estimates of the A-42s

programme schedule. Taking
the relevant question at a news
conference during Gidroaviasalon
2008, he said the programme was
at the development stage, but the
work schedule leaves much to be
desired and would be determined
by the actual funds allocated by the
customer.
The flying A-40 is used in
support of the A-42 development
programme as well. For instance,
using the Gidroaviasalon 2008 air
show for ferrying the Albatross
from Taganrog to its test and
experimental base in Gelendzhik,
Beriev had the A-40 fly several test
missions, in particular, to test the
amphibians SAR gear, right in the
course of the show.
Alexey Mikheyev
As usual, the most impressive

participant in the demonstration
flight
programme
of
the
Gidroaviasalon 2008 air show
was the prototype of the worlds
largest amphibian jet, the Beriev
A-40 Albatross, whose maximum
takeoff weight may reach 86 t. Air
shows in Gelendzhik are a reason
for maintaining the air worthiness
of the aircraft bearing side number
20 and being the second A-40
prototype made almost two decades
ago, in November 1989 (the first
A-40, side number 10, first flew
from the airfield in Taganrog on 8
December 1986 and from water
on 4 November 1988; however, it
has not flown for a long time since
then).
As far back as the later 90s,
following the high-profile sinking
of the Kursk submarine, Berievs
team was tasked with deriving a
dedicated search-and-rescue (SAR)
variant, designated as A-42, from
the A-40 amphibian. Construction of
the unfinished third A-40 prototype
was in that variant. In the mid-90s,
the programme evolved into that of
a multirole patrol/SAR amphibian
whose export designation was
A-42PE. It was to differ from the
A-40 both in the maximum takeoff
weight increased to 96 t and in
a new powerplant made up by
two 14,000hp Ivchenko-Progress
Alexey Mikheyev
Work on Beriev A-42 continues
www.take-off.ru
35
industry | news
tests are under way, in particular)

and a marketing research is being
performed. Both aircraft have
a similar configuration, differing,
essentially, in the powerplant layout
only. Both feature a tail cargo hatch
for handling various types of cargo,
including vehicles and outsize cargo.
This makes them very effective in
hauling passengers and cargo on
commuter lines.
The Be-112 is to have the
11,000 kg takeoff weight and
2,350 kg payload (27 seats with
two crew members). Its cruising
speed is 370 km/h and maximum
cruising speed is 420 km/h while
the range is 1,000 km. The Be-112
can operate from unpaved or
rolled-snow airstrips only 850
m long. Its takeoff run on water
measures 860 m and roll is 515

m, with a maximum allowed wave
height of 0.8 m. The powerplant
under consideration includes two
1,400hp PT6A-67R turboprops
mounted in the fin leading edges.
The Be-114 is twice as heavy: its
maximum takeoff weight stands at
22 t and maximum payload equals
6 t or cargo or 44 passengers.
The
amphibians
maximum
cruising speed is 530 km/h,

maximum-payload range accounts
for 1,000 km and range with a 2t
cargo is up to 4,900 km. A 1,300m
dirt or rolled-snow airstrip will be
enough for the Be-114 to operate.
It will be able to take off from water
at the wave height of 1 m. The
Be-114s powerplant is made up by
two wing-mounted TV7-117S Series
2 turboprop engines 2,800 hp each.
interest in the upgraded Be-32KM

that is just the thing for operations
at high latitudes. Beriev Director
General Victor Kobzev said in
Gelendzhik that the parties had
reached the stage of signing a
leasing agreement. Yakutias
administration and the Financial
Leasing Company (FLC) may clinch
a deal for ten Be-32KMs in the
near future. It is quite possible
that the news of the reincarnation
of Berievs half-forgotten late-60s
project will come soon.
Beriev is developing a new
fuselage nose section with composite
components to fit the upgraded

Be-32KM. In addition, the avionics
suite will be renovated through
and through. The powerplant will
consist of a pair Canadian-made
PT6A-65B turboprop engines
1,100 hp each. Depending on the
cabin layout, the aircraft seats 7
to 15 passengers with the 1+1
seating arrangement out to 1,950
km at a maximum cruising speed of
520 km/h, with the required runway
length, including unpaved runways,
being only 830 m. The Be-32KMs
takeoff weight is 7,300 kg. The
aircraft is flown by a crew of two.
Alexey Mikheyev
Beriev company continues

to develop several advanced
commercial amphibian aircraft with
the takeoff weight ranging from 1.5 t
to 22 t, such as the light four-seat
Be-101, 27-seat Be-112 and 44-seat
Be-114. Take-off learnt some details
of the programmes status during
the Gidroaviasalon 2008 air show in
Gelendzhik in September.
The Be-101 light multirole
amphibian designed for commercial
and private operation can carry a
pilot and three passengers or 225 kg
of cargo. A 310hp Teledyne IO-550N
piston engine with the MTV-9 pusher
propeller powers it. Its maximum
takeoff weight is 1,570 kg, maximum
speed 275 km/h and range up to
1,000 km. The Be-101 can operate
from both unpaved airstrips (with
run of 210 m and roll of 190 m) and
small reservoirs at least 0.9 m deep
with waves up to 0.45 m high (with
run on water of 350 m, and roll of
270 m).
According to Chief Designer
Vadim Zdanevich, manufacture
of the rigging for making the first
Be-101 is nearing completion. A
key feature of the programme is
that it is aimed, among other things,
at testing composite technologies
intended for naval aviation.
Unlike the Be-101, the Be-112
and Be-114 are still at the R&D
stage, at which the concepts of
the amphibians are being studied
(remotely controlled flying model
Andrey Fomin
Berievs new programmes
Be-32s rebirth?
It became known during
Gidroaviasalon 2008 air show that
Beriev company had resumed work
under the Be-32 light turboprop
commuter plane designed as far
back as when Georgy Beriev was still
alive (the first Be-32 of the low-rate
initial production batch made its
first flight in 1970). In its day, the
Be-32, which had passed its tests,
was sacrificed to the cooperation
policies of the Ecomcon member
states, when export of Czechoslovak
L-410 aircraft of the same purpose
to the Soviet Union started en masse
in the 70s. No work had been done
36
on the Be-32 for almost 20 years,

but an attempt to reanimate
it was made in the mid-90s by
restoring the airworthiness of the
first preproduction aircraft renamed
Be-32K (that time around, it was
fitted with Canadian PK6A-65B
engines planned for production
by a joint venture with the Klimov
company in St. Petersburg).
However, the attempt failed too.
Now, another decade and then
some later, Berievs flying minivan,
possibly, has a chance.
The administration of Yakutia,
a province of Russia, has taken
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
Alexey Mikheyev
The Kamov joint stock company a

subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters
holding company and one of the
worlds major helicopter makers
celebrated its 60th anniversary early in
October. Kamovs Executive Director
Roman Chernyshev and Designer
General Sergey Mikheyev dedicated
a news conference to the event,
during which they spoke about the
key current and future programmes of
the company.
According to Mr. Chernyshev,
roughly half of the work being handled
by Kamov deals with fulfilling orders
under the governmental defence
procurement programme. This is
mostly due to the ongoing official
joint trials of the Ka-52 advanced
combat helicopter. In June this year,
the Progress aircraft plant in the town
of Arsenyev rolled out the second
Ka-52 prototype (see Take-off, July
2008, p. 22), with the assembly of the
first production Ka-52 completed and
that of next machines continued in
September. According to Chernyshev,
the Ka-52 has been submitted for its
official trials, and its delivery under the
governmental defence procurement
programme is to launch in 2009.
Sergey Mikheyev said the talks on
export deliveries of helicopters of the
www.take-off.ru
type had been under way with several

foreign countries.
Another Kamovs military-related
line of work is the development of
an advanced shipborne helicopter.
At present, the backbone of the
shipborne helicopter fleet of the
Russian Navy and a number of foreign
navies the Indian and Chinese ones
in the first place is made up by
heavy ship-based helicopters of the
Ka-27 family (Ka-28, Ka-29, Ka-31).
However, Designer General Sergey
Mikheyev says that future ships will
need a lighter helicopters due to the
Russian Navy development tendencies,
We plan to develop a drastically novel
shipborne helicopter. It is clear that it
is not going to be a heavy aircraft in
the class of the current Ka-27 with the
12t takeoff weight, rather a helicopter
weighing less than 10 t. We have
been developing such a helicopter
proactively.
The heavy shipborne helicopter
line will evolve through upgrade and
development of new Ka-27 derivatives.
Kamov has been doing that for foreign
customers. Roman Chernyshev says
Kamov in November will submit its bid
to the tender for upgrading the Ka-28
helicopter fleet of the Indian Navy with
participation of foreign companies.
Alexey Mikheyev
Kamov company turns 60
In all, the Indian Navy is planning an

upgrade and additional acquisition of
a total of 30 Ka-28s. The Ka-28s and
Ka-31s both those delivered and
those yet to be ordered are to join the
carrier air groups of the Indian Navys
new aircraft carrier Vikramaditya being
converted from the Admiral Gorshkov
CV by Russian shipyard Sevmash,
and future indigenous Indian aircraft
carriers. China has been keen on
updating its Ka-28s too.
Sergey Mikheyev also hopes for the
Russian Navy to order an upgrade of
its Ka-27s: Although the production
of the Ka-27 was wrapped up in 1991,
the existing helicopters will have
remained in the inventory for 20 years
more. We count on the government to
order in the near future their upgrade
through the use of cutting-edge
highly-automated flight/navigation
and surveillance/targeting systems.
As far as civil programmes are
concerned, Kamov is going in the
near future to focus on supporting the
deliveries and operation of its Ka-32
medium transport helicopters, which
are in high demand all over the world,
and developing and productionising
the modified Ka-226T light helicopter
(see the article in this issues
Contracts and Deliveries section)
as well as Ka-62 medium multirole
helicopter that has been included in
the future product line of the Russian
Helicopters holding company (for
detail see Take-off, July 2008, p. 39).
According to Roman Chernyshev,
the drafting of an investment
programme for the project is in the
final stages. In November, we and
Russian Helicopters will jointly ask
Vnesheconombank to consider the
feasibility of its participation in the
project, said Mr. Chernyshev, who
believes a decision on the matter can
be taken before year-end.
As far as longer-term requirements
are concerned, they will be met by a
radically novel high-speed transport/
passenger helicopter (the Ka-92
programme was unveiled during the
HeliRusia 2008 show in May this
year; see Take-off, July 2008, p.
36). The project is being developed
under the governmental programme
of the Russian Helicopters holding
company. Roman Chernyshev says,
This work will be done not only by
the Kamov and Mil design bureaux,
but also with participation of virtually
all scientific organisations working
in this field. The priority facing the
scientific and technical council of the
Russian Helicopters is to determine
forms and methods of implementing
the project.
37
industry | interview
A key component of formidable

combat capabilities of advanced
fighters is the sophisticated fire
control system wrapped around
an efficient radar. All Sukhoi
Su-27/Su-30 family fighters both
exported and in service with the
Russian Air Force are fitted with
fire control systems developed
by the Tikhomirov-NIIP research
institute. Tikhomirov-NIIP became
a pioneer in developing phasedarray radars. Its first airborne
phased-array radar debuted on the
MiG-31 interceptor, and starting
with the Su-30MKI these radars
have been equipping Sukhoi
fighters. This year, the advanced
Su-35 multirole fighter entered
the trials, with Tikhomirov-NIIP
developing the Irbis-E passive
phased array radar the most
refined in its class to fit it. As
far as the future fifth-generation
fighter is concerned, the company
is developing its first active
electronically scanned array radar
(AESA). To learn the status of the
programmes, Take-off's editor
Andrey Fomin met Tikhomirov-NIIP
Director General Yuri Bely who
was kind enough to grant us an
interview.
TIKHOMIROVS RADARS:
from phased array to AESA
Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely
How are the trials of the Irbis-E phased
array radar?
The programme is going with a swing. We
continue to fly the Su-30MK2 flying testbed
with an Irbis-E prototype that has a 1kW emitter. We have been doing that for almost a year
and a half, having proven most of the radars
basic characteristics and having tested most of
the operating modes, e.g. the multirole lookup,
long-range acquisition and low-, medium- and
high-resolution lookdown modes. In addition,
we have made a set of radar units, including
5kW emitter that is undergoing lab tests slated
to wrap up this year.
In addition, we have made two complete radar sets for installation on Su-35
38
prototypes. The first of them lab-tested

in house and then by KnAAPO has been
mounted on the second Su-35 flying prototype. We will turn it on when the time
comes for the radar system flight trials.
A vehicular check and repair station has
been developed in support of the Irbis-Es
tests on the Su-35, so we will start flying a
real aircraft carrying the complete Irbis-E
set soon. The second set for the next
prototype has been made, checked and
accepted, too, and soon will be mounted.
Thus, the Irbis-E test programme is in full
swing, and the radar will have been developed fully by the time the Su-35 is ready
for full-rate production.
Yuri Ivanovich Bely was born in 1951. A graduate

of the Moscow Bauman Higher Technical College,
he received a commission in 1974 and served as
military representative at NIIP and then department
deputy chief in the Air Force Procurement Directorate.
In 1987, he was appointed chief of the Military
Representative Office at NIIP. He holds the military
rank of colonel (retd). In March 1998, Mr. Bely
becomes director of the NIIP. Now he is Director
General of Tikhomirov-NIIP JSC. He holds a degree
of Doctor of Engineering (DEng), academician of
International Academy of Informatisation. He is a
member of Russian Governments Military Industrial
Commission Scientific Council. He holds several
state awards.
www.take-off.ru
www.take-off.ru
Bars phased array radar now

under series production for
Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Su-30MKM
and Su-30MKA fighters being
delivered to India, Malaysia and
Algeria. License assembly of
Bars radars is now developing
in India, and Tikhomirov-NIIP is
working on its further upgrade
Andrey Fomin
Can the Irbis-E be fitted to the existing

Su-27s as part of their upgrade package?
Such an option has been looked
into under the Su-27SM2 programme.
Essentially, this is the 1kW-emitter radar
variant undergoing test on the flying testbed (the 5kW-emitter radar cannot be used
on older Su-27s due to their power supply
capacity). So, the Irbis-E variant being
tried on the flying testbed is the virtually
complete set for upgrading combat unit
fighters. However, it looks like the financial considerations will prompt the decision to upgrade Su-27s without replacing
the current radar, rather by beefing up its
capabilities through introduction of new
operating modes, support of advanced
weapons, etc. Such an aircraft has been
built and entered its flight trials this year.
However, it should be kept in mind that
the trials may take a few years, while the
remaining calendar life of the existing
fighter fleet, the newest of which were made
in the early 1990s, will be expiring steadily.
The only way out may be acquisition of
new aircraft, e.g. the Su-35, already fitted
with the Irbis-E phased array radar. The
Air Force has been on the brink of taking
such a decision. During the Su-35 unveiling ceremony in Zhukovsky in July 2008,
Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief
Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin told the media
that the service has been mulling over
ordering Su-35s for fielding with two or
three air regiments.
Are there any improvements planned for
the Irbis-Es predecessor, the Bars fitting
the Su-30MKI-family fighters? Is there any
future for its further development?
There still is room for improvement.
Take for instance the Su-30MKI. The current Bars variant has undergone evaluation
tests on Su-30MKIs in India, proving that
all glitches had been ironed out. Now, the
Indian Air Force has raised the question
is it reasonable to license-produce all of
140 aircraft under the programme through
2014 in the variant approved as far back as
the late 90s? Therefore, they suggest an
upgrade of the Bars in the course of the
licence production, including introduction
of the AESA. We have devised proposals of
our own, providing for a two-stage upgrade.
At Stage 1, the Bars will retain the passive
phased array but the radars performance
and operating modes will be beefed up.
At Stage 2, it will be possible to equip
the Bars with the AESA, given the active
phased array advances achieved under the
fifth-generation fighter programme. IAF is
pondering our proposals, and we hope that
it will soon decide on how the Bars should
be updated.
Since we have mentioned modernisation

programmes, would you tell us about the
status of the MiG-31 interceptors Zaslon
fire control system upgrade programme?
The Russian Air Force has reported officially
that it had taken delivery of its first upgraded
aircraft of the type this spring.
Speaking of the Zaslon, it is our baseline design, with which we started using
airborne electronic scanning and digital
computers these were the firsts for us.
The MiG-31 interceptors Zaslon phased
array radar is an undisputed priority of not
only Tikhomirov-NIIP, but our country as
well. It has been a while since the MiG-31s
service entry in 1981, and the radar is naturally in need of upgrade. The work on it is
going on. The first stage of the upgraded
MiG-31s official joint trials was completed
last year. The Leninets plant has launched
deliveries of improved radars for installation in the interceptors that has started
getting the operational status this year. At
the same time, Russian Defence Ministrys
Flight Test Center (GLITs) is running tests
under Stage 2 of the official test programme
in Akhtubinsk and is going to wrap them up
before year-end.
What has been done? Firstly, we have
upgraded the cockpit management system
at the navigators combat station, having introduced an advanced LCD-based
display system able to show new types of
information. Secondly, the radars range
has been extended. Thirdly, now it can
handle more types of weapons. The radars
array itself remained unchanged, but some
of the fire control system units have been
replaced with advanced ones and the com-
puter system has been replaced totally. The

MiG-31s computers, which production
had long been discontinued, have been
ousted by new-generation digital computers. We are going to beef up the radars
capabilities even further in the future.
Now we have reached the name of the
game the programme on the active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Just
over a year ago, at the MAKS 2007 air
show, Tikhomirov-NIIP unveiled full-scale
elements of prototypes of active phased
arrays. As is known, your institute is the
prime contractor for developing the AESA
multifunction radio-electronic system to fit
the fifth-generation aircraft. What has been
achieved in this field?
The programme is on schedule under the
contract we signed with Sukhoi. Under the
schedule, the first full-scale adjusted AESA
fitted with the complete set of transmit-receive (T-R) modules will be placed on the
rig in November this year for mating with
the rest units of the radar. The first array
has been assembled, completed and handed
over for adjustment. The Istok company
has launched the production of T-R modules based on monolithic microcircuits.
The second array is being fitted with parts
and modules, and the third one has just
entered the process. Thus, three arrays are
in production now. They will be tested subsequently the first one in November, as I
said before, the second one in next March
or April, etc. AESA is to be fitted to one
of the fifth-generation aircraft prototypes
under construction by KnAAPO next year,
with its flight tests to kick off in 2010.
Today, I can say that all technical problems
39
Irbis-E phased array radar onboard
Sukhoi Su-35 fighter prototype
at MAKS 2007 airshow (picture
above) and during its tests on
Su-30MK2 flying testbed (below)
Yevgeny Yerokhin
pertaining to developing and making T-R

modules have been resolved. Now, we are
working on the radar as a whole, handling
such issues as cooling, mating, beam control, etc., but again everything is being done
on schedule. As the tests go, we will beef
the radar systems composition gradually
first on test benches, then onboard aircraft,
achieving the systems complete set stipulated by the specification requirement in
the end.
How long may the full cycle of the AESA
tests take?
As is known, developing an up-to-date
radar takes about five to seven years.
Starting with 2008 when the real trials of
the equipment has begun, our system is to
be ready for service entry about 201415.
The similar situation is abroad: even the
AESA radar of the F-22, which has entered
service a rather long time ago, has several operating modes that have not been
refined yet. In this connection, I have got
to mention that Tikhomirov-NIIP has a
wealth of experience in phased arrays. The
Americans skipped the passive phased array
stage and went right from slotted arrays
AESA at once, while we are well versed in
passive phased arrays, having developing
them for about 40 years (we maintain that
the AESA differs from the passive one,
essentially, in the emitter technology, while
we take the mathematical modelling tools
from phased arrays well known to us). This
gives us considerable advantages, including
those in development time. Nobody else
throughout the world has the expertise in
phased array we have!
Tikhomirov-NIIP
You are certainly abreast of the AESA

programmes both in Russia and abroad.
Would you name some features of your programme setting it apart from others? What
are its advantages?
Well, it is hard to compare ours with what
the Americans have developed, because
actual, rather than advertising information
is scarce and we can judge only by indirect indications. Still, we believe we have
been achieving characteristics that are at
least on a par with those of the F-22s and
F-35s radars and superior to them in some
respects. As far as other Russian developers programmes, the principal difference
between our design and theirs lies in technology. We use the monolithic microwave
microcircuit technologies that are at the
cutting edge now throughout the world,
40
www.take-off.ru
www.take-off.ru
Fragment of the X-band AESA prototype developed by Tikhomirov-NIIP unveiled at MAKS

2007 airshow in August 2007
Andrey Fomin
while our domestic colleagues rely on the

so-called hybrid technologies that have
been already abandoned, say, in Europe.
Just like us, the Americans develop their
AESA using monolithic microcircuits with
the possibility of enhancing the degree
of their integration and switching further
down the road to what is called smart skin,
i.e. the arrangement, under which T-R
modules can be placed anywhere onboard
the aircraft to generate the relevant radiation field. Thus, we are at the cutting edge
of global AESA development.
Could the technologies emerging from the
AESA development under this programme
be used in the future for developing radars
to fit other aircraft and other materiel whatsoever?
Certainly. For instance, sooner or later,
there will be the question raised of developing light fifth-generation fighter or fitting upgraded Generation 4+, 4++ fighters with AESA radars. In such a case,
instead of reinventing the wheel, it is better to use proven technologies while keeping the manufacturers busy at the same
time, because the larger the scale of T-R
module production, the less their cost.
In this case, the problem boils down to
scaling the very same technologies and
components will remain but the arrays

diameter will be diminished. This problem
is not scientific, rather a design one. Then,
the productionised T-R modules can be
used in the radars operated, say, by surface-to-air missile systems. So, the more
applications for proven technologies, the
better. While in the past, we needed to set
up and launch T-R modules production
facilities, now a reverse problem may crop
up, like, production is in full swing, while
consumption is low. The cost of modules
can be affordable only in case their production is on a large scale.
What do you think about room for both

phased array lines active and passive
ones in the future? Or will the advent of
AESA doom passive ones?
I believe each line will have a niche of
its own in the near future, at the least.
AESA may oust passive phased arrays only
if their electronic componentry becomes
very cheap. So far, at the current level of
technological sophistication, the costs of
active and passive phased arrays are unlike
as chalk and cheese. Thus, it is a bit too
soon for passive phased arrays to become a
thing of the past.
41
Take-off has repeatedly covered
various spheres the State Ryazan
Instrument-Making Plant (GRPZ) a
major Russian manufacturer of
airborne radars operates in,
including its productionising of the
active phased array and development
of heliborne radar. In addition, GRPZ
develops a family of airborne digital
computers and airborne computer
systems for various applications.
Take-offs correspondent Yevgeny
Yerokhin has been to the plant again
and seen Nikolay Andreyev, chief of
the airborne computer department of
the corporate scientific and technical
centre.
Cases and modules

of the SOLO-21 and
SOLO-35.01 airborne
digital computers
What was the beginning of the work

on computers at your plant? This was an
absolutely new field for GRPZ, wasnt it?
Let me start with the fact that our
specialised department, whose principal
task is the development of airborne digital
computers, is turning 10 in November this
year. How did everything begin? GRPZ is a
specialist in making radars for fighter jets.
As is known, there used to be partnering
among manufacturing plants throughout the
country during the Soviet times, and GRPZ
would receive airborne digital computers
for its radars from its subcontractors. With
the beginning of the economic upheaval in
the 1990s, problems with computer supplies
cropped up, and the plant was unable
to make its end-products without them.
AIRCRAFT COMPUTERS
MADE IN RYAZAN
Airborne computer
system of the Mi-28N
helicopter
42
In that situation, the most urgent task

we faced was learning to produce certain
types of dedicated computers (various
versions of the Ts100 in the first place) to
fit the radar systems we made. To learn
producing airborne digital computers as a
new product class to the company, and to
learn to support production, the corporate
scientific and technical centre set up the
airborne computer department in 1999 and
hired relevant staff. This minimal task was
fulfilled with success, but we did not stop
at that.
Development of an in-house airborne
digital computer came next, right?
Right. The Tikhomirov-NIIP research
institute in the town of Zhukovsky was
www.take-off.ru
upgrading the radar fitting the Sukhoi Su-27
fighters family. Advanced high-performance
digital computers had to be introduced
to the radar. Analysis of the computers
offered by various manufacturers indicated
that none of them met Tikhomirov-NIIPs
requirements to additional radar modes
in technical or economic terms. Against
this backdrop, GRPZ on agreement with
Tikhomirov-NIIP decided to launch
development of its own digital control
computer to fit radars in the course of the
upgrade.
The performance specification for
developing the SOLO-54 airborne digital
computer was issued in 2002. The computer was
developed extremely quickly. In cooperation
with Tikhomirov-NIIP, the SOLO-54 passed
its ground and flight tests as part of the N001V
radar fitting the Su-27SM, with the trials
wrapped up in 2004. The same year, GRPZ
launched production of the radar SOLO-54
version with an expanded interface set in
2005. The SOLO-54 radar was appreciated
by the customer, Tikhomirov-NIIP, that used
the computer in three versions of its radar
the N001V, N001ER and N001VEP. This
was the beginning of a new field for GRPZ
to explore.
The surface-mounting line of the airborne computer assembly shop
The successful completion of the

SOLO-54 and SOLO-54.01 development
stage gave impetus to GRPZ to start
development of more airborne digital
computers and airborne computer systems
mostly for airborne radar applications. The
development of new types of computers
followed several paths, e.g. development of
SOLO-54.01 control aiborne

digital computer
The SOLO-54 computer is based on the RISC processor with MIPS architecture. It has good
performance and a good set of front-end interfaces compared with other similar computers. The
SOLO-54 is housed by a compact case and requires no forced-air cooling. This is especially
important for radar modernisation when the airborne digital computer had to be integrated in a
system with the well-established layout. The real-time operating system used by the airborne
digital computer supports multithreaded applications and has a POSIX-compatible interface.
The efficient software development and debugging means available allow a drastic reduction in
the time needed to develop application software for airborne radars.
www.take-off.ru
high-performance specialised computers

for control tasks, programmed signal
processing devices wrapped around digital
signal processors and computer systems
uniting these types of computing devices.
Development of advanced computers
relied on up-to-date system interface
and module-and-unit design standards,
including international ones. Functional
modules of airborne digital computers are
designed depending on the requirements
with the use of the Euromechanics
constructs of the 3U or 6U dimension types.
Airborne digital computer modules are
integrated in sealed cases with conductive
heat removal and external air cooling (ATR
Short construct). Such a design provides
effective protection from outside exposure
and good electromagnetic compatibility
with other electronic systems.
The scientific and technical centre is
known to have developed a number of other
airborne digital computers
A case in point is the development of a
small-size airborne computer system to fit
the heliborne radar being developed by the
plant too. The airborne computer system
is part of the avionics of the Mil Mi-28N
attack helicopter. It is wrapped around the
Compact PCI system bus interface with the
use of Euromechanics 3U dimension type
in the 1/2 ATR Short case. The airborne
computer system embodies a control
computer with a relevant front-end interface
set, programmed digital signal processor,
radar clock driver, intermediate frequency
controlled amplifier and AD converter that
are part of the radars reception path.
At present, the computer is being tested,
with GRPZ productionising both the
radar and the airborne computer system.
Another stage of development of airborne
43
radar computers was the emergence of
the SOLO family of multiprocessor
airborne digital computers wrapped
around new architecture a common
commuted computing environment. The
work is being done under GRPZs Chief
Designer Andrey Pershin and involves
the latest achievements in intermodular
connections on the basis of the PCI Express
high-capacity serial interface. The common
commuted computing environment allows
the removal of limitations on the capacity
of the multiprocessor system as compared
with known architectures wrapped around
the common system bus.
Based on the common commuted
computing environment architecture,
two airborne digital computers were
developed to fit the Irbis-E radar under
development by Tikhomirov-NIIP for
Sukhoi Su-35 fighter. They were the
SOLO-35.01 airborne digital computer
designed for radar signal processing and
SOLO-35.02 airborne digital computer
a high-performance multiprocessor
control computer. The SOLO-35.01 has
a control data processor module and up
to four digital signal processor modules
connected via the PCI Express system
interface. The SOLO-35.02 comprises up
to four data processor modules mounting
mezzanine interface modules made to
PMC (PCI Mezzanine Cards) standard.
Both computers are made of modules of
the Euromechanics 6U dimension type in
the 1/2 ATR Short case, interconnected
via a high-speed datalink and constitute
the integrated computer system of the fire
control radar.
The computers have passed ground tests
and are being flight-tested as part of the
radar on a flying testbed at the Defence
Ministrys Main Flight Research Centre
(GLITs).
We are developing the SOLO-21 airborne
digital computer using the same common
commuted
computing
environment
architecture to equip prospective aircraft.
The SOLO-21 is a high-capacity computer
comprising a multichannel ADC, several
digital signal processor modules, several
data processor modules and several interface
modules. The computer uses Euromechanics
6U dimension-type modules and PMC
interface modules and is housed by the modular
ATR Short case. The avionics suite consists
of two SOLO-21 airborne digital computers
linked with a high-performance optical line.
The development of the computer has been
mostly completed, several prototypes have
been made and their trials are beginning.
Is there any competition on the Russian
airborne digital computer market and how
44
Module mounting quality control
would you describe GRPZs position on the

market? What are your advantages?
Of course, there is competition, but we
have got rather solid positions and good
prospects. The SOLO digital computer
family is progressing from the rather basic
and, nonetheless, still popular SOLO-54
to the most sophisticated SOLO-21
computer system designed to fit the future
fighter.
As far as advantages are concerned, our
developments are based on the developed
production facilities of a manufacturer
plant. The degree of sophistication of
these technologies heavily influences the
functionality and design of our products
that, in turn, influence the evolution of our
technologies. I mean precise machining
and multilayered printed circuit boards
(PCB), including flexible/rigid PCBs,
in the first place. The establishment of
the airborne computer assembly shop
at the plant proved to be a considerable
progress in pursuing this line of work.
The workshop is fitted with automatic
surface-mounting assembly lines with
soldering quality optical and X-ray control
units, a laser installation to make metal
patterns for solder paste application, and
module moisture-protection polymer
coating equipment. To adjust, check and

test computer modules and units, the
workshop is furnished with dedicated
automated workplaces and equipment to
conduct environmental and mechanical
tests.
In addition, the advantage offered by
the plants airborne digital computer
development is also the development running
in parallel with the productionising efforts.
This enables us to slash the productionising
and manufacturing costs radically.
Is there a chance for SOLO airborne
digital computers to be used in spheres other
than aviation?
Certainly. They have already been used
in other branches. We have developed the
BMS-M baseline mobile station for the
Army automated control systems command
echelon. It is a sort of special-purpose PC.
We are developing five types of computers
to fit ground radars. Their constructs are
different from those of airborne digital
computers, but share the concept and
architecture. In addition, these days,
we have more orders for development of
various digital computers for the Air Force
and other services. Such a prospect and
demand for our products let us face the
future with confidence.
www.take-off.ru
NITA
New Informational Technologies in Aviation
EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE/HARDWARE

COMPLEXES FOR AIRPORTS AND AIRLINES
flight operations planning and supervision of aircraft servicing in airports
preflight crew briefing
visual information and warning for airport terminals
aircraft simulators and training systems
air traffic control, voice communications and data recording
ground traffic monitoring
control panels and consoles
Computerised multimedia classrooms

to teach English to aviation personnel in line
with ICAOs requirements
Turnkey delivery including

training software packages
and linguistic simulators
to learn communication
procedures
NITA, 15 A, Vzlyotnaya str., St. Petersburg, 196210, Russia

Tel.: + 7 (812) 7041872, fax: + 7 (812) 7041813
http://www.nita.ru
cosmonautics | project
AIR LAUNCH:
Indonesian prospects of Russian space programme
Dmitry VORONTSOV, Igor AFANASYEV
During the Russian presidents official
visit to Indonesia in September
2007, about a dozen memoranda and
agreements were signed, of which the
principal one was the agreement on a $1
billion loan to Indonesia for acquisition
of Russian armament and associated
equipment. During their official meeting
with the media, the two presidents
confirmed their interest in stepping up
bilateral high-technology cooperation,
including joint space programme. This
means, among other things, that they
gave the green light to the well-known
Air Launch programme that became an
international endeavour. The programme
provides for orbiting small spacecraft
by launch vehicles (LV) blasting off not
from the ground as usual, rather from
an altitude of 10 km after air-dropping
from an An-124-100VS Ruslan carrier
aircraft. The first air launch has been
slated for 2010.
In the beginning, there was

The project of the Air Launch airborne
space-rocket system dates as far back as
1997. Two years later, in 1999, the Polyot
airline, space rocket developer Energiya
Corp. and Chemical Automatics Design
46
Bureau (KBKhA) set up the Air Launch

corporation to pursue the programme, with
TsSKB-Progress and several other companies
signing up as subcontractors. Energiya became
prime contractor for the carrier rocket dubbed
Polyot (Russian for flight)
At first, the air launch vehicle was to burn
a lox/LNG mixture, but a decision was
taken in 2000 for it to use a more customary
lox/kerosene fuel. The then prime minister
ordered four An-124 military airlifters in the
disposal of the corporation in support of the
Air Launch programme. Two aircraft were
overhauled and upgraded to An-124-100
standard and then entered service with the
Polyot air carrier to earn money to pay for the
programme.
After Energiya Corp. pulled out of the
programme, the Makeyev design bureau
succeeded it as prime contractor for the
rocket segment of the system. The Air Launch
programme has passed all stages of scrutiny by
relevant commissions and been included into
the Russian Federal Space Programme for the
Period of 2006 through 2015. The companies
running the programme were to pay for it out
of pocket and have the system enter operation
in 2010.
Features of the concept

The Air Launch system features the
launching in midair following the rocket
airdropped by a carrier aircraft. Compared
with the traditional ground-launched LVs,
the Air Launch system offers such advantages
as the rockets high specific-weight
characteristics in terms of payload with rather
low development and operating costs: there is
no need of building expensive ground launch
facilities, selection of a launch corridor is
more flexible and launch vehicle afterbody
drop areas are smaller and may be well outside
populated or industrial areas, e.g. in the ocean
or in deserts. To cap it all, the use of a
carrier plane for launch improves the energy
performance of the system owing to blastoff at
a non-zero speed and a considerable reduction
in lift-to-drag losses and off-nominal rocket
engine operation losses.
The initial design of the Air Launch space
rocket system has been virtually completed.
The final version of the LV has a common
diameter of 2.66 m. The first stage includes
the NK-43M liquid-propellant engine
designed by the Kuznetsov design bureau (it
was developed in the 70s to power the second
stage of the N-1 super-heavy LV for lunar
www.take-off.ru
missions). The second stage includes the
RD-0124 engine from KBKhA.
The most technically difficult tests are
believed to be those of air-dropping a launch
vehicle weighing at least 100 t by means of the
steam generator (the so-called mortar-type
launch) and turning on the powerful
first-stage lox/kerosene engine in midair.
Nonetheless, Air Launch designers maintain
the technical problems have got solutions
to be proven through several drop tests of a
mass-size evaluation model of the rocket.
One of drop tests is slated for trying the start
of the NK-43M engine. Designers are certain
that they will meet the deadline 2010.
Mention should be made that in addition
to general advantages of air-launched space
rockets, the Polyot LV features a number
of its own strengths, firstly, reliance on the
existing components the NK-43M and
RD-0124 engines ground-tested thoroughly
(the RD-0124 has been tried in flight on
new Russian launch vehicle Soyuz-2.1b, to
boot), the control system borrowed from
the Soyuz-2 after relevant adaptation, the
nosecone from the Molniya LV, etc. Virtually
the only new element of the rocket is the
first-stage propellant module. The upper
stage needed for geostationary orbit insertions
embodies proven solutions too, particularly,
the RD-0158 engine derived by KBKhA from
the RD-0124s chamber. These measures are
to result in rocket development costs of only
$120130 million.
Together with Indonesia

Owing to its rather high power and economic
efficiency, the Air Launch programme turned
a few heads in the developing countries of
Southeast Asia, Indonesia in the first place.
Indonesia is a state situated on thousands
of islands of the Malay Archipelago and
the western part of the island of New
Guinea. Its population exceeds 242 million
people. The country is vitally interested in
developing telecommunication technologies
and a monitoring system to keep an eye
on its territory. Satellites are the best thing
ever built for these purposes. Malaysia, too,
has displayed interest in the programme, as
did several developing nations in Africa. In
principle, the rather inexpensive and effective
Air Launch is designed specifically for such
customers.
At present, the most feasible Air Launch
system operation option looks to be
operations from the airfield on the Biak
Island in Indonesia. A relevant preliminary
Russian-Indonesian agreement was achieved
as far back as late 2005. The agreement
between the Government of the Russian
Federation and the Government of the
Republic of Indonesia on Cooperation
www.take-off.ru
in the field of exploration and the use of

outer space for peaceful means was signed
during Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyonos visit to Russia in late November
and early December 2006. Late in March
last year, Jakarta hosted a working meeting
between Air Launch Corp. President Anatoly
Karpov and Indonesian National Institute of
Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) Chairman
Adi Sadewo Salatun. The efforts made by the
parties resulted in the signing of an agreement
on establishing an international company to
implement the Air Launch programme. The
agreement was signed at the international fair
in Hannover on 6 April 2007.
Thus, governmental support of the
interesting endeavour has been provided,
enabling Anatoly Karpov to speak with
confidence about the programme entering its
final stage. On 28 September 2007, Karpov
said, The principal problems have been
resolved, investment agreements have been
signed, a space operations licence has been
obtained and the Federal Space Agency has
approved the specification we are in the
stretch. The Air Launch Corp. president
noted that everything what depends on the
Federal Space Agency is done quickly
enough.
Construction of infrastructure for Ruslan
airlifter basing and payload handling has
been under way on the Biak Island. On the
island, there is an excellent Class 1 airfield
used by Boeing 747s for stopovers on services
from Asian countries to the United States.
24 hectares of real estate have been provided
as well. The Indonesian expenditure will total
about $25 million. The Russian contribution
will be made up of the intellectual property,
aircraft conversion, expenditure on the
launch vehicle and control system, and fitting
the airfield with ground launch preparation
equipment.
In October 2006, a 50:50 joint venture was
set up to manage the programme, with risks,
costs and income to be shared on a parity
basis.
As far as carrier aircraft preparations are
concerned, the routine operation of the
Air Launch system implies completing the
overhaul of the two remaining Ruslans and
their handover to the prime contractor, the
Makeyev design bureau, for subsequent
conversion to air-launch platforms. According
to Anatoly Karpov, one of the operational
Ruslans will have to be pulled out of cargo
operations after aircraft conversion work
has kicked off in 2009. Possibly, the plane will
be turned into a convertible. When there are
no launches scheduled, it may be used for
hauling cargo, with some of the air launch
gear remaining aboard However, it weights
little and will pose no significant problem to
47
cargo services, believes the president and
Director General of the Polyot air carrier. He
assumes that satellite insertions will earn far
more income than cargo carriage will, and it
may turn out to be more reasonable to use a
plane or two solely in support of Air Launch
missions.
Polyot
Realities and prospects

The kickoff of the Air Launch space rocket
systems flight tests and the first space launch
are slated for 2010. A contract for orbiting six
small communication satellites is said to have
been signed for customers from Southeast
Asia and South Africa. A tender for satellite
production has been issued, with Russian
manufacturers and German corporation
EADS participating. Contractual and other
details, however, have not been disclosed yet.
Blasting off from Indonesian island Biak
sitting mere 70 km away from the Equator,
Polyot launch vehicles will be able to insert
satellites weighing up to 4 t in low earth orbit
(LEO) and those weighing up to 800 kg in
geostationary orbit or departure trajectories
towards other planets of the solar system.
Insertions in sun-synchronous orbit with both
northern and southern launch azimuths
are feasible too, since launch corridors run
mostly over sea.
Current
estimates
promise
the
requirement for inserting about 600 small
satellites in the coming 10 years. Firstly,
they include low-orbit telecom satellite
constellations, such as the Globalstar.
Secondly, advances in microelectronics
allow development of low-weight satellites
as capable as large satellites developed in
the 1990s. In particular, there have been
developed remote sensing satellites with
the resolution of 1 m and a weight of
only several hundred kilograms, which have
been gaining popularity with the users. In
addition, several space companies have
been mulling over developing geostationary

platforms sized as mini- and even
microsatellites. Certainly, demand for such
satellites is rather limited, but it does exist.
Mind you that many developing countries
willing to enjoy space technologies just
have no money enough to buy full-size
satellites while having the craving (and in
Indonesias case an urgent need) for such
satellites. Operating small satellites orbited
by light LVs is a good way out for such
countries. Thus, the odds are good that the
Air Launch system will gain a foothold on
the new emerging market, if it succeeds.
Igor Afanasyev
Air Launch main performance

Missile length, m
36
2.66
1st and 2nd stages diameter, m
Nosecone diameter, m
2.7
Air-droppable weight, t
103
Launch weight, t
102.3
Payload weight, kg:
- polar base line orbit, H=200 km
3,000
- geo-transfer orbit
1,600
- geostationary orbit
800
Geostationary orbit insertion time, hr
7
Powerplant:
- 1st stage
NK-43M
- 2nd stage
RD-0124
- upper stage
RD-0158
(RD-0161)
Air Launch system blastoff diagram
1. Ejection of the rocket from the An-124 aircraft by means of the steam generator
2. Start-up of the solid-propellant rocket motor
3. Separation of the units of the first and second fixing-driving bands and obturator band
4. Powerplant ignition. Solid-propellant engine cut-off
5. Rockets verticalisation
6. Separation of the support of the third fixing-driving band with the solid-propellant rocket motor. Beginning of the programmed trajectory
48
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november 2008 Special edition for Airshow China 2008

& IndoDefence/IndoAerospace 2008

HIGH TECHNOLOGIES SAFEGUARDING PEACEFUL SKIES

Russias largest defence holding company

Our products are successfully operated in 50 countries worldwide

New Russian airborne weapons

Design and pre-press

Deputy Director General

Director for international projects

News items for In Brief columns are prepared by editorial

P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia

JDAM and JSOW la russe

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Beriev and Vega carry on with AEW systems

Sukhoi fighters on Asian market

Su-35: two prototypes under tests!

take-off november 2008

New weapons for advanced Sukhoi fighters

MiG-29K back at Nitka

IFC orders large batch of Tu-204s from UAC

Tikhomirovs radars: from phased array to AESA

Aircraft computers made in Ryazan

take-off november 2008

civil aviation | news

on the eve of the Day of the Air Fleet

the Ural, its A320s mostly operate

More Tu-204-300 and A320 for Vladivostok Avia

renovate its aircraft fleet with more

Another Tu-214 built

The new Tupolev Tu-204-100V

Another new Tupolev Tu-214

take-off november 2008

issued Type Certificate Supplement

Beefing up Red Wings fleet

this summer. According to Transaero,

civil aviation | news

Aeroflot-Cargo gearing up for getting Il-96-400T

Under the delivery schedule, the

The Il-96-400T is a derivative of

Aeroflot kicks off discarding its Tu-154 fleet

take-off november 2008

Aeroflot is intent on beginning to

replace its written-off Tu-154Ms.

units. To date, Aeroflot has been

The Aeroflot Russian Airlines

military aviation | news

Blackjacks over the Caribbean

Expanding the zone of continuous aerial patrolling resumed on

take-off november 2008

On the initial leg, a pair of NATOs

Caribbean and South America), but

The second mission, which lasted

PS-90A-76 turbofan engine powers the following modern aircraft:

military aviation | weapons

PBK-500U: Russian response to JSOW

take-off november 2008

need 10 times less munitions to destroy similar

JDAM and JSOW la russe

GLONASS satnav receiver to ensure accurate

military aviation | weapons

Dumb bombs gaining wings

FAB-500M62 with MPK model

JDAM programme. However, Bazalts upgrade