VVS Russian Air Force: News #1

The one only AN-225 is an operational aircraft. It came at least twice to Armenia over the 2 years bringing oversize items.

There was talk of building a second one, but at the time they weren't even using the original.

Perhaps now that they are using the original a second aircraft might be built?

The Antonov is a fantastic piece of engineering. I wonder if they've thought of doing a "stretch" version for cargo.
And a passenger version to challenge the Airbus A380.

It wouldn't need a stretch... the original An-124 was cleared for 120 tons payload, but the current production model is cleared for 150 tons... which works out at about 200kgs more than the A380 is cleared for, with the advantage of nose and tail access and the ability to carry vehicles and aircraft.

I always thought Russia would stride ahead faster in conversion to civillian uses. Maybe this will change now Russia is part of the WTO?

The problem is that Russian civilian aircraft sales suffered badly and cheaper western planes were often bought instead. The bubbles of air travel growth were few and far between and really wouldn't justify the 600 plus people an An-124 could carry... think of the queues just to get on or off?

There is a significant market for budget fares, but you would have to sell a lot of tickets before you could charge budget fares on a converted An-124.

And I think it makes sense to commandeer off civilian airlines in times of need.Means more money for other things.

In many ways it is a huge gamble. Civilian aircraft will not have the right communications equipment or any self defence equipment... electronic or otherwise.

If you want to commandeer the aircraft where does the crew come from to fly it into combat?

You save a fortune on purchase and operational costs, but when you commandeer it you need to pay compensation to the company that owns it and the client it was working for at the time, and I rather expect if you break it you will have to buy them a new one so insurance will be tough to get...

It also means you don't have the aircraft for normal operations and exercises...

http://lenta.ru/news/2012/04/27/zelin/

Zelin fired!

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?99988-Russian-Photos-%28updated-on-regular-basis%29&p=6147954&viewfull=1#post6147954

Bunch of photos from TOrzhok, too lazy to repost, you guys can navigate it I am sure, but isn't that Vympel rapelling from the Mi-8?

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has sacked Russian Air Force Commander, Colonel-General Alexander Zelin and dismissed him from military service, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Zelin, 59, has occupied the top military post for five years, during which the air force has begun to receive new aircraft and equipment in significant numbers for the first time since the end of the Soviet Union.

“To the observer Zelin appeared to preside over a period where air force procurement and plans became more planted in reality than merely in aspirations,” said Douglas Barrie, an air warfare analyst at the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies.

No reason was given for the dismissal but senior military commanders in Russia usually retire at age 60.

Igor Korotchenko, chairman of Defense Ministry’s Public Council said that the reshuffle was a normal practice for military officials.

“Medevedev’s move will give the road to new, younger military specialists,” Korotchenko said, adding an experienced commander Zelin would likely move on to a top post in a defense industrial holding or corporation.

http://www.en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20120427/173084185.html



Former Air Force Commander Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin will take up the post of an adviser to the Russian defense minister on the development of the Air Force, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

“Colonel-General Alexander Zelin voluntarily resigned due to a transfer to civil service in the capacity of an aide (adviser) to the defense minister of the Russian Federation,” the ministry said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday dismissed Zelin from the post of Air Force Commander and from military service.

Zelin, 59, occupied the top military post for five years, during which the Air Force began to receive new aircraft and equipment in significant numbers for the first time since the end of the Soviet Union.

“To the observer Zelin appeared to preside over a period where air force procurement and plans became more planted in reality than merely in aspirations,” said Douglas Barrie, an air warfare analyst at the London-based International Institute of Strategic Studies.

Senior military commanders in Russia usually retire at age 60.

Igor Korotchenko, chairman of Defense Ministry’s Public Council said that the reshuffle was a normal practice for military officials.

“Medvedev’s move will give the road to new, younger military specialists,” Korotchenko said, adding experienced commander Zelin would likely move on to a top post in a defense industrial holding or corporation.

http://www.en.ria.ru/mlitary_news/20120427/173099987.html

I find the bold part hard to believe...

The mention of freeing up the position for younger men suggests to me that he was resisting change and got pushed....

http://russianplanes.net/ID74940

WOW!
What a photo!

All 3 of the new attack helos in the VVS, the Mi-28N, Ka-52 and Mi-24BM, in the air, in the new camo.

TR1 wrote:http://russianplanes.net/ID74940

WOW!
What a photo!

All 3 of the new attack helos in the VVS, the Mi-28N, Ka-52 and Mi-24BM, in the air, in the new camo.

I have to say the hinds look great in the new camo.

Nice.

Excellent, nice mix of new helicopters.

http://www.rus-helicopters.ru/en/

Russian Helicopters site much better than UAC's

Interesting first video about the PAK DA... except the three main aircraft depicted show the T-4MS (the broad flat lifting body aircraft with twin vertical tail fins and the outer swing wings) and the narrow swing wing aircraft and an aircraft that looks like an Su-34 nose attached to a smaller T-4MS body.

The T-4MS is an old design and along with the narrower drawing with swing wings were both prototypes that failed. The design that won that competition is known now as the Tu-160 Blackjack.

I don't think they would look backwards unless there was a critical design problem that prevented them from making them that has now been solved and it is worth bringing the designs back.

Of course any design will have to be completely revamped because the original T-4MS had no stealth considerations in its basic design.

BTW the simulated video showing the ball of light at the nose of the aircraft might be a joke or an attempt to show plasma stealth, but it is totally wrong. Plasma can be generated by heating certain materials or by running a very high electric current through the air... the former would create a bright light and huge IR signature, while the latter would not do either.

The vid about the Tu-22M3M was interesting, though the claim that only the Tu-22M3M can drop bombs is erroneous because part of the upgrades they are receiving adds the same new guided weapons to the Tu-160M and Tu-95MSM.

Replacement of all three aircraft would be problematic because there are limitations on strategic bombers in terms of numbers and where they can be based. There are no such limitations on the Tu-22M3 but by replacing it with the PAK DA the limitations would apply.

It would be like making a new model TOPOL that can have two stages removed and replaced with payload and using it to replace the Iskander. Sure it could do the job but Topol is limited in numbers by new Start and Iskander is not. It might be more efficient to have one type of missile instead of two but the limitations make it less sensible...

Russian Plans New Aerospace University

Russia is planning a new aerospace university to produce a new generation of professionals for the aviation and space industries, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Saturday.

"We have plans connected with the creation of a modern aerospace university, where we will produce a broad range of specialists, for aviation, and also the rocket and space industries," he said during a visit to the Khrunichev rocket factory north of Moscow.

Rogozin invited specialists from the center to "join the team" for a visit to the Zhukovsky flight research airfield on May 18, where the plan will be discussed.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20120505/173241883.html

The Fullback with two incendiary tanks ZB-500ShM.

By the way, grey will be the standard color for VVS helicopters?

http://www.mycity-military.com/imgs2/153591_148458572_____________026-1_120.jpg
http://www.mycity-military.com/imgs2/153591_190875275_____________030_192.jpg
http://www.mycity-military.com/imgs2/153591_167003244_____________010_119.jpg

Some heavily armed Flankers, date unknown.

BTW It was my understanding that the fin tip dielectric panels on the Flankers along with the nose were painted white for VVS aircraft and dark green for PVO birds.

These day you tend to see a mix of colours so it is not an indicator now but I suspect if you do see a fully armed Russian fighter these days will will be a PVO bird waiting for a VKO launch command, or responding to one.

IMO Ka-52 surpasses any western attack helo in terms of electronic protection, with its brand new DIRCM set.
It also has better payload, armor, (performance?), just a beast all around.

Both the Russian helos have decent armour protection.

Regarding the Tiger... electronics alone make the helo lighter and cheaper to buy and operate, but much more dangerous to use as electronics wont stop small arms fire and RPGs.

Even a hovering helo is vulnerable to an ATGM... and new ATGMs like Kornet EM are optimised to deal with aircraft as well as vehicles...

Interesting new Tu-214. Anyone know more about it? It seems to have large SLAR antennas.

medo wrote:Interesting new Tu-214. Anyone know more about it? It seems to have large SLAR antennas.

IL-38 May replacement.

Russia to Field New Ground Attack Jet

The Russian Air Force will start receiving new ground attack aircraft based on the Sukhoi Su-25SM Frogfoot combat jets by 2020, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Thursday.

“This new type of a ground attack aircraft has been included in the state arms procurement program,” Zelin, who is an aide to the defense minister, told a news conference in Voronezh (central Russia). “It will be put in service with the Air Force by 2020.”

The new aircraft will be capable of carrying of a wide range of tactical weaponry and advanced radar and navigation equipment.

It will feature elements of stealth technology and will be able to land on short runways.

The new combat jet will eventually replace the modernized Su-25SM attack aircraft now entering service.

Russia will continue to upgrade its outdated to the Su-25SM version, which has a significantly better survivability and combat effectiveness than earlier versions.

The Russian Air Force currently has over 30 Su-25SM planes in service and plans to modernize about 80 Su-25s by 2020.

Meanwhile, the Russian military has abandoned plans to develop a light attack plane based on Yak-130 combat trainer.

Zelin said the prototype, dubbed Yak-131, had not met the requirements for enhansed protection of pilots.

http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120517/173508923.html

So they are adapting the Su-25 design to make it more stealthy, but not actually stealthy.

In other words think of Mig-35 to the Mig-29 rather than F-117.

They will nip and tuck all the major radar reflection surfaces and redesign a few bits and pieces, but I rather suspect spending a lot of money to make it "stealthy" to radar is a waste of money.

I suspect they might change propulsion to something that does not attract IR guided missiles so much, and Austin mentioned two seat design might be used... and I think perhaps for better communication between the crew that a side by side seating arrangement might be used as with the Ka-52 and Su-34. The extra width would allow a decent sized radar to be fitted... perhaps based on the Ka-52 mounted system in addition to optics. I suspect a podded navigation targeting system would be useful too because CAS can be called out day or night so money could be saved by using an external targeting pod because for a fleet of 100 aircraft you could probably buy 30-40 pods and just fit them when needed. When the pods are upgraded you can buy 30-40 new pods and still keep the older ones. External pods are cheaper and easier to upgrade than built in systems... you don't lose an aircraft while the upgrade is being made.

Side by side seating would increase the internal volume of the fuselage which might allow more fuel or internal weapons carriage, but the primary weapon carriage will likely be on the wings. Of course with the Il-102 it could use much thicker wings and have bomb bays for 50 and 100kg bombs inside the wings... stealthy and with guidance accurate enough to enable the lighter warheads to still be effective. A subsonic only aircraft very thick wings will not be a handicap. It will need much more powerful engines however for the extra volume and weight and drag.