Russian fifth-generation jet fighter takes off

The decision to introduce the new fighter is long overdue: the United State launched it seven years ago and China is also trying to keep pace.

The Russian Armed Forces will soon put into service the fifth-generation T-50 PAK FA jet fighter (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation). The decision to introduce the new fighter is long overdue: the United State launched the F-22 Raptor seven years ago. China is also trying to keep pace, as it has started testing its own fifth-generation fighter.

In late December, Viktor Bondarev, Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, said that the trials of the fifth-generation PAK FA fighters would start at the testing facility in Akhtubinsk in March 2013.

“Three machines are being tested at Zhukovsky Airfield in the Moscow region, the fourth fighter is undergoing factory tests, and the fifth one is ready for acceptance. In March, the five machines will fly to Akhtubinsk to begin government testing. The rest of the machines will be delivered there from the factory. By the end of 2013, eight T-50 fighters will have been accepted following trials in Akhtubinsk,” said the general.

According to Bondarev, the tests of advanced fighters will take 2-2.5 years. In 2015-2016, the T-50 will be delivered to active Air Force units.

The T-50 is equipped with an all-new avionics complex and an advanced radar station with a phased antenna. The plane made its maiden flight to Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 29 January 2010; the fighter was officially presented to the public on 17 August 2011 at the MAKS 2011 International Aviation & Space Salon in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

Many of the T-50’s technical features are classified, however based on data received from public sources, specialists insist that the PAK FA is ahead of its foreign peers based on a few important features, including maximum speed (both using afterburners and without them), ferry range, thrust/weight ratio, and maximum g-load.

The T-50 is operated by a single pilot. The machine has a maximum speed of 2,600 kilometres per hour. Its ferry range is 4,300 kilometres at altitudes of up to 20 kilometres. With a maximum takeoff weight of 37 tons, the fighter is capable of carrying up to 10 tons of armaments, including the GSh-30-1 30 mm cannon, guided missiles of various types and ranges, as well as precision guided bombs. Up to eight external and ten internal suspension points can be installed to attach armaments. More than ten innovative types of weapons have been developed for the PAK FA.

Russian navy to buy Ka-62 maritime helicopters

Russia's navy is to acquire a navalised version of the Kamov Ka-62 light utility helicopter by 2014 to serve on its Project 20380-class frigates, according to a high command source cited by the Izvestia newspaper.

A navy specification for the new Ka-62 variant will be drawn up by the end of this year, the source said, but Kamov confirms it has already begun drawing up plans for a navalised model.

The navy needs a new type to operate from its 2,500t displacement ships, as its existing Ka-27 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters are too large.

"The Ka-27 weighs 12t and is 5m [16ft] high because it is co-axial," says a navy source quoted by the paper. "On a ship of less than 3,000t, a large hangar spoils the seakeeping and handling of the ship. In sea states greater than five, the ship could be in danger of capsizing."

"We are not yet sure about the onboard equipment," says a Kamov source. "It will take a lot of effort to fit in an acoustics suite, dipping sonar and lightweight torpedos, but nothing is impossible." The navalised version will have folding main rotor blades and a folding tail.

Russian Air Force Accepts First Yak-130

Russia’s Irkut aircraft-manufacturing plant delivered the first six Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainers to the Russian Air Force on Thursday, a spokesman for the Western Military District said.

“On October 4, the first batch of Yak-130 combat trainers fly from the Irkut plant to the Borisoglebsk airfield [Voronezh region] after an extensive flight testing program,” Col. Andrei Bobrun said.

The Irkut aircraft maker and the Russian Defense Ministry signed in December 2011 a contract for the delivery of 55 Yak-130 jets by 2015.

The Yak-130 is a highly maneuverable subsonic jet with an extended range of about 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) and a maximum speed of 600 mp/h (1,060 km/h) in level flight. It can carry a combat payload of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg), consisting of a variety of Russian and Western-developed weapons.

MiG-29 Fighter Jet Crashes in Siberia

A Russian Air Force MiG-29 fighter crashed on Thursday near Chita, in Siberia, the Defense Ministry said.
“The plane crashed near Domna airport, 27 kilometers from Chita,” ministry spokesman Col. Igor Konashenkov said.
The pilot’s body was found by a rescue team, he said, adding that a Defense Ministry commission is on its way to the scene to establish the causes of the crash.
According to first reports, the plane crashed into a hill.

Russian Mi-28 Helicopter Gunship Crashes

A Russian Army Mil Mi-28N, one of the force's newest machines, crashed on Thursday at its base in Mozdok, North Ossetia.
The two-man crew was not injured according to preliminary information.
"An Mi-28N made a heavy landing while on a training flight," a source in the Southern Military District said. "The crew was not hurt and neither was anyone on the ground. The cause is being investigated."
Two other Mi-28Ns have been lost in accidents in recent years. The crew of an Mi-28 was injured in

More Than 2500 Sukhoi-family Combat Aircraft Were Exported

Su-family combat aircraft have been exported since 1964. More than 2,500 Su-7, Su-17, Su-20, Su-22, Su-24, Su-25, Su-27, Su-30 aircraft and their modifications were delivered to the Air Force of more than 30 countries for all these years.

The aircraft were delivered to different countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. They are still in service in many armies of these countries. The Su-family aircraft have proved to be reliable and effective combat systems capable of performing a wide range of combat missions.

Over the past decades, as from 1996, the main export potential of the Su-family aircraft is centered on various modifications of the Su-30 — type multipurpose fighters. Sales of these machines together with contracts for airborne weapons and related equipment account for up to half of all foreign military supplies of the “Rosoboronexport”.

Russia’s Air Force to Get 180 New Aircraft by Yearend

The Russian Air Force will receive some 180 brand new planes and helicopters by the end of the year, the Air Force Commander in Chief Major General Viktor Bondarev said. 

 

The country’s air force has already received several new Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback warplanes and will get another 12, along with Kamov Ka-52 Alligator and Mil Mi-28 Havoc helicopters, as well as trainer jets including 15 Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten aircraft, Bondarev said in an interview with the Ekho Moskvy radio station published on its website on Friday.

Sukhoi Continues Tests of Su-35 Fighter Jet

Russia’s Sukhoi aircraft company is carrying out state acceptance trials of its Su-35 advanced fighter jet at the Russian Air Force’s flight test center, the company said on Wednesday.

The aircraft has already undertaken more than 650 flights as part of the trials. The Air Force will accept another six Su-35s before the end of the year.

“The technical characteristics of the aircraft and its military capabilities are in general in line with the requirements,” the company said.

The Su-35, powered by two 117S engines with thrust vectoring, combines high maneuverability and the capability to effectively engage several air targets simultaneously using both guided and unguided missiles and weapon systems.

400 Upgraded Mil Helicopters for Russia

As many as 400 upgraded Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters are set to enter service with the Russian Air Force over the next eight years.

No less than 50 will be delivered before the end of 2012 and, potentially, they'll be comprised of Mil Mi-8MTV5-1s and Mi-8AMTSh versions.

Already the most widely-produced helicopter design in history, the Russian Mil Mi-8 is, therefore, set to get yet another lease of life and both of the new versions will be on show to the public at an upcoming event that celebrates the Russian Air Force's 100th anniversary.

Mi-8 Helicopter Upgrades

The Mil Mi-8 made its maiden flight in 1961. Introduced in 1967, it's been operated by more than 50 nations during the last 45 years and over 17,000 examples have been built. Some 30 different Mi-8 helicopter upgrades have been developed and they include models that specialise in search and rescue, assault transport and radar-jamming.

Powered by a pair of Klimov TV3 turboshaft engines, the Mi-8 has a top speed of 260 kilometres per hour, a range of 450 kilometres and the capacity to accommodate up to 24 passengers. It can also be equipped with a maximum of 1,500 kilograms of ordnance, such as anti-tank guided missiles and rockets.

Russian Air Force to Get 400 Modernized Mi-8 Helicopters by 2020

The Russian Air Force will take delivery of up to 400 modernized Mi-8 battlefield support helicopters by 2020, service spokesman Col.Vladimir Drik said on Thursday.

“By the end of the year, up to 50 of the latest Mi-8 models will operate, and by 2020 the air force plans to have more than 400 new Mi-8s,” he said.

The latest modernized Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV5-1 helicopters will appear at the "Common Sky" air force centenary celebration, which will be held on August 12 at Zhukovsky southeast of Moscow.

The Mi-8 is the most numerous helicopter in the air force, and has been produced in greater numbers than any helicopter in history.

Russian Air Force to Get 400 Modernized Mi-8 Helicopters by 2020

The Russian Air Force will take delivery of up to 400 modernized Mi-8 battlefield support helicopters by 2020, service spokesman Col.Vladimir Drik said

“By the end of the year, up to 50 of the latest Mi-8 models will operate, and by 2020 the air force plans to have more than 400 new Mi-8s,” he said.

The latest modernized Mi-8AMTSh and Mi-8MTV5-1 helicopters will appear at the "Common Sky" air force centenary celebration, which will be held on August 12 at Zhukovsky southeast of Moscow.

The Mi-8 is the most numerous helicopter in the air force, and has been produced in greater numbers than any helicopter in history.

New Russian bomber: needless expenditure or future necessity?

On the threshold of the 100-year anniversary of the Russian Air Force, holiday events are steadily increasing in number. A round table with the participation of the most prominent Russian military analysts, devoted to the development of a potential new bomber for the Russian Air Force, has taken place in Moscow. However, while estimating the need for “aircraft of the future”, the specialists have differed in their views.

There was at least one thing on which all the participants of the round table, which was held in the Rosbalt information agency, have agreed upon: Russia should continue maintaining the existing fleet of strategic aircraft in a proper condition and continue to upgrade them. The resources for the Tupolev Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22М3 allow these aircrafts to remain in service for many years. In these conditions, the improvement of their equipment and weapons is one of the key tasks.

Such works are under way now. The Tupolev Tu-95MS and Tu-160 fighters are undergoing modernization and the first upgraded Tu-22М3М has already been handed over to the troops. Updated aircraft can use modern weapons, including non-nuclear precision-guided munitions, which makes them very useful in case of local conflicts. It is noteworthy that Russia currently has approximately 200 long-range aircrafts, including 66 Tupolev Tu-95MS and 16 Tupolev Tu-160s (the rest are Tupolev Tu-22М3s), and it is at the very least wasteful to leave all these heavy combat aircrafts without the possibility of carrying out non-nuclear tasks in local conflicts.

American Vs Russian Air Force: Which of The Two You Like More?

Asian Defence News

Russia May Deploy First S-500 Missiles in 2013 - Air Force

Russia's Armed Forces could receive the first of its next-generation S-500 air defense missile systems as early as in 2013, Air Force commander Maj.Gen. Viktor Bondarev said on Wednesday.
"I think that as soon as next year we will get the first of these (S-500) systems in service," Bondarev said at a RIA Novosti press conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Russian Air Force.

The commander stressed that Russia's air defenses are in very good shape with new regiments of a formidable S-400 Triumf air defense system entering service every year.
The crews of air defense systems regularly carry out training drills to improve their efficiency.
“We have improved the response time to airborne threats to 3-4 seconds compared to the previous 9-10 seconds.
Russia currently has four S-400 regiments - two in the Moscow region, one in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and one in the Eastern Military District.
By 2020, Russia is to have 28 S-400 regiments, each comprised of two battalions, mainly in maritime and border areas.
The S-400 Triumf long- to medium-range surface-to-air missile system can effectively engage any aerial target, including aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise and ballistic missiles at up to 400 kilometers and an altitude of up to 30 kilometers.

Su-25 Fighter Jet Crashes in Belarus

Soviet-era fighter jet crashed in Belarus on Tuesday, killing the man piloting the aircraft, the country’s Defense Ministry said.
The pilot, Nikolai Gridnyov, lost control of the jet when doing exercises in low-altitude flight, the ministry said, local news agency BELTA reported.
Ground control ordered the pilot to eject from the plane, but he stayed in order to prevent the machine from crashing into a neighboring village, sacrificing his life to make the jet crash two kilometers away from the village, the report said.
The ministry did not elaborate on the causes of the crash. Belarusian Air Force has more than 70 Su-25s, which were developed in the 1970s.

Rogozin Doubts Need to Develop New Strategic Bomber

A long-running dispute between the Russian military and defense industry over procurement of new weaponry may enter a new phase as Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has questioned the need to develop a new strategic bomber, the Izvestia daily said on Wednesday.
Russia announced plans in 2009 to develop a fifth-generation strategic bomber, which will feature new airframe and elements of stealth technology, by 2025.
The new bomber is expected to replace the Tu-95MC Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers, and Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bombers currently in service with Russia’s strategic aviation.

“Look at the current level of air defense and anti-missile defense – these aircraft will not get anywhere. Not ours, not theirs,” Rogozin, who oversees defense industry and will soon assume full control over financing of R&D for military purposes, said in an interview with Izvestia.
He added that strategic bombers could not be viewed as means of delivering nuclear strikes on enemy territory anymore.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov told Izvestia that the new bomber project was underway as planned.
“We have made some progress in the development of the new bomber,” Makarov said. “If we reach production phase, this plane will outperform any modern aircraft of the same class, including those built by the Americans.”
It is not the first time Rogozin and Makarov have clashed over arms procurement issues.
In the beginning of this year, Makarov sharply criticized the quality of Russian-made weaponry for the Ground Forces and said the Defense Ministry would stop purchasing domestic-made armored vehicles for the next five years because they are outdated.
Rogozin, clearly angered by Makarov’s blunt statement, responded that the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces “is not the only one who makes decisions on the purchase of arms and military hardware.”
He said Russia’s Armed Forces would be modernized as scheduled in accordance with the state armament procurement program and the defense budget.

Russian AF to Get First T-50 Fighters in 2013 - RIA Novosti

The Russian Air Force will receive the first batch of prototypes of its fifth-generation T-50 fighter for performance testing in 2013, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said on Thursday.
The T-50, developed under the PAK FA program (Future Aviation System for Tactical Air Force) at the Sukhoi experimental design bureau, is Russia's first new major warplane designed since the fall of the Soviet Union.
“The work on the fifth-generation fighter is going according to schedule,” Zelin, a former Air Force commander, told a news conference in Voronezh (central Russia). “The third prototype has joined the testing program and the fourth is being built.”
The T-50 made its maiden flight in January 2010 and three prototypes have since been undergoing flight tests.
Zelin earlier said that the number of T-50 aircraft involved in testing would be increased to 14 by 2015.
The fighter was first shown to the public in August 2011, in Zhukovsky near Moscow, at the MAKS-2011 air show.

Can 't believe it, here is the link
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20120517/173511998.html

Top 5 Fighter Planes Under Development

F-35:

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multirole fighters. After entering service it would be considered as the  most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, performing ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions.

 

The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), integrates advanced very low observable stealth into a supersonic, highly agile 5th generation fighter. The capabilities built into the F-35 Lightning II provide the pilot with unprecedented situational awareness and unmatched lethality and survivability.

Some of its salient features are :
- Dominates all adversaries in the air or on the surface.
- Has the ability to survive and prosecute the most formidable threats expected to emerge beyond 2020.
- Conducts air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions simultaneously.
- Incorporates the most powerful and comprehensive sensor and mission avionics package ever to fly in a fighter.

 Sukhoi’s T-50  PAK FA:

The Sukhoi PAK FA is a fifth-generation jet fighter being developed by Sukhoi for the Russian Air Force.The current prototype is Sukhoi’s T-50. The PAK FA, when fully developed, is intended to replace the MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-27 Flanker in the Russian inventory and serve as the basis of the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA project being developed with India. As a  fifth generation jet fighter, it is designed to directly compete with Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II. The T-50 performed its first flight January 29, 2010.Its second flight was on February 6 and its third on February 12. As of August 31, 2010, it made 17 flights in total.Sukhoi director Mikhail Pogosyan has projected a market for 1,000 aircraft over the next four decades, which will be produced in a joint venture with India, two hundred each for Russia and India and six hundred for other countries.He has also said that the Indian contribution would be in the form of joint work under the current agreement rather than as a joint venture. The Indian Air Force will “acquire 50 single-seater fighters of the Russian version” before the two seat FGFA is developed. The Russian Defense Ministry will purchase the first ten aircraft after 2012 and then 60 after 2016.

 Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA):


The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), formerly known as the Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA), is a twin-engined 5th generation stealth multirole fighter being developed by India. It will complement the HAL Tejas, the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI and the yet undecided MRCA in the Indian Air Force. The main purpose of this aircraft is to replace the aging SEPECAT Jaguar & Dassault Mirage 2000. The Medium Combat Aircraft [MCA] is envisioned as a replacement for the British Jaguar and Mirage 2000 the IAF flies, which as of 2002 were to be phased out by 2015. Development costs were expected to be over US $2 billion. At that time, India’s DRDO intended to develop a stealth Medium Combat Aircraft, a further extension of its LCA design, in order to replace the Jaguar and Mirage inventory beginning around 2010.The MCA designers plan to pursue technologies superior to anything currently on offer. India’s aeronautical designers see the MCA programme as crucial for taking forward the expertise that has been painstakingly accumulated in the Tejas LCA programme.

J-XX Stealth Fighter:


China has already launched its next generation stealth fighter aircraft programme, and Shenyang Aircraft Industry Co. (SAC) has been selected to head research and development of a new fighter for the PLA Air Force (PLAAF). According to the reports, development of the subsystems including the engine and weapon suite for the next generation fighter, which was code named by the Western intelligence as J-XX, has been underway for some time. Images of the concepts show a twin-engine aircraft sharing some design traits with Lockheed Martin’s stealth F/A-22 “Raptor” multirole fighter such as the internal carriage of its weapons.

Not too much public information about the programme is available at the moment. Sources within China’s confirmed that the SAC is looking at a twin-engine, single-seat, single vertical tale fin design, but other design proposals has yet been ruled out.  As China has developed close ties with Russia’s aerospace industry and has license produced many planes of formal Soviet designs, it can be predicted that the J-XX would include some, if not many Russian technologies and designs. China has been offered a ‘joint development and production’ of a new fifth-generation fighter by Russia -LFI. Russia has been trying to sell this concept both to China and India for some time, but neither of them has committed fully yet. Stealth and thrust vectoring are two must-have features in all aircraft being designed in the 21st century. It is not clear that how much progress Chinese designers have made in these areas, and Chinese aircraft industry may have to take Western/Israeli/Russian helps to make the J-XX truly fouth-generation (or fifth-generation using the Russian standards). Once introduced, the J-12′s immediate rival will be U.S. F/A-22, JSF and India’s MCA (Medium Combat Aircraft).

JASDF Stealth Fighter ATD-X:


JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Forces) planners have been attempting to acquire the American F-22 Raptor jet fighter to replace their current F-15 Eagle fighter planes. The F-22 Raptor is packed with the latest avionics and stealth technology but its high tech features have the Pentagon concerned about security leaks. Even though the United States would lose out financially by not selling Japan the F-22, security issues are front & center these days and Japan is now looking to its own aircraft designers to provide a home-grown solution.

The Mitsubishi ATD-X Shinshin is a Japanese aircraft being developed by the Ministry of Defense Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) for research purposes. ATD-X is an acronym which represents “Advanced Technology Demonstrator – X”. The main contractor is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This aircraft will be used as a technology demonstrator and research prototype to determine whether domestic advanced technologies for a fifth generation fighter aircraft are viable. The aircraft’s first flight is scheduled for 2014. The design of the aircraft reflects those of several American fourth and fifth generation fighters, most notably the F-22. Japan is set to develop its own next-generation stealth fighter jets to reduce its dependence on foreign technology and counter similar moves by China and Russia.

 

Mi-28NE Havoc Helicopter to be Displayed at Moscow Expo

The Mil Mi-28NE Havoc (Night Hunter) attack helicopter and 49 other military exhibits will be displayed by 14 Russian organizations at the 5th International Helicopter Industry Exhibition (HeliRussia 2012) in Moscow, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation reported.

The exhibition will be held on May 17-19 at the Crocus Expo exhibition center in the Russian capital’s northwest. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry is its organizer.

Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, the Rostvertol and Kamov helicopter manufacturers and the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and other organizations will display products at the exposition.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will attend the exhibition’s opening.

The event will also be attended by over 100 representatives from 56 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Turkmenistan, France and others.

Overall, 147 Russian organizations and 53 foreign companies from 17 countries will participate in the exhibition.

2 Killed in Russian Ka-52 Helo Crash

MOSCOW — One of Russia’s most modern military helicopters has crashed during a training exercise, killing its two-man crew, officials said March 13.

The Ka-52 Alligator two-seater, which entered serial production in 2008, went down in the central Tver region on Monday night, the local investigative committee said in a statement.
One pilot was killed at the crash site while the other died of his injuries in a regional hospital on March 13, the defense ministry said.
Although Russia’s underfunded military frequently loses aircraft during training, often with fatal consequences, it was the first time that a Ka-52 had crashed

Russian President-elect Vladimir Putin has promised to spend about 23 trillion rubles ($780 billion) by 2020 on the modernization of the country’s Soviet-era military force.