International Aerospace Discussion

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 17 Jan 2012 07:10

Researching the Y-20 (the Chinese equiv of the IL-76/476) came across this

In the US, on 16 July 2009, a former Boeing employee was convicted of selling C-17 technical details to China. Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 72, of Orange, Calif., who was employed by Rockwell International from 1973 until its defense and space unit was acquired by Boeing in 1996, was arrested February 11, 2008 without incident at his residence by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators with NASA. Chung, a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen, held a Secret security clearance when he worked at Rockwell and Boeing on the Space Shuttle program. He retired from the company in 2002, but the next year he returned to Boeing as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006. The indictment alleged that he took and concealed Boeing trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft and the Delta IV rocket. Individuals in the Chinese aviation industry hd begun sending Chung "tasking" letters as early as 1979. A May 2, 1987 letter from Gu Weihao, an official in the Ministry of Aviation and China Aviation Industry Corporation, concluded with the statement: "It is your honor and China's fortune that you are able to realize your wish of dedicating yourself to the service of your country." Chung responded in one undated letter that "I would like to make an effort to contribute to the Four Modernizations of China."

Interesting ..............................

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 20 Jan 2012 04:22

AEW C-295 clears first phase of flight trials

Flight Global article

Airbus Military has completed initial flight test activities on an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) derivative of its C-295 medium transport, as radar supplier Elta Systems anticipates a first sale of the developmental system.

Work on the project was revealed in May 2011, before Airbus Military announced the Israel Aerospace Industries subsidiary as its programme partner at the Paris Air Show the following month. The European manufacturer also exhibited a radome-equipped demonstrator at the event.

"We have completed the flight trials and matured the aerodynamic configuration of the radome," said Fernando Ciria, Airbus Military's head of marketing and development for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. This activity has indicated that a C-295 modified for the AEW&C mission could provide an on-station endurance of up to 8h, operating at a maximum altitude of between 20,000ft (6,100m) and 24,000ft, he said.

....

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 20 Jan 2012 13:41

Dassault Aviation officialy displays UCAV nEUROn to the six Government representatives

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 21 Jan 2012 21:22

Jan 17, 2012 :: New AWACS Plane Enters Russian Air Force Service

A modernized A-50U airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft entered service with the Russian Air Force on Tuesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Col Vladimir Drik said.

The aircraft, which has an advanced onboard computer, satellite communication and radar systems, was delivered to the Air Force in October and started flight tests.

It will participate in all major military exercises this year, the spokesman added.

The aircraft now has the capability to detect various types of flying targets, including helicopters, cruise missiles and supersonic aircraft, he said.

The Beriev A-50, based on the Ilyushin Il-76 transport, first flew in 1978. It entered service in 1984, with about 40 produced by 1992.

The A-50 can track up to 10 fighter aircraft for either air-to-air interception or air-to-ground attack missions.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 22 Jan 2012 20:06

Jan 21, 2012 :: Upgraded Su-27s abandoned by China start enter Russian Air Force

Sukhoi has delivered 12 Su-27SM(3)s to the Russian air force. The aircraft were originally intended to be supplied as subassemblies to China under a contract signed in 2009, and the last delivery was made in late December. The airframes were assembled at Sukhoi’s KnAAPO plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from parts originally manufactured for what was meant to be a second batch of 95 airframes in the Chinese order for 200 Su-27SKs. However, China took only the first 105 Su-27SKs, most of which were assembled in China from Russian kits.

The Su-27SM(3) is a single-seat multirole fighter capable of air superiority and ground strike missions. The Russian air force has already upgraded a considerable number of its Su-27 fighters to the SM standard. The SM(3) has a stronger airframe than previous SM variants, allowing the manufacturer to increase mtow by more than 2,000 pounds. It has additional hard points for weapons carriage. The heavier weight is offset by higher-thrust AL-31F-M1 engines manufactured by MMPP Salut. As an added bonus, these engines have extended service life.

The Su-27SM(3) also features a new electronic warfare suite and improved targeting systems. The weapons package includes new missiles (Sukhoi declined to specify the type) and the air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles in the Su-27SM(3) arsenal have longer firing ranges. Furthermore, the Su-27SM(3) can use modern precision guidance munitions guided by Glonass/GPS. Finally, the company has added the KIS “comprehensive information system,” which monitors the condition of onboard systems to make maintenance easier.

The cockpits of previous Su-27SM variants were based on dial instruments. But the SM(3) has a modern glass cockpit with four liquid-crystal MFDs in lieu of 13 “steam gauges” on the original Su-27S. The onboard communications complex is jam-proof and provides a secure datalink with ground command posts and airborne assets. According to Sukhoi the Su-27SM(3) is more than twice as effective against aerial targets and three times more effective against ground targets than the Su-27S.

The Russian air force exhibited a Su-27SM(3) at the Moscow Air Show last August, but at the time did not specify how it differed from earlier SM variants.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 22 Jan 2012 20:33

Jan 22, 2012 :: Russia Keeps 30 MiG-31 Interceptors on High-Alert Duty

More than 30 MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptor aircraft are on round-the-clock high-alert duty every day protecting the Russian airspace from airborne threats, Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said.

“They [the MiG-31s] scramble every time they receive warnings of a potential violation of the Russian airspace, including the appearance of foreign weather balloons in the stratosphere,”Drik said on Saturday .

The official said the MiG-31s are usually accompanied by highly-maneuverable Su-27 Flanker fighter jets, which provide protection for heavy interceptors.

MiG-31 interceptors are an integral part of a comprehensive aerospace defense network being created in Russia to thwart any potential airborne threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

According to various sources, about 500 MiG-31s have been produced since serial production began in 1978, approximately 370 of which remain in service with the Russian Air Force.

Russia plans to upgrade more than 60 MiG-31 interceptors to the MiG-31BM version by 2020.

The modernized version is fitted with upgraded avionics and digital data links, a new multimode radar, color multi-function cockpit displays, and a more powerful weapons-control system. It can detect airborne targets at the range of 320 kilometers (200 miles) and simultaneously track up to 10 targets.

sum · Post by **sum** » 23 Jan 2012 11:18

Snippet in OrBat. Andy-mullah might confirm if true:

Readers who are real old timers (like in their sixties and seventies) will remember the heck of a time the Luftwaffe had with its F-104s, losing about a third of their total purchase to accidents in the 1960s and 1970s. This was after losing a third of their F-84s, the first combat aircraft inducted into the new Luftwaffe. There were three reasons for that. First, the Starfighter was designed as an air superiority fighter, like the MiG-21, not as a fighter-bomber which is the way the German used it. Yes, the G model was developed as a fighter-bomber, but it was a more “we have this plane what do we do with it because the USAF doesn’t want it” kind of thing”. The Germans, like everyone except the US, used a low-level attack doctrine. Combine the weather and the aircraft being used for something it was not optimized, and you had a lot of crashes. Second, the Germans lost an entire generation of fighter pilots between 1945 and 1956, before they got to fly again. And the men who were part of the new Luftwaffe were used to the casual way you operate in war – or used to, anyway. To understand how the Germans flew – Ole, Red Baron! – read this http://yarchive.net/mil/german_f104_losses.html But last, something not widely known. The Germans kept their F-104s in the open, exposed to the weather. A big no-no for something as sophisticated and its own way delicate like the F-104.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Jan 2012 22:28

Russia to Receive 30 Vityaz Air Defense Systems by 2020

The Russian Air Force will receive over 30 Vityaz and 100 Pantsir-S air defense systems by 2020, spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Monday.

“We are planning to acquire by 2020 more than 100 short-range Pantsir-S and over 30 mid-range Vityaz systems to rearm air defense units,” Drik said.

Pantsir-S is a short-to-medium range combined surface-to-air missile and antiaircraft artillery system designed to protect point and area targets.

It carries up to 12 two-stage solid-fuel surface-to-air missiles in sealed ready-to-launch containers and has two dual 30 mm automatic cannons that can engage targets at a range of up to 4 km.

The Vityaz is expected to replace the outdated S-300PS systems, whose service life is coming to an end in the next two years.

The Vityaz will complement the Morfey, the S-400 and the S-500 air defense systems in the future aerospace defense network to engage targets at ranges from five to 400 kilometers, and at altitudes from five meters to near space.

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 24 Jan 2012 08:38

Sukhoi begins flight tests of the 3rd serial Su-35S fighter

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 25 Jan 2012 04:04

Jan 24, 2012 :: State defense order will include more than 100 new-built Il-476 military transport aircraft

It is planned to carry out the production of more than 100 Il-476 military transport aircraft by 2020. These vehicles will be used not only for transportation, but also for special missions on behalf of EMERCOM and as a flight data centers, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports.

The scope of the state defense order for these jets has been declared by vice-premier, Dmitry Rogozin, who has visited Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP. "The deliveries to Ministry of Defense should be started in 2014 - 2015, - he noted. – We will discuss the order’s distribution and the schedule of deliveries with the ministry. We will try to find a solution, when we would be able to start using funds, intended for 2014-2015, this and next year".

The workshop for assembly of Il-476 has been opened for the first time during Rogozin’s visit. The authorities and employees of the enterprise have been using the “Item 476” designation for the jet earlier. Now the technical characteristics of the aircraft have been unveiled.

The new aircraft is the modernization of Il-76 military transport aircraft (it has been assembled in Tashkent earlier). It has serious distinctions from its “predecessor”. Il-476 has the new wing design, intended for maximum takeoff weight of 210 tons instead of 190 tons, its range has been extended by 18% and its fuel efficiency has been increased by 15%. It has an improved thrust/weight ratio and takeoff and landing performance, which is especially important under the conditions of uplands. Il-476 is equipped with new engines manufactured in Perm’, with a thrust of 14,5 tons each. The jet meets ICAO requirements on noise and emission. The number of crew members has been decreased from 7 to 6. The jet is equipped with digital control systems and the advanced navigation target acquisition system, which allows usage of foreign and Russian equipment.

The testing of Il-476 should be started this spring. "We have launched the production of three aircraft from the pilot batch and signed a contract with UAC – Transport Aircraft. The first two aircraft should be delivered in 2013", - Sergey Dementyev, CEO of Aviastar, explained. Meanwhile, according to Dmitry Rogozin, the question of “fair price” has not been squared by the airframer and the customer. "I believe we should specify the price (in the state defense order), which allows the enterprise’s employees having more than region’s average salary. It is a very important factor, which will be discussed with the Ministry of Defense ". Possibly, such an agreement will also enlarge on the Ulyanovsk aviation plant.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 25 Jan 2012 06:00

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 25 Jan 2012 06:17

Short, but fun vid. POWER for you!!!

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 25 Jan 2012 06:34

^what the heck? how did he manage to come down at that AoA!~

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 25 Jan 2012 06:44

SaiK wrote:^what the heck? how did he manage to come down at that AoA!~

I should have stated that the pilot was told to abort -perhaps at the very last second.

Even then, I am not sure what transpired, but the pilot lifts the front end up and applies POWER. Man these pups have that for sure.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 25 Jan 2012 16:14

Looks like some Thrust vectoring was also used, does the Su-33 have thrust vectoring?

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 25 Jan 2012 16:30

The pilot makes the approach for landing and at the last moment realizes....oops! WRONG CARRIER!!!

andy B · Post by **andy B** » 28 Jan 2012 10:59

Aditya_V wrote:Looks like some Thrust vectoring was also used, does the Su-33 have thrust vectoring?

AFAIK ze su 33 does not sport TVN/TVC however you can clearly see the canards deflecting upwards by a large margin thus pushing the AOA and nose up onlee...also these pups probably have a lighter nose compared to the MKI given that the bars would definitely be heavier than whatever radar (cant remember) these pups boast....key note is however as Nrao saar said its the power that these puppies have that made that move possible deflecting the aoa to a large degree is one thing but being able to climb out of such a position is entirely different also shows IMHO the sheer simplicity of operation of those large intakes as well...

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 29 Jan 2012 09:34

Russian Fighter Aircrafts - Weapon loadout & important systems [Graphic Illustration]

http://www.aame.in/2012/01/russian-figh ... eapon.html

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 29 Jan 2012 09:45

thanks for posting. company bahadur's colour printer and A3 paper tray will soon receive a few 'jobs'

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 29 Jan 2012 10:22

U-2 Spy Plane to fly into next decade

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 30 Jan 2012 03:31

Presenting the X-Wing !!

Watch the video.....it's a nice design concept!

SKrishna · Post by **SKrishna** » 30 Jan 2012 12:30

Russia to delay space mission due to technical problems

The expected delay follows a series of technical mishaps that marred Russia's celebration of 50 years last year since Yuri Gagarin's pioneering first human space flight.

The source added the shell of the descent vehicle, used to carry astronauts to the surface of Earth or other celestial bodies, broke during testing ahead of the take-off.

Whats happening...?

sumshyam · Post by **sumshyam** » 31 Jan 2012 18:13

Iran to unveil new home-made UAV.

It should be called toy UAV.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 Feb 2012 10:47

Sukhoi/NAPO Su-34 Fullback

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 03 Feb 2012 17:19

Ukraine has called the price for An-70

The price of one An-70 military transport aircraft is about $67 million. According to Lenta.ru, it has been declared by Andrey Artushenko, Director of division for arms and military hardware development and procurement of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. According to him, the turboprop’s price is preliminary and it may be changed, because the development program of the transport aircraft has not been completed yet.

An-70 is being developed by Ukraine and Russia. Ukrainian Ministry of Defense intends to allocate $43.3 million for development of the turboprop in 2012. It has been reported earlier that Russia will contribute $85.1 million to the An-70 project by 2013, while Ukraine will allocate $60.2 million for these purposes.

According to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian air forces, Viktor Bondarev, the operational testing of An-70 may be performed this year and then the decision on the vehicle’s acquisition will be taken. The Minister of Defense of Russian Federation, Anatoly Serdukov, has stated in April 2011 that the ministry intends to acquire 60 An-70s. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense plans to acquire three such aircraft.

Russian Ministry of Defense has acquired the first An-70, which is being assembled at Kiev-based Aviant plant, in July 2011. The contract on turboprop’s delivery has been signed in order to help Ukraine start the assembly of the second An-70. According to Serdyukov, the production of An-70 will be launched in Russia in future. Possibly, Russia will start manufacturing of An-70 in 2014.

An-70 has a maximum speed of 780 km/h and range of 7,800 km. The short-takeoff and landing transport aircraft is able to transport 300 troopers or 47 tons of cargo. An-70 will be able to takeoff from unpaved airfields with length of 600-800 meters.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 03 Feb 2012 19:39

$100 mil funding for a large transport plane project is wierd. if they had any intent to build more than 1 / annum !
a typical such pgm would need $1b to start a good production run.

member_20067 · Post by **member_20067** » 08 Feb 2012 04:56

heavy duty

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 08 Feb 2012 07:56

Singha wrote:$100 mil funding for a large transport plane project is wierd. if they had any intent to build more than 1 / annum !
a typical such pgm would need $1b to start a good production run.

The first one flew around 1995ish. This round of funding is to get it up and running again.

Having said that the Ukrainians and Russians are conducting a strange mating dance. In one of them they would like the Indo-Russo MRTA to be shelved in favor of another AN solution.

No matter what both talk a ton about this and that but are very reluctant to allocate funds for any thing. At times it looks like they want India to fund the MRTA and they get a few planes out of it.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 08 Feb 2012 10:33

the AC-130 looks good but cannot survive in sort of peer-vs-peer SAM dense env. a Akash or SA-15 or even a tunguska will shred it neatly from end to end.

thats why strictly a khan weapon useful for bush wars not a real war.

pragnya · Post by **pragnya** » 08 Feb 2012 10:48

for those who are interested. from flightglobal -

World Air Forces 2011-2012

need to register though...

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 09 Feb 2012 15:07

UK to buy eighth C-17 transport

The UK is to receive another Boeing C-17 strategic transport, with the acquisition to boost the Royal Air Force's fleet of the type to eight aircraft.

Announced by prime minister David Cameron on 8 February, the £200 million ($316 million) purchase represents the potentially final addition to the UK's C-17 fleet, which plays a vital role in sustaining its "airbridge" with Afghanistan. Seven are flown by the service's 99 Sqn from its air transport super base at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 09 Feb 2012 15:15

Alert !! gotto watch this unknown customer

Israel Aerospace Industries secures $150m. foreign deal

Under the deal announced Tuesday, IAI will provide fire control radars to be installed on the foreign customer's fighter aircraft.

Using advanced technology, the ELM 2032 radar enhances surveillance and fire control capabilities in air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea operations. It can detect and track targets while employing advanced techniques to lock on to them.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 09 Feb 2012 15:45

Russian S-500 air defense system delivery delayed by two years

Russia’s Almaz-Antey concern will finish the development of the advanced S-500 air defense system by 2017, two years later than the deadline announced earlier, the company’s General Director Vitaly Neskorodov said.

The S-500, a long-range air defense missile system, is expected to become the backbone of a unified aerospace defense system being formed in Russia.

Neskorodov said in an interview with Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that the complexity of technical solutions used in this unique system and some management problems led to the delay in the development.

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 09 Feb 2012 15:53

Japanese scramble fighters as Russian TU - 95 approach over Sanin

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 09 Feb 2012 17:29

pragnya wrote:for those who are interested. from flightglobal -

World Air Forces 2011-2012

need to register though...

Better link, no registration

http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/me ... 90190.aspx

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 10 Feb 2012 22:31

First Tornado ASSTA 3.0 upgrade aircraft makes maiden flight

May be EF is not trusted till 2025.

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 15 Feb 2012 21:21

Lockheed Martin unveils new F-16V fighter

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 16 Feb 2012 10:56

New F15 cockpit under development...

http://defense-update.com/20120215_new- ... pects.html

viveks · Post by **viveks** » 16 Feb 2012 11:12

They seem to be sprucing up almost every platform at par with F-35.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Feb 2012 11:41

the Tornado update means even less chances of anyone funding the Typhoon a2g capabilities other than the saudis.

"cost effective" 5th gen fighter remains a mirage until pakfa hopefully delivers a affordable soln