Russian Air Force News & Discussion

swerve

Super Moderator
One of the supposed disagreements is a claim that the USA is saying that UAE F-35s must be limited so that they can't pose a threat to Israel. I've not seen any details of what exactly that means. The weapons to be carried? Limits to sensors? Degradation of stealth? No idea.

This reminds me of the limits to the weapons that the USA would sell the UAE 20 odd years ago. So the UAE bought slightly modified Scalps, which blew a hole in the limit.
 

STURM

Well-Known Member
In the past certain things sold to Arab countries had downgraded capabilities. In the case of fighters this usually involved downgraded radars and EW.

If I recall correctly M-1s sold to Saudi did not have DU armour and the E-3s too were downgraded quite a bit.

I don't blame the Emiratis for kicking a fuss. They are after all paying in hard cash, have been a good customer for U.S. gear over the years, have never been interested in picking a fight with Israel and are in agreement with the U S. on most issues. If the Americans are unable to be flexible it's their lost. This time around however there will probably be less opposition from the pro Israeli lobby. Remains to be see if that changes with regards to future sales in the coming years, in the event UAE/Iran ties improve.

The UAE wants a mix of European and American because it makes them less reliant on any one source and buying from both cements the bilateral relationship with both. A major logistical/support nightmare but then they can afford it. It's the strain on manpower which is the main issue I suppose, having 2 create and maintain a training/support infrasructure for Rafales and F-35, on top of what already is being operated.
 
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Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Updates.

There are reports that the VVS took delivery of 4 Su-57s, as originally planned. Full confirmation is pending. The VVS also received 4 additional Su-34s (for a total of 8 this year) and 3 Su-35S. Both the Su-34 and Su-35 are part of add-on buys likely connected to delays in the Su-34M and Su-57 programs respectively. It's also been stated that Su-34 regiments are planned to transition to a 3-squadron structure (36 jets per regiments). This is despite some units still operating Su-24s.


15 Ka-52Ms are planned for delivery in 2022. The type had been tested with new munitions and improvements to the electronics. It's likely we will also see a radar upgrade.


The VVS also took delivery of the 7th A-50U, with the 8th aircraft planned in 2023. The program is moving at a glacial pace, and AEW is one of the major deficiencies the VVS faces.


Some footage of the Buk-M3 from the 53rd air defense bde.


The first upgraded An-124-100M has conducted it's first flight since the upgrades. The upgrade includes new avionics, a protection suite from MANPADS, and a replacement of some foreign components. It's an open question how many aircraft the VVS plans to overhaul and upgrade. Currently they don't use their entire fleet, some are sitting inactive. The type did see active use during operations in Syria.


The 210th air defense regiment took a delivery of S-400s. Instead of replacing older S-300s in this case it's replacing another set of S-400s. The regiment was part of training exercises in Belarus and appears to have left behind one of its btln equipment sets for the Belarussians. The handover is likely permanent since they're taking deliveries of replacements.


Trials of the long range Altius UAV have completed. It's unclear whether this refers to state trials or factory trials.


Trials of an Orion variant carrying a radar under the fuselage are due to complete by the end of this year (2022).


Some interesting footage of the Forpost-R (a domesticated upgrade of the Searcher MK2) dropping a KAB-20 small-sized PGM, and of the S-70 dropping an unspecified munition.


Some footage of the Orion UCAV shooting down a helicopter UAV target type with a modified Kornet missile.


An entire regiment of MiG-31s has been formed for carrying the Kinzhal RS-74 air-launched ballistic hypersonic missile. Personally I wonder how worth-while is it to keep an entire fighter regiment from being used for anything other then a single type of mission with a single munition. The new index for RS-74M carries is MiG-31IK.


The Mi-171A3 has had it's first flight. This modification is meant for use on off-shore drilling platforms. The venerable Mi-8 family remains a popular machine on both civilian and military markets.


3 Pantsyr btlns were planned for hand over in 2021. It's unclear whether this took place. The term btln also caught my attention, as normally it's 1 Pantsyr battery per S-300/400 btln. It's possible that they're moving to a separate Pantsyr btln in each air defense regiment (which for 2 btln regiments would mean a spare battery of SHORAD).


The famous airbase in Voronezh region, nicknamed Baltimore, has completed a rebuild and is receiving aircraft again. It's home to the 47th bomber regiment flying Su-34s. The Su-34 is of course not a bomber but a strike fighter, something the VVS is well aware of. During the crisis in Syria in 2015, Su-34s flew defensive counter-air, armed with R-27s and R-73s, and this very 47th regiment has been spotted doing assymetric air-to-air combat training against the MiG-29SMTs in Kursk.

 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
Russia has flown the first newly built Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bomber to roll of its newly reconstituted production line for the first time at Kazan Aviation Plant on 12 January 2022.


 
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Dino van Doorn

Active Member
The crews of the Su-35S multi-role fighters of the Eastern Military District, involved in checking the response forces of the Russian Federation to relocate their SU-35S Fighter aircraft to Belarusian airfields. During the flight, the crews made a fuelstop at the airfields of the Central and Western military districts to prepare for the next flight and some rest for the crews. Flight routes of multifunctional fighters are carefully worked out by aviation navigators and take into account the possibility of maximum non-stop flight of aircraft, as well as weather conditions along the entire route. After arriving at the airfields of the Republic of Belarus, the crews of the Su-35S multifunctional fighters will take up combat duty for air defense as part of checking the functioning of the unified air defense system of the Union State. Video credit: Ministry of Defense of Russia
Video enhancement: GMAP.NL
 

Dino van Doorn

Active Member
I have never seen this before by a Mi-8 Chopper !!
The crews of the Mi-8AMTSh transport and combat helicopters of the aviation regiment of the Central Military District practiced bombing attacks on the positions of a mock enemy at a training ground in the Kurgan region. Pilots of Mi-8AMTSh transport and combat helicopters dropped about 20 air to ground bombs, operating at extremely low altitudes up to 300 meters in day and night time. When delivering bombing strikes, the crews calculated in advance the point of dropping air bombs, taking into account the speed and altitude of the flight for accurate hitting targets. In addition, the pilots of the Mi-8AMTSh transport and combat helicopters performed maneuvers to evade the air defense systems of a mock enemy by releasing flares, as well as air navigation, aerial reconnaissance and determining the coordinates of ground targets. Video credit: Ministry of Defense of Russia
 

Dino van Doorn

Active Member

Scheduled training flights of Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers were carried out. The crews worked out their piloting techniques, takeoffs and landings in low temperatures. Particular attention was paid to aerial refueling, which took place in limited conditions during day and night time Video credit: Ministry of Defense of Russia
Video enhancement: GMAP.NL
 

Ananda

The Bunker Group

Rostec claim will launch Su-75 production in 2027. This is already a push back date line from previous one. Even this will have to be seen, as Russia schedulle for Su-57 production is still not run on full rate yet.

Russia anyway wants to shown that Western effort on sanctions them for high tech access will not hindered them on their Military Industrial Complex (MIC) development.
 

T.C.P

Well-Known Member

Rostec claim will launch Su-75 production in 2027. This is already a push back date line from previous one. Even this will have to be seen, as Russia schedulle for Su-57 production is still not run on full rate yet.

Russia anyway wants to shown that Western effort on sanctions them for high tech access will not hindered them on their Military Industrial Complex (MIC) development.
Man I find this situation so funny and so Russian. Remember the mid 2000s. Russia had the so called SU-35, Su-37, Mig-33 and Mig-35 as the world's top dog fighters but not a single one was even in production and 3 of the 4 did not even exist. Their defense export Marketting team lives 20 years into the future and that too a future only they can see.

How many SU-57s have they even produced by now?
 

John Fedup

The Bunker Group
Man I find this situation so funny and so Russian. Remember the mid 2000s. Russia had the so called SU-35, Su-37, Mig-33 and Mig-35 as the world's top dog fighters but not a single one was even in production and 3 of the 4 did not even exist. Their defense export Marketting team lives 20 years into the future and that too a future only they can see.

How many SU-57s have they even produced by now?
Wikipedia says 10 test jets and 5 production jets for what it is worth. Five airforce jets compared to China’s 100 plus J-20s and the USA’s 150 plus Raptors and hundreds of F-35s. Given Russia’s economic outlook and continuing sanctions their Su-57 fleet won’t be expanding very much anytime soon.
 

Ranger25

Active Member
Staff member
Agreed, getting mixed messages in the media regarding sanctions impacting manufacturing including PGMs/Kalibre etc. would have to think the industry wide sanctions would impact 5th gen fighter production for sure
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member

Ananda

The Bunker Group

There's always western media (whether mainstream or independent online ones) that put doubt on Russian abilities to continue their advance tech projects, due to sanctions.

However we in financial Market also see Western media and Politicians prediction on their sanctions to Russia, somewhat overestimating so far. Yes there are slow down, but also not as much as Western wants.

The question that nobody in the West can actually honestly answer is, how far Russification on the high tech industry able to do so far. Russian off course claim close to 100%, while the West always claim Russian will not going to be able to replace tech from West and allies.

So the effect on economy downturn due to sanctions is there. However this sanction is also double edge sword to Western economy (something that I already put since early March on Russia-West thread).

Thus the sanction will push back some of their schedule is definitely happen. However whether able stop Russian program as many in West claim, well so far it is also overestimating Western power on Russian too.
 

Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
Time will tell if the Russians are able to follow their planning and succeed in starting serial production of the PAK-DA in 2027. I have the feeling that they are overoptimistic, even with the larger budgets like from china or the US, development of a new strategic bomber, takes many years from start assembly first prototype until IOC. Just look to Russia's other aerospace programs like Il-112 or their space probe programs like Luna-Glob and Venera-D, planned for decades but delayed over and over again.



Here we can see some overviews of what seems to be the schedule of the production of all the aircrafts types.
We can expect a continues flow of Il-76/78, SSJ, Mi-8/17, Ansat and Ka-62, and the Ty-214 and Il-96 will be returned into production. Also a modernized variant of the Il-114 will go in full production as the Il-114-300. No information yet about the Il-112 or Il-276.

They also plan to construct under licence 20 L-410 each year. The Technoavia Rysachok was planned as a twin-engine replacement for the An-2, that program is cancelled. Now Russia is working on a 9-passenger single engine replacement for the An-2: the LMS-901. The problem with the L-410, Rysachok and LMS-901 is however, that they all use the GE/Walter H80. The H80 is an updated derivative of the Czech Walter M601, and this will cause undoubtly problems after the war in Ukraina.

The remarkable thing is the production plans for the Ka-226, until 2030 just one.
 
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Sandhi Yudha

Well-Known Member
On 27 May 2022, the fifth and sixth series production Sukhoi Su-57 fighter aircraft were photographed by Russian spotters during their refuelling stop at Novosibirsk-Tolmachevo airport. These two Sukhois are part of a contract for the supply of 76 fifth-generation Su-57 fighters to the Russian Air Force, including the first two that were contracted in 2018, with final deliveries by 2027.

 

swerve

Super Moderator
...The question that nobody in the West can actually honestly answer is, how far Russification on the high tech industry able to do so far. Russian off course claim close to 100%, while the West always claim Russian will not going to be able to replace tech from West and allies....
I'm sure the Russians can replace things such as western chips, though the systems the chips are in may need some redesign. Their problem will be matching the performance.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
The remarkable thing is the production plans for the Ka-226, until 2030 just one.
I think the Ka-226 got pushed out by the Ansat for domestic light helo procurement. It also remains to be seen what happens with the India deal. These plans are written in pitchfork on water, between the war in Ukraine, domestic economic problems, potential export contracts, etc.
 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Update.

The VVS received another new Il-76MD-90A and an upgraded Il-76MDM. Production of both is slow but the need for them is not that great.


Russia has shown off a Mi-28NM that's upgraded from the current format rather then newly built. It makes sense to both upgrade existing inventory and produce new ones.


The UAC has proposed a two-seater Su-57 variant for the VVS. I suspect this will have to go ahead, as (if? given sactions) Russia begins to actually transition to the type.


The 42nd Air Defense Rgt received S-400s. The type now likely outnumbers S-300s in Russian service, and if production can continue despite sanctions, it will likely end with the S-300 being completely phased out by the end of the decade, at least in the VKS.


The VVS have received 4 new Su-34Ms. It's unclear if this is actual Su-34M or the in-between variant ordered as the Su-34M neared completion. Either way they're much needed given the demands of the current war and the losses taken.

 

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Update.

A piece of old news that I missed, the A-100 had its first flight with the radar turned on prior to the current war starting.


The first Su-25UTG was rebuilt prior to this war, after a gap of many years. This is an Su-25-based trained for carrier pilots.


A satcom variant of the Orion-S is being developed. This would in principle greatly extend their range, but in the current war I suspect survivability is a bigger issue.


More Su-35S are being produced for the VVS. At least 5 so far this year.


Also more Su-34s. Quite a few were lost in the war, so production to replace losses is important. Russia had an intermediate upgrade variant without an official name, and an Su-34M. It's unclear which variant this is.


The 4th Il-76MD-90A has been produced for the VVS this year. Production of the type has finally gone beyond 1-2 aircraft per year, but the need for the type remains questionable.


Two Okhotniks are visible in a satellite photo at the same time. The program appears to be progressing, and might give Russia another VLO platform, desperately needed in the current war.

 

Vivendi

Well-Known Member
A summary of the total number of new-build tactical fixed-wing combat aircraft that are known to have been delivered to the Russian MoD in 2022:
1. Su-57: 8 (VKS)
2. Su-35S: 6-7 (VKS)
3. Su-34M: 10-12 (VKS)
4. Su-30SM2: 4 (Naval Aviation)
Total: 28-31

Losses so far in Ukrainian war:

18 Su-34s & 9 Su-24M/MRs (total 27)
11 Su-30SMs & 1 Su-35S (total 12)
23 Su-25-series ground attack aircraft and one MiG-31BM interceptor.

Source:
So even if they have produced more than I would have expected in spite of sanctions, their losses have also been quite significant.

Does anybody know the situation for Russian export aircraft for 2022?
 
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