VVS Russian Air Force: News #1

More Su-34s and Su-30SMs for Russian Air Force

This spring, the Russian Air Force received more of advanced Sukhoi warplanes under earlier-signed contracts. On 6 May 2013, as part of the ceremony of inaugurating a new runway at the Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre named after Valery Chkalov in the town of Akhtubinsk, the media were shown the new Su-34 tactical bomber (side number 34) that came in from the Sukhoi’s Novosibirsk Aircraft Plant that day and another Su-30SM supermanoeuvrable multirole two-seat fighter (side number 54) delivered to the Centre by the Irkut corporation this spring.


During November and December 2012, Sukhoi and Irkut fulfilled their 2012 governmental defence acquisition order, having delivered 10 Su-34, six Su-35S and two Su-30SM aircraft to the Defence Ministry.

The first five Su-34s (side numbers 11, 12, 20, 21 and 22) flew from the manufacturer’s airfield in Novosibirsk to Baltimore AFB in the vicinity of Voronezh on 25 December 2012. Five more aircraft (side numbers 23 through 27), which the customer had received in Novosibirsk on 29 December 2012, have arrived there a month later, on 25 January this year. Thus, the air base in Voronezh has got as many as 20 Su-34 tactical bombers. Sukhoi has delivered them under the government-awarded November 2008 contract stipulating the construction and delivery of 32 aircraft of the type during 2010–13.

The first four Su-34s under the contract (side numbers 06 through 09) were manufactured and delivered late in 2010. At first, they were assigned to the Aviation Personnel Training and Aircraft Operational Evaluation Centre in the city of Lipetsk and have been based in Voronezh since December 2011. The next batch (six aircraft with side numbers from 01 through 05 and 10) arrived to Baltimore AFB in December 2011.

This year, Sukhoi is going to poduce not less than 12 Su-34s more, thus completing the order landed in 2008 and starting to fulfill the next – unprecedented – governmental order for 92 Su-34 tactical bombers to be delivered to RusAF from 2014 to 2020.

The Su-30SM (side number 54) shown to reporters on 6 May in Akhtubinsk is the third aircraft of the type, which Irkut delivered to the Russian Air Force.

On 22 November 2012, the Irkut corporation delivered the first two Su-30SM multirole supermanoeuvrable two-seat fighters to the Russian Air Force. The acceptance report was signed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a subsidiary of the Irkut corporation.

The first two aircraft were built under the March 2012 order by the Russian Defence Ministry for 30 Su-30SMs to be delivered between 2012 and 2015. The Su-30SM is a derivative of the Su-30MKI fighter that the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has been made for export since 2000. An official Irkut news release states the tailoring of the aircraft to the RusAF requirements, which had been performed by the Sukhoi design bureau, pertained “radar, communication and IFF systems, ejection seat and a number of auxiliary systems”. Modifications had been made to the weapons suite as well.

The first Su-30SM earmarked for RusAF made its maiden flight in Irkutsk on 21 September last year, followed by the other four days later.

On 19 December 2012, the Russian Defence Ministry placed another contract with Irkut for 30 Su-30SM fighters more. Thus, Irkut is to make more than 50 Su-30SMs and deliver them to RusAF and, possibly, Russian Naval aviation in the coming years.

http://en.take-off.ru/news/107-june2012/772-more-su-34s-and-su-30sms-for-russian-air-force

Russia to Get New Su-35, MiG-35 Jets Within 3 Years - Minister

LIPETSK, July 10 (RIA Novosti) - New MiG-35 and Su-35 fighter jets will be delivered to the Russian Air Force in large numbers within the next three years, after resolution of some problems found during their final tests, Deputy Defense Minister Yury Borisov said on Wednesday.

"There are problems with completion of the state order for these models," he said. "They will start to enter service en masse in the next three years, I think," he added, but did not elaborate.

Delivery of the Mikoyan MiG-35 Fulcrum and Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker multirole fighters, both touted as "4++ generation" aircraft, is part of the state armament program through 2020, he said.

The Su-35, powered by two 117S turbofans with thrust-vectoring, features high maneuverability and the capability to engage several air targets simultaneously. The Russian Air Force ordered 48 Su-35s in 2009, Sukhoi said when the deal was signed. It is due to receive them by 2015.

The MiG-35, an advanced derivative of the MiG-29, can be armed with air-to-air and air-to-surface guided missiles and is fitted with the Zhuk-A advanced multimode radar, according to MiG. In April, MiG's CEO Sergei Korotkov said he expected the company would sign a deal by the middle of this year to sell the aircraft to the Russian Air Force.