Commander outlines future of the Russian Air Force
Air Force News — By RIA Novosti on August 7, 2009 at 7:23 am

http://www.defencetalk.com/commander-outlines-future-of-the-russian-air-force-20969/

MOSCOW: New and modernized aircraft will comprise 70% of the Russian Air Force by 2020, the Air Force commander said on Wednesday.

"We expect 70% of the Air Force strength to be new and modernized aircraft by 2020," Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin told reporters.

"The development of the Russian Air Force will be carried out through extensive acquisition of new advanced aircraft and continuing modernization of the existing fleet," he added.

STRATEGIC AVIATION AND RECONAISSANCE AIRCRAFT

According to Zelin, Tu-95MC Bear and Tu-160 Blackjack bombers, Tu-22M3 Backfire long-range bombers and Il-78 Midas aerial tankers will form the backbone of the Russian strategic aviation in the next decade following extensive modernization.

The bombers, in particular, will be equipped with new targeting and navigation systems, which will enable them, in particular, to use conventional unguided bombs with a very high degree of accuracy - effectively engaging any target within 20 meters.

They will also have their operational range increased and their onboard defense systems significantly upgraded, the general said.

In addition, Zelin said Russia had been developing a fifth-generation strategic bomber which could be used effectively in both conventional and nuclear conflicts.

"The new plane will use a wide selection of high-precision weapons, and will have a whole range of new combat capabilities, allowing it to apply new methods to carrying out deterrence tasks," he said.

Russia will also develop in the near future a number of advanced reconnaissance aircraft including a stratospheric plane capable of avoiding enemy air defenses.

"Ultra-high altitude reconnaissance planes will play a key role in future wars because they will be capable of staying in the air for a long time and conduct reconnaissance operations deep into enemy territory while avoiding hostile air defenses," the Air Force commander said.

FRONTLINE AVIATION

The frontline aviation is the core of the Russian Air Force and currently comprises MiG-31B Foxhound interceptors, Su-27 Flanker and MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, Su-24M Fencer fighter-bombers, Su-25 Frogfoot ground attack aircraft, and MiG-25R Foxbat and Su-24MR Fencer-E tactical reconnaissance aircraft.

Zelin said the Air Force will receive in the next decade not only modernized Su-27SM and MiG-29SMT fighters, but also generation 4++ Su-35S Flanker-E and MiG-35C Fulcrum-F fighters.

"The Russian Defense Ministry will start purchasing large numbers of these aircraft at the beginning of the next decade," the general said.

Meanwhile, Russia's fifth-generation multirole fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft maker, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under a preliminary intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007.

"Flight tests of the [fifth-generation] aircraft are scheduled to start in the second half of 2009, and the aircraft is expected be put into service in the next few years," the commander said.

He also said Su-24 fighter-bombers will soon be replaced by advanced Su-34 Fullback aircraft.

The general reiterated that Russia will start in 2009 the production of the Su-25UBM, a two-seat version of the Su-25SM.

MILITARY TRANSPORT AVIATION

There are up to 300 transport aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force, including An-12 Cub, An-72 Coaler, An-22 Cock, An-124 Condor and Il-76 Candid planes.

The An-12, An-22, and An-26 planes will be decommissioned in the near future, Zelin said.

The An-26 plane will be replaced by Il-112B light transport aircraft with higher payload capacity and better fuel efficiency.

"The first Il-112 is expected to make its maiden flight in 2011. The Air Force will order over 70 planes of this type," the general said.

The An-12 will be most likely replaced by a medium-haul transport plane jointly-developed by Russia and India, Zelin said.

The plane, with a 20-ton cargo capacity, is expected to go in service with the Russian and Indian air forces in about eight years.

The An-124 and its modernized version, the An-124-100, will remain in service as a strategic heavy airlift transport aircraft. In addition, 12 Il-76 aircraft will be modernized to Il-76MD-90A starting in 2011.

HELICOPTERS

The existing fleet of Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters will be fully replaced with new-generation Mi-28N Night Hunter and Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters by 2015.

"We have started deliveries of Mi-28N helicopters to combat units [in the North Caucasus military district] and plan to re-equip at least one squadron with these aircraft by the year end," Zelin said.

"We are also expecting to complete the tests of the Ka-52 helicopter this year," he added.

The Ka-52 is a twin-seat derivative of the Ka-50 Hokum-A attack helicopter, and is designed primarily for reconnaissance and target designation purposes. It is similar to the U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

UAV

The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will start playing an increasingly important role in future combat. Given their much lower manufacturing and maintenance costs they could form as much as 40% of the Air Force fleet by 2025, Zelin said.

The Air Force will start receiving domestically-developed attack UAVs in 2011.

"Unmanned and manned aircraft will complement one another, and must be able to accomplish a full range of combat missions in regional or local conflicts," the general said.

Russia to start flight tests of 5th-generation fighter
Air Force News — By RIA Novosti on May 12, 2009 at 2:59 am

http://www.defencetalk.com/russia-to-start-flight-tests-of-5th-generation-fighter-18739/

You are here » Home » Air Force News » Russia to start flight tests of 5th-generation fighter
Russia to start flight tests of 5th-generation fighter
Air Force News — By RIA Novosti on May 12, 2009 at 2:59 am
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KOMSOMOLSK-ON-AMUR: A Russian deputy prime minister said Monday that flight tests of a fifth-generation fighter will start in Russia by the end of 2009.

"By the end of this year, the plane will rise into the air and flight tests will begin," Sergei Ivanov told journalists after a shipbuilding meeting in the Far East, adding that serial production will start in 2010.

Russia's advanced multirole fighter is being developed by the Sukhoi aircraft maker, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), along with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), under a preliminary intergovernmental agreement signed in October 2007.

The first prototype is scheduled to make its maiden flight before the end of 2009.

Russia building new ’star wars’ missiles: air force
Missiles & Bombs News — By Agence France-Presse on August 12, 2009 at 8:18 am

http://www.defencetalk.com/russia-building-new-star-wars-missiles-air-force-21094/

Moscow: Russia is developing new missiles to counter space-based missile systems that could soon be deployed by the United States, Russia's air force commander was quoted as saying on Tuesday.

"We are building new missiles that will be capable of defending not only against air-defence systems but space-based systems," General Alexander Zelin said, quoted by Russian news agencies.

The United States and other countries will have deployed such satellite-based missile systems capable of striking any target in Russia by 2030, he said.

"Foreign air forces, above of all the United States, will acquire the capability to deal time-synchronized precision strikes on a global scale at virtually any target on Russia territory," Zelin said.

The threat "is not virtual, but real," he added.

To counter such potential, Russia has begun work on the S-500 surface-to-air missile system that would have ballistic missile tracking capabilities and aim at a range of up to 3,500 kilometers, according to defence reports.

"The S-500 system is capable of defeating all manner of ballistic missiles and supersonic air devices," Zelin said.

Moscow vehemently opposes US plans to site a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe and has reacted warily to plans under the previous US administration it claimed had accelerated the militarisation of outer space.

Washington insists its shield plan is not directed against Russia but threats from "rogue states" such as Iran.

Last year, when the US military was planning to shoot down a rogue US spy satellite, Russia's defence ministry said the plans looked like a veiled weapons test and an "attempt to move the arms race into space."

Both Russia and China have proposed a new treaty banning the use of weapons in space, but the idea was rejected by the White House.

Quoted:
Yeah...

As a former ADA...this needs to be watched.

Quoted:
i hate to say we as americans are allowing communist china and russia to get ahead of us by our own spending habits. americans need to invest in america. that means buying american made products. i could care less if a product is made by union labor. i just want the products to be made by american citizens here in the usa. manufacturing builds wealth. thats personal wealth and national wealth!

Quoted:


I agree. It needs to be watched. Some critical questions are:
-what are the proposed delivery time-frames?
-what will their force structure look like? (They said 70% of their air force will be modernized, so how many aircraft are they talking about?)
-where are they deploying their aircraft?

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If they keep their force size the same or anywhere close to where it is now, yet replace their older systems such as MiG-23s, MiG-25s and Su-24s with aircraft such as the MiG-35, Su-35 and Su-34, then that poses a VERY SERIOUS world threat. All of those aircraft are very modern and capable. I'd argue that the Su-35 is at least equal or superior to anything we have in service, minus the F-22.  Even a couple hundred of those would greatly enhance Russia's air to air capabilities.