Military Aviation Industry: News

Headline is retarded but the interview is actually insightful and gives good prospects

Digital engineering in UAC:

https://uacrussia.livejournal.com/92409.html

Prospects of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant

In the October issue (No. 7/142) for 2020 of the factory newspaper "Runway" of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant named after V.P. Chkalov (NAZ; a part of PJSC "Company" Sukhoi "as part of PJSC" United Aircraft Corporation "- KLA) published an interview with the general director of the plant SN Panasenko , outlining, including the prospects of NAE activities for the coming years. In September In 2020, at the V.P. Chkalov Novosibirsk Aviation Plant (NAZ; part of PJSC Sukhoi Company), the production of another motorcycle compartment for Tu-160M2 strategic bombers ("product 70M2") was completed, which was sent to PJSC Tupolev (c) "Runway"

In response to the corresponding question, S.N. Panasenko states:

In the period from 2016 to 2019, our enterprise faced a decrease in production volumes, which required us and the management of PJSC Sukhoi Company to work hard to attract and

launch new products. Starting in 2016, we started production of prototypes of promising aircraft complexes, units and assemblies of the Su-57.

In cooperation with the enterprises of PJSC "UAC" on the product "70M2"[Tu-160M2] we have mastered the production of five types of components and 290 items of DSE (parts and assembly units) and continue their serial delivery. Today, the enterprise received an application from the UAC enterprise to continue the production of components under this program for the long term until 2027 inclusive.

We have mastered the manufacture of DSE in the amount of 430 names of products manufactured by the GAT [civil aviation equipment] and are working to expand the range of products manufactured. We are working on the possibility of entering into cooperation for the additional production of component parts of about eight items of names and 1080 DSE positions for the production of VAT and GAT in other promising areas with UAC enterprises for the period of 2021, planned 2022 and 2023.

The plant becomes the center of specialization for the manufacture of suspended units. For example, our company quickly mastered the manufacture of PTB-2000, PTB-3400 suspended fuel tanks, VTB-M and VTB-B auxiliary fuel tanks [tanks for internal weapons compartments] and a set of adapters for the fifth generation Su-57 aircraft. Due to the fact that the Ministry of Defense signed a long-term contract for the supply of this aircraft, in this direction the plant will increase volumes annually, including from 2021 on the production of two-post and three-post platforms.

This year, a contract was signed for the supply of the Su-34 for the period 2021-2022. The next contract for the period 2022-2027 is currently at the signing stage. This will change the "face" of the supplied aircraft:the new installed equipment will make it possible to qualitatively change the capabilities of our "duck" in terms of building up means of destruction.

Su-34 aircraft came to us for the first overhaul.To ensure this repair, the BAT design department at the end of 2018 was tasked with creating repair documentation. During 2019, all the design documentation of the Su-34 was revised for the possibility and methods of repair, cases of breakdown or failure of parts and mechanisms were analyzed, and as a result, by the end of 2019, 100 volumes of repair documentation were written, and in August 2020 it was completed their coordination with 195 military operations of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The repair of the entire fleet of Su-34 aircraft will make it possible in the future to claim a significant amount of workload in terms of the overhaul of the Su-34 as its service life expires, which means it will ensure the workload of the enterprise for several years ahead.

Taking into account the planned workload of the branch, the number of staff for 2020-2021 is stable, with the need for recruiting certain professions of the ODA.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4165063.html

New doomsday planes will be based on the il-96-400M

https://tass.ru/armiya-i-opk/9709963


Since 4 il-80 (based on the il86 airliner) were built, maybe we can imagine a similar number of aircrafts based on the il96...

Any order will help maintaining widebody production until they are ready with the 2 engines version...

An interesting interview with Mikhail Gordin, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after PI Baranov.

https://vpk-news.ru/articles/59072

On what do small aircrafts fly?

In recent years, many samples of light aircraft have appeared, designed to solve transport problems in Russian regions, but only the engines of all prototypes are imported. This is critical both for civil aviation and for the drones supplied to the Ministry of Defense. What is the current situation with the development and production of piston aircraft engines, the "Military-Industrial Courier" was told by Mikhail Gordin, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after PI Baranov.
(...)

There are a lot of important questions and answers in the full text of the interview and I suggest to read it at the link above.

I will report here a short extract, because of an announcement from defence minister Shoigu that I read this morning.

If there is no mass production of small civil aircraft, then all hope is for the production of military drones, but the volumes there are still finite. What are the prospects for piston aircraft?
- So far, it is possible to focus normally only on the plans of the military, and it is possible that the implementation of the state defense order in this area will somehow pull the development of civil aviation along with it. But again we will run into the existing flight rules. In small aircraft, accidents are inevitable, although not on the same scale as on the roads. But if the state is forced to put up with car accidents, then the ideal of aviation security is that no one should fly. In the USA, your safety is your problem: if you want to fly, fly, you will get killed - it was your choice. And here the state thinks about the lives of its citizens. Let us recall how small aviation developed in the USSR. DOSAAF, "Komsomolets - on the plane!" - this was directly related to the need to have a large number of pilots. Now there is no state need for this for a simple reason - the country and the army simply do not need such a number of pilots as before. If there was such a need at the state level, there would be funding, and therefore production.

This article reporting a declaration from Shoigu is very interesting

https://rg.ru/2020/11/18/shojgu-aviaciiu-dosaaf-neobhodimo-vozrodit-v-szhatye-sroki.html

Shoigu: DOSAAF aviation must be revived in a short time

18 November 2020

Alexander Stepanov
It is necessary to revive the aviation of DOSAAF, as well as improve the management of property and production complexes of the defense society, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting of the Supervisory Board of DOSAAF of Russia.
In addition, it is important to regulate interaction with educational structures, to seriously improve the personnel of DOSAAF, and these tasks must be solved as soon as possible, he added.

Note the DOSAAF is The Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy of Russia (ДОСААФ России
Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту России)

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:An interesting interview with Mikhail Gordin, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after PI Baranov.

https://vpk-news.ru/articles/59072

On what do small aircrafts fly?

In recent years, many samples of light aircraft have appeared, designed to solve transport problems in Russian regions, but only the engines of all prototypes are imported. This is critical both for civil aviation and for the drones supplied to the Ministry of Defense. What is the current situation with the development and production of piston aircraft engines, the "Military-Industrial Courier" was told by Mikhail Gordin, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after PI Baranov.
(...)

There are a lot of important questions and answers in the full text of the interview and I suggest to read it at the link above.

I will report here a short extract, because of an announcement from defence minister Shoigu that I read this morning.

If there is no mass production of small civil aircraft, then all hope is for the production of military drones, but the volumes there are still finite. What are the prospects for piston aircraft?
- So far, it is possible to focus normally only on the plans of the military, and it is possible that the implementation of the state defense order in this area will somehow pull the development of civil aviation along with it. But again we will run into the existing flight rules. In small aircraft, accidents are inevitable, although not on the same scale as on the roads. But if the state is forced to put up with car accidents, then the ideal of aviation security is that no one should fly. In the USA, your safety is your problem: if you want to fly, fly, you will get killed - it was your choice. And here the state thinks about the lives of its citizens. Let us recall how small aviation developed in the USSR. DOSAAF, "Komsomolets - on the plane!" - this was directly related to the need to have a large number of pilots. Now there is no state need for this for a simple reason - the country and the army simply do not need such a number of pilots as before. If there was such a need at the state level, there would be funding, and therefore production.

This article reporting a declaration from Shoigu is very interesting

https://rg.ru/2020/11/18/shojgu-aviaciiu-dosaaf-neobhodimo-vozrodit-v-szhatye-sroki.html

Shoigu: DOSAAF aviation must be revived in a short time

18 November 2020

Alexander Stepanov
It is necessary to revive the aviation of DOSAAF, as well as improve the management of property and production complexes of the defense society, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting of the Supervisory Board of DOSAAF of Russia.
In addition, it is important to regulate interaction with educational structures, to seriously improve the personnel of DOSAAF, and these tasks must be solved as soon as possible, he added.

Note the DOSAAF is The Voluntary Society for Assistance to the Army, Aviation and Navy of Russia (ДОСААФ России
Добровольное общество содействия армии, авиации и флоту России)

ROSTO-DOSAAF works well, have a lot of airplanes and personel. Probably it is time to upgrade the organization and return to the size of Sobiet times
https://russianplanes.net/al/236
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%94%D0%9E%D0%A1%D0%90%D0%90%D0%A4_%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8

A little bit smaller should be enough.

Maybe DOSAAF could buy the SR-10.

Hole wrote:A little bit smaller should be enough.

Maybe DOSAAF could buy the SR-10.

I have read it is planned to re-equip with the Yak-152.

Yak-152 will replace the old Yak-52 and other simple trainers. I mean SR-10 as successor for the L-39.

Hole wrote:Yak-152 will replace the old Yak-52 and other simple trainers. I mean SR-10 as successor for the L-39.

i don't believe the DOSAAF needs jet trainers.
Gliders and il-103 should be enough for them (or maybe even ultralight aircrafts), but I do not know any Russian model.



They can check the aptitude to aerobatics with gliders anyway. Passage to high performing aircrafts can wait until they go to the air force.

Maybe the particularly apt ones could have some experience on the su26 or su29



SR-10 would have been for the air force as intermediate trainer, I do not know if there are news about it. I thought everything was frozen....

AFAIK the SR-10 was cheap and simple and would be the intermediate trainer aircraft filling the gap between the primary trainer... single prop Yak-152, and the final twin jet trainer Yak-130.

The SR-10 would fill the role of the L39 as a twin jet primary trainer that was simple and cheap... I would think being cheap would make it an ideal choice, but also as an early experience aircraft to fly before you go to the air force training on the 152s and 130s.

The SR-10 would be low cost but would offer experience in a multi engined jet...

I don't know a lot about DOSAAF, but I would think a bit of variety and a cheaper twin jet like the SR-10 would suit their budget better than the Yak-130 which would be a lot more expensive, but I would think the alternative to the SR-10 for DOSAAF would be the L39 or L29... which I would expect would be what they used before.

SR-10 or something like that would be a much better choice... and a bulk sale to DOSAAF would also help improve the design and construction etc etc... fit it with ejection seats and safety gear and it would likely become a rather popular civilian aircraft nationally and internationally...

GarryB wrote:AFAIK the SR-10 was cheap and simple and would be the intermediate trainer aircraft filling the gap between the primary trainer... single prop Yak-152, and the final twin jet trainer Yak-130.

The SR-10 would fill the role of the L39 as a twin jet primary trainer that was simple and cheap... I would think being cheap would make it an ideal choice, but also as an early experience aircraft to fly before you go to the air force training on the 152s and 130s.

The SR-10 would be low cost but would offer experience in a multi engined jet...

I don't know a lot about DOSAAF, but I would think a bit of variety and a cheaper twin jet like the SR-10 would suit their budget better than the Yak-130 which would be a lot more expensive, but I would think the alternative to the SR-10 for DOSAAF would be the L39 or L29...  which I would expect would be what they used before.

SR-10 or something like that would be a much better choice... and a bulk sale to DOSAAF would also help improve the design and construction etc etc... fit it with ejection seats and safety gear and it would likely become a rather popular civilian aircraft nationally and internationally...

SR10 are single engine jets, the prototype uses an old jet engine (AI-25) produced by motor sich, but for the production version they were planning to use the Russian Saturn AL-55 (a much more  modern engine already in use in the Indian Jet trainer HAL HJT-36 Sitara.

By the way, the SR-10 prototype took part for the first time in sports piloting competitions in the Kaluga region. 

https://rtvi.com/broadcast/kak-v-rossii-ispytyvayut-pervyy-chastnyy-reaktivnyy-samolet/

Unfortunately it didn't receive any development funding from the government yet or any order.

The prototype appeared at the various russian airshows, but nothing happened. Hopefully the participation of last september in that air race will move something.


Personally I like the aircraft and it is in an important niche. In italy we had the single engine jet SIAE marchetti S.211/S-211 intermediate trainer (soon replaced by the M345) to sit in the same role,
between the SIAE Marchetti SF260 (design from the great Stelio Frati) and the advanced trainer M346 (an alternative development of the Yak-130).

I advocate its introduction for the air force, but I am not sure DOSAAF need jet trainers... what kind of aircrafts were flown by DOSAAF in soviet times?

The whole interview with Yelchaninov that is producing headlines about all the new Russian aircraft projects:

https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=2&nid=543339&lang=RU

LMFS wrote:The whole interview with Yelchaninov that is producing headlines about all the new Russian aircraft projects:

https://www.militarynews.ru/story.asp?rid=2&nid=543339&lang=RU

Αndrey Yelchaninov: Su-57 is a smart plane with smart weapons

Moscow. December 16. INTERFAX - A line of new aircraft will be created on the basis of the Il-114-300 that made its first flight, and the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter may receive a two-seat version, said Andrei Yelchaninov, first deputy chairman of the board of the Military-Industrial Commission. In an interview with Interfax, he talked about the work on a new "strategist", a sixth generation fighter and attack drones.

- Andrey Fedorovich, today the long-awaited first flight of the regional plane Il- 114-300 took place . was it successful ? How soon will the aircraft tests be completed, and will serial deliveries begin ?

“Based on the results of the first flight, we were convinced of the ability of our industry to implement this project. The instruction of the President of Russia was given back in 2016. So this is a significant event for the aviation industry. IL-114 has shown its viability and is moving to a new stage - flight and certification tests. Deliveries to customers are expected from 2023.

Il-114-300 is an aircraft for regional passenger traffic and is primarily oriented towards the domestic market. Already now we see interest in it from regional airlines. Equipped with modern equipment and systems, it will be able to replace outdated An aircraft and imported aircraft of a similar class in the carriers' fleets.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Il-114-300 is not a copy of the Soviet Il-114 aircraft, which was still operated in the CIS countries until the year before last. These are new engines, new avionics and a new interior. And, of course, a new approach to aircraft operation and after-sales service. The aircraft was not born as easily as we would like, although the technical solutions were predictable.


- How did you manage to cope with these difficulties when creating the IL- 114?

- The necessary decisions, including personnel decisions, were made in the development companies and manufacturers. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), with the approval of Rostec, has built a third prototype of the aircraft in order to attract it to flight tests and fit into the timing of reaching the finish line. In fact, in 2018, the program was transferred to manual control mode by the Russian government with the participation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, UAC and Rostec. Ultimately, we managed to give an additional impetus to the development of the program, we reached the finish line and now we see the result - the first flight of the highly demanded Il-114-300 aircraft.

The aircraft is intended for regional routes, primarily in the regions of the North, Far East and Siberia. It is designed for autonomous operation in a wide range of climatic conditions using short runways and airfields with poor technical equipment. The Il-114-300 aircraft is the basic one; on its basis, options for creating also demanded transport and transport-passenger versions will be worked out.


- Do you already have a starting customer ?

- In the near future, a firm contract will be signed with the State Transport Leasing Company (STLC) for the supply of three aircraft in the interests of regional airlines.


- Are the military interested in this plane ?

- The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is considering the possibility of creating special versions on the basis of the Il-114 - this is an aerial photography plane, and, quite possibly, a repeater plane, given its ability to patrol for a rather long time, up to about 9 hours. And also these are aircraft-special communication centers, radiation, chemical reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft can be used under the Open Skies Treaty as a replacement for the An-30. In general, he has quite big prospects.


- In general, how do you assess the situation in the aviation industry against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic ?

- Throughout the world, the aviation industry suffered the most significant financial and economic losses during the pandemic. As for the Russian enterprises that worked on the execution of the state defense order, the epidemiological situation did not fundamentally affect the fulfillment of obligations. All aircraft to be delivered will be handed over.


- Will the Su-57 fighter be delivered on time ?

- We expect that the delivery of the first production Su-57 aircraft to the customer represented by the Ministry of Defense will take place by the end of December.


- How do you assess the work on this project ?

- Su-57 is one of the basic programs in the interests of the Ministry of Defense. This is a platform on the basis of which a whole family of aircraft, including specialized ones, can be born. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of aviation, such a huge volume of tests will have to be performed: 10 aircraft are involved in them, more than 4.2 thousand flights have been performed. They have not yet been fully completed. But there is complete confidence that the aircraft in the form that is being transferred to the troops will complete state tests in 2021, and all technical problems have been resolved.


- Is there any progress in creating the second stage engine ?

- Work continues. We hope that within the framework of this or the next serial contract, the aircraft will already be supplied with a new engine. Yes, this is a rather lengthy procedure, but aircraft remotorization has always been a slow process that requires a large amount of flight tests and an assessment of the interaction of all systems with the power plant.


- How is the creation of new weapons for the Su-57 progressing ?

- The peculiarity of the Su-57 is that it carries not only weapons that are already used by other types of aircraft (MiG-29, Su-30SM, Su-34), but also new types of weapons that will be used from the inside of the fuselage space. Their tests are planned to be completed in 2021 as part of the aviation armament complex. They are created from scratch, these are completely new samples, with new characteristics, using new guidance principles. This is a really big step forward. The Su-57 is a smart aircraft with smart weapons - air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.


- Is the export of the Su-57 possible in the near future, or is only a "PR action " going on so far ?

- This is not a PR campaign, but a normally organized work: a product that is highly appreciated domestically by the Ministry of Defense will also be in demand by our foreign partners. Negotiations are underway with potential buyers. Various delivery options are being considered: a separate aircraft and an aircraft with a full range of weapons, with an after-sales service system. In addition, at the request of the customer, the appearance of the aircraft can be modified. So we are confidently talking about the export prospects of the Su-57.

A two-seater version of this aircraft will probably be in demand for export. We are able to create it: now this need is being rethought by both our Ministry of Defense and potential customers.


- How would you comment on the situation with the theft of equipment on the secret Il-80 plane in Taganrog ?

- I am sure that the competent authorities will find the persons who caused the damage, but it will be very difficult to compensate for it. The aircraft operator must assess the damage and make a decision - to restore the aircraft from the units and assemblies available in the reserve, or place an order for the reproduction of the stolen one. I note that these units and blocks are far from mass production.


- How will the IL-80 continue to be used in the military in the near future ?

- The program is not being completed, it will be developed with a different type of aircraft. The Ministry of Defense has opened work on the creation of aircraft to replace the Il-80, the development and production of prototypes of the control aircraft and the repeater aircraft has been set. The control plane will be based on the Il-96, and the relay plane will be based on the new Il-76.


- How do you assess the success of the Russian Federation in creating drones ? Is there a lag behind other countries ? The whole world is now talking about the effectiveness of Turkish drones

- We do not emphasize our achievements. You should not be embarrassed that the names of our drones are not mentioned as often as Turkish ones during the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. We have similar technical solutions that we are able to apply equally successfully in our interests. This applies to almost any dimension of the UAV. We have no lag here, there are problematic issues, we are trying to resolve them in a short time.

In my opinion, the development of three firms for the needs of the Ministry of Defense deserves public attention: the Kronstadt company, the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) and the Sukhoi company.

The line of Kronstadt drones was presented at the Army-2020 forum, and aroused genuine interest, including among colleagues from abroad. These are different types of aircraft with different aerodynamic schemes and different potential capabilities: strike options, reconnaissance aircraft, long-range radar detection UAVs, repeater drones. UZGA creates its own line of attack aircraft. Here healthy competition can only be welcomed, and the Ministry of Defense, encouraging this competition, may choose a more suitable option. At the same time, the huge market allows all firms to work on it and find their customers.

Our highlight is the Hunter-type heavy unmanned aircraft system, which the Sukhoi firm is engaged in. The drone has shown performance, is being tested. What is flying now is a technology demonstrator and a prototype of a drone that should enter the troops from 2024.


- Will serial purchases of "Okhotnik" be included in the next state armament program ?

 - Yes, in the next GPV for 2024-2033, on the formation of which the Ministry of Defense is now working. We are also actively involved in this process. One of the tasks of the Collegium of the Military-Industrial Commission is to find a compromise between the capabilities of industrial enterprises to manufacture the necessary products in a certain time frame and within a certain financial framework and to match them with the interests of the Ministry of Defense in terms of implementing tasks to ensure the country's security. This is a priority in the work of the board.


- It was reported that the "Okhotnik" is being tested not only on its own, but also together with the Su-57 - what does it give ?

- Firstly, it is necessary to work out the mutual transfer of information between aircraft: this is the redistribution of targets in flight, maintaining intervals and distances, and performing anti-missile maneuvers. Moreover, the information should not spread beyond these two machines. There may also be an optimization of the set of equipment required for flying. Having tested these solutions on two aircraft, they can be scaled up to three, four, and so on. Then there will be no need to equip all aircraft with a full set of equipment to perform the functions of a command post - one aircraft with a pilot is able to redistribute tasks in a group taking into account machine or artificial intelligence, provide information exchange and organize the work of this so-called "swarm". But I think, that this is a wrong concept, there can be no swarming in aviation, there can only be a controlled order of battle, albeit a scattered one. A complex process where artificial intelligence must find its place.


- So the ideal prospect is one Su-57 and a group of "Okhotnikov "?

- This is one of the possible pictures, which potentially suggests that human life is always higher and more expensive. And the capability of a single human brain is much higher than the aggregate of a set of computers.


- Do you think the drone can make the final decision on the destruction of the target, or should a person still do this ? How do you see the prospects for the introduction of artificial intelligence in relation to military aviation ?

- It depends on what to put into the concept of artificial intelligence. If we are talking about the possibility of making the necessary decisions in the shortest possible time, taking into account the computational capabilities, this is not a prospect, but already a reality. And individual elements of artificial intelligence in this sense - optimization of calculation algorithms, formation of a decision-making environment for the pilot - they have already been implemented in the Su-57.

The next step will be to optimize the use of unmanned aircraft systems. But, in my opinion, one cannot say that in aviation, artificial intelligence will replace the pilot. I think that some experts are deeply mistaken when they say that a pilot is a brake on the development of aviation, because he is not able to think as quickly as a computer. Because all the fullness of decision-making and responsibility in aviation will always be with a specific person - a pilot or an operator.

Of course, artificial intelligence will develop, but it will be a system that is focused on creating an acceptable environment for human decision-making. I think it is too early to talk about leaving the decision to use weapons of different strengths at the mercy of a computer. But such systems are extremely demanded in flying, piloting in difficult conditions, restrictions on takeoff and landing, when a person is physically unable to adequately respond due to fog, rain, changes in the terrain. Here artificial intelligence must be implemented in the form of an environment that creates comfort for the pilot.


- In your opinion, the sixth generation fighter will not be unmanned ?

- The question is open. Many people think that the sixth generation plane is a plane without a pilot. But this does not mean that this plane is not manned. It may not be manned, but it will be controlled by a human in any case. And where he will be at this time - in a nearby aircraft or on the ground - does not matter. He will still be able to control it.

In my opinion, the nearest prospects are associated with versatility, when both manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, which are very similar in design and combat capabilities, will be able to fly in the same combat formation.


- What promising projects under the next GPV should receive funding ?

- I would like the new GPV to reflect the work on the creation of a promising sixth generation aviation complex, a promising helicopter for army aviation, a promising long-range aviation complex and, accordingly, weapons for these aircraft. And of course, tasks for unmanned aircraft will be finalized.


- How are the work on the creation of a new strategic bomber PAK DA going ?

- The contract has been concluded. Consolidation of the efforts of the two leading ministries - the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Industry and Trade - on this project should lead to a natural result in the form of a new aircraft. So with regard to PAK DA, everything goes on as usual, samples of individual subsystems are being made. To date, I do not see any concerns about the implementation of the project.


- What will be the promising helicopter for the army aviation ?

- We see the global trends in helicopter construction - this is a transition to higher speeds, other options for takeoff and landing, new tasks that must be solved by army aviation, taking into account the development of communication and destruction systems. This search for a compromise between the needs of the Ministry of Defense and the capabilities of industry is the palliative for the board of the military-industrial commission.


- Which helicopter should it replace ?

- I would not say that it should replace. It should complement the existing fleet of the Ministry of Defense, in which the renewal of all helicopters was very successful. These samples will be used for a long time. Helicopters Ka-52, as well as Mi-28NM, which are now at the final stage of testing, will fly for at least another 30 years.


- Will the ship's Ka-52K be mass-produced, since there is no carrier for it yet ?

- The Ka-52K is now also in the final stage of testing. This is a helicopter, as you know, with folding blades and a steering column to be operated from the deck. As for the carrier for the helicopter, the Ministry of Defense should think about it. The department must decide on the list of ships from which the use of the Ka-52K is planned, because not only group, but also single use is possible there. And from the point of view of creating a helicopter, there are no unsolvable problems - there is no doubt about how the helicopter will take place.


- What other combat aircraft will soon replenish the Russian Aerospace Forces ? For example, the Su-34M ?

- The Su-34 in the form in which it is being delivered has proven its relevance and effectiveness, including outside Russia. The Ministry of Defense, realizing that the new weapon requires the refinement of this aircraft, and the aircraft, in principle, is capable of solving problems more efficiently, set work on modernizing this aircraft in the form of the Su-34M. This is, first of all, equipping it with new types of weapons and finalizing its flight and navigation systems. Such development work is underway, according to its results, the Su-34M aircraft will be delivered to the troops.


- And what about the MiG-35 - will its deliveries continue or production is idle at the MiG ?

- The Ministry of Defense signed a contract for the development of the MiG-35, and it is being carried out. Under this contract, prototypes of both the MiG-35 and the MiG-35UB, a two-seat version for combat training missions, were created. The machines are manufactured, presented to the test center of the Ministry of Defense, are being tested. By and large, MiG is actively working on this project, let's say, the main one for it. Foreign partners show interest not only in the options for modernizing the MiG-29 aircraft, which has been recognized as quite successful, but also look back at the MiG-35, assessing the possibilities of its use. India is interested in both aircraft.

MiG production sites are not idle. In particular, at the plant in Lukhovitsy, it is planned to serial production of the Il-114-300 aircraft, so that all specialists are involved in their intended purpose. The production capacities of the MiG corporation and the factories that are part of its cooperation are capable of meeting the requirements of not only our Ministry of Defense, but also foreign customers, based on the volumes that will be announced.


- Does MiG have any new projects ? Maybe drones will create ?

- At the moment, "MiG" is working on the creation of a light strike aircraft, which can be either manned or unmanned. It is carried out on an initiative basis and is not funded by the state. But the company sees the market and focuses on it.


- How do you generally assess the volume of export orders at the enterprises of the aviation industry ? Does it provide financial support ?

- Our aircraft is in demand abroad, despite the difficulties that Rosoboronexport faces with the formation and passage of applications and payments for the work performed. I think it will be so in the near and long term.


- Is the main export product the Su-35?

- Now the Su-35 is simply the most significant monetary contract that has passed. If everything goes on as usual, there are good prospects for both the Su-34 and the Su-57 and others, incl. transport aircraft.


- How has the coronavirus pandemic affected the production of civil aircraft ?

- In the civil aircraft industry, the situation is more complicated against the backdrop of a decline in air traffic. People began to fly less, and this affects the demand for aircraft. This applies to all aircraft manufacturers around the world. Although, oddly enough, there are pluses in this situation - aircraft of the SSJ-100 type, due to their size, were in great demand in the vastness of our country. Their loading averages 90%.

The next task of the Superjet is to develop regional transportation, bypassing the Moscow aviation hub. This year, airlines on SSJ100 aircraft opened more than 20 new regional routes bypassing Moscow. The regions and the federal center are ready to support such routes in order to increase the transport mobility of the country's population.

On the basis of the Red Wings airline, a reference operator of Russian aircraft is being created, which should provide Russian aircraft with high flying time and regularity, and help them survive all the "childhood illnesses" of new models. This year she has already received the first three SSJ100 and will receive another one by the end of the year. "Azimuth" to the existing eleven SSJ100 acquired two more. Aeroflot Group will replenish its fleet of 54 SSJ100 aircraft with five new ones. The work on contracting continues.

Further supplies, including export ones, will depend on the market situation. But the SSJ100 platform has potential. Flight tests of the systems of the updated version of the SSJ100 are already underway.


- How is the work on domestic composites for MS-21 and other aircraft going on ?

- We made a decision that during the construction of the MS-21 we will rely on our own production and our own capabilities, taking into account the existing reserve. Both Rosatom and our science were involved in this, including the capabilities of our petrochemical industries. Separate elements of the wing are manufactured and tested using completely domestic composites. We hope that next year a fully domestic composite wing will be used on the MC-21 aircraft. Thus, we will completely exclude dependence on foreign suppliers. The first takeoff of the MS-21 powered by the Russian PD-14 engine is also a landmark event. A start.


- Do you have to deal with sanctions and refusals to supply units manually ?

- We can not exclude either sanctions or the influence of individual states on the composition of industrial cooperation. All projects for the creation of civilian aircraft began in the days of equal business relations with all supplying countries, without political overtones. I can assure you that at the enterprise level the relationship of business partners is maintained, but they have to listen to politics. Of course, situations are possible when in real time you have to make point decisions - to open jobs and replace certain components on the plane. This applies only to the civilian segment. In the production of aircraft and helicopters for the RF Ministry of Defense, we are fully protected from any sanctions.


- Have the problems with the replacement of Ukrainian components on Antonov aircraft been resolved too ? How do you manage to keep the Ruslan fleet in good order ?

- On the territory of Russia there are more than 20 such aircraft: some are owned by the Ministry of Defense, some are in private companies. Taking into account the specifics of our relationship with Ukraine, it was decided that the maintenance of aircraft for the needs of the Ministry of Defense will be carried out by our enterprises. Now our task is to localize 100% engine repair on the territory of the country, and we will solve it.


- Are you preparing a plane to replace Ruslan ?

- Not a replacement. In the interests of the Ministry of Defense, it is planned to create a promising aviation complex for military transport aviation (PAK VTA). Now a research work is being carried out, which will make it possible to determine the appearance of the aircraft and its main technical characteristics: what main tasks it will solve, what will be the dimensions, how many engines will be installed. It is not a fact that it will have the same dimensions as the An-124. In the future, the tasks for the production of this aircraft will be assigned to an aircraft building plant in Ulyanovsk.


- More than a year has passed since the first flight of the Il-112V - when will it be able to continue flight tests ?

- Il-112V made its first flight and was significantly modified. The second flight was shifted not only because of these improvements, but also in connection with the repair of the runway of the VASO plant airfield. The runway was being finalized and the plane was being finalized. There should be no rush in this matter, it is not the number of flights, but the number of flights. If the measures carried out by Ilyushin on this aircraft show their effectiveness, then the Il-112V is able to catch up with the test program next year.


- Among promising projects in civil aviation, a supersonic business jet is of particular interest. Is there a future for this idea?

- All over the world there is a trend towards much faster movement of people in time and space. The first wave of supersonic aircraft has passed, now the second is approaching. Most states are dealing with this topic, we are no exception. TsAGI is actively working on this, drawing the contours of the aircraft and determining its characteristics, taking into account the market demand. This is by no means a repetition of the Tu-144 - a beautiful aircraft with an interesting fate. Now it is, first of all, a business-oriented project, which should be in demand both within Russia and abroad. I think we can build a supersonic passenger plane.


- And the engine for him ?

- We have a groundwork in engine building, which will potentially allow us to implement supersonic sound on a passenger plane.


- Will the state give money for this or do you need a private investor ?

- I would say differently - if private investors are interested, there is always an opportunity to organize a partnership with them and determine the potential royalty based on the results of the project.


- So you believe in this project ?

- It's realizable. Yes, it will be an expensive plane, so the business model is very important here. It will need to be worked out in detail with the launch customer. But from the point of view of the technological groundwork, we have all the competencies. If we calculate this business correctly, we enter it correctly, it will be an absolutely marketable product.

SR10 are single engine jets, the prototype uses an old jet engine (AI-25) produced by motor sich, but for the production version they were planning to use the Russian Saturn AL-55 (a much more modern engine already in use in the Indian Jet trainer HAL HJT-36 Sitara.

Actually that is even better.

A simple light cheap aircraft would be useful...

Actually just looked up the DOSAAF website and it looks rather cool...

http://www.dosaaf.ru/

Scroll a little down the page and there is a group of kids shooting on the left and an An-2 in the middle and a group of skydivers on the right... click on the An-2 and it shows Aerial Sports, which says:

Aeroplane sport is a type of technical sport that includes national and international competitions (20 disciplines) of pilots on single-seat and two-seat aircraft with piston and jet engines in the art of performing aerobatics.

So piston and jet engined aircraft...

Then there is Helicopter sport, Glider sport, Aeromodelling, Rocket modelling, Parachuting, Ultralights, and lighter than air craft (Balloons and aerostats/airships).

Damn... looks like fun... the worst part would be having to pick just one option.... can't I do them all?

If the post above about investing more in DOSAAF is correct perhaps they will get more funding and more support... including perhaps new aircraft... the aircraft shown include Mi-2s and An-2s and Yak-52s... maybe by buying newer aircraft in large batches they will essentially fund those new aircraft programmes and stimulate domestic aircraft production and use...

I advocate its introduction for the air force, but I am not sure DOSAAF need jet trainers... what kind of aircrafts were flown by DOSAAF in soviet times?

I would expect they did have L29s... I know it is not the most reliable source but the Wiki page on the L29 shows DOSAAF as a user, and as the DOSAAF page shows they include jets I would expect they used both L29 and later probably L39s... if they currently use jets then L39s are most likely to be what they are currently using... which suggests an SR-10 could be a useful replacement that is simpler and cheaper and Russian.

- Does MiG have any new projects ? Maybe drones will create ?

- At the moment, "MiG" is working on the creation of a light strike aircraft, which can be either manned or unmanned. It is carried out on an initiative basis and is not funded by the state. But the company sees the market and focuses on it.

Well when they word it like that you could argue if they are talking about the LMFS, or if in fact they are actually talking about an Su-25 potential replacement that is more multi role... sort of like a fighter bomber for small air forces that can be used for ground attack but also as a light fighter too... sort of like an F-16 for smaller countries... or indeed like an Su-25TM which can strike targets but also engage air targets too...

Good interview at UAC's site about cockpit for Su-57 and other modern planes:

https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5ddfbc8b9515ee00ac9e370a/zakon-raboty-dlia-pilotskoi-hijiny-60210924d96a1a50b883b243

The feasibility of the merger of RSK MiG and the Sukhoi company is called into question

As the newspaper “Vedomosti” reported in the article by Alexei Nikolsky, “The expediency of the merger of RSK MiG and the Sukhoi company is being questioned. Perhaps the reform of this industry will go differently, "the merger of the two main structures that are engaged in the development of combat fighters in Russia - RSK MiG and the Sukhoi company - has slowed down and is beginning to raise objections from the military, a source told Vedomosti aviation industry and a source close to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

According to them, there are no official proposals from the Ministry of Defense against this plan, which has been implemented over the past several years, but such an opinion was formed among the structures responsible for the purchase of the Aerospace Forces (VKS). The military believe that in the event of a merger, the maintenance of the MiG aircraft fleet (MiG-29 and MiG-31) in the Aerospace Forces may be difficult, as well as the development of a promising fighter-interceptor to replace the MiG-31 due to the fact that the MiG in recent decades it has been much weaker than Sukhoi economically and in terms of implemented projects, the interlocutors of Vedomosti say.

In the course of reforming the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the integration of Sukhoi and MiG into a single military aviation division has been going on for several years. In February 2020, the general director of RAC MiG Ilya Tarasenko was appointed general director of Sukhoi. However, in October 2020,

Tarasenko left both positions, and Sukhoi was subordinated directly to the general director of UAC Yuri Slyusar, and the managing director of the company Andrey Gerasimchuk is in charge of the operational management of RAC MiG. According to a source in the UAC, since October, the merger of Sukhoi and MiG has been “put on pause”. Vedomosti sent a request to the Ministry of Defense.

The head of the aviation cluster of the Rostec state corporation Anatoly Serdyukov said in September 2020 in an interview with RBC that “the management of both companies has already been merged and now we are working to ensure that administrative and infrastructural functions are common and not duplicated. But, an important point, both strong design bureaus, both MiG and Sukhoi, will continue to work. " He also said that the next generation fighter will be developed by the combined efforts of MiG and Sukhoi.

According to a source in the aviation industry, the military should not worry - after all, the scheme familiar to them since the times of the USSR, when advance projects are proposed by different design teams on a competitive basis, will remain, we are talking about unification already when creating a new aircraft. Consolidation of the aviation industry occurred due to the high cost of such developments throughout the world, he continues, it is inevitable in Russia as well. One of its main goals is to remove unnecessary duplicate structures, but leave the designers themselves, he continues, providing them with infrastructure - for example, computing power, which is much stronger at Sukhoi, he says.

According to a source in the UAC, it cannot be ruled out that the program for reforming and optimizing the corporation may indeed be revised, but whether concerns about the merger of Sukhoi and MiG will be taken into account is not yet clear. Various proposals are being made - for example, transferring all design bureaus under the direct control of the UAC, not only Sukhoi and MiG, as well as software units - structures engaged in the development of specific aircraft, he says.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4254480.html

LMFS wrote:Lengthy interview with Serdyukov about Rostec's aviation cluster, many topics discussed:

https://www.rbc.ru/interview/politics/01/09/2020/5f4643419a79475b1a503eb0

They have the right idea. A Russian Airbus in the making.

Real world, no-bullshit digital engineering being applied by UAC:

https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5ddfbc8b9515ee00ac9e370a/ulianovskie-dvoiniki-602e3108bc490b6725f25bd4


Meanwhile and despite rumours, consolidation continues at UAC:

The merger of aviation design bureaus and program directorates based on the UAC may begin from March 1

According to a TASS source, an option is also being worked out to re-register all management companies in the aviation industry at the location of their serial plants.

MOSCOW, February 17. / TASS /. From March 1, Rostec will begin uniting all aviation design bureaus and program directorates at one site and will take steps to optimize the activities of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, under the control of the Rostec State Corporation). A source in the aircraft industry told TASS about this.

"There is a decision of Rostec as a shareholder to unite design bureaus and program directorates at the UAC site. An option is also being worked out to re-register all management companies in the aviation industry at the location of their serial plants," the agency's source said.

According to him, this means that PJSC Sukhoi can be legally transferred to Novosibirsk or Komsomolsk-on-Amur, RSK MiG to Nizhny Novgorod or Lukhovitsy, Tupolev to Kazan, Ilyushin to Ulyanovsk, others - at the place of production of their main products. "The changes should lead to the reduction of redundant management links and send the main management from Moscow to the factories. The corresponding plans should be prepared by March 1, the entire reform of the UAC should be completed by 2025," the source said.

He clarified that in Moscow alone, the UAC staff is now about 20 thousand managers and specialists, while the main factories of the corporation are located in the regions. “It is clear that this is a heavy burden, there is a bias, in Rostec they are well aware that the situation needs to be changed,” he explained.

The state corporation, in turn, commented on the plans for the merger. "The merger of design bureaus and program directorates at the UAC site means a transition from a three-tier to a two-tier management system, which is practiced in almost all other Rostec holdings," said an employee of the press service.

"The ongoing changes are designed to optimize processes and improve the financial stability of the UAC," said a representative of Rostec.
The transformation has already begun

UAC TASS reported that the processes of corporate transformation have already begun.

"In particular, the functions of the sole executive body of Sukhoi and Ilyushin have already been transferred to the UAC. A program of centralization of enterprise management is being implemented, which provides for the elimination of duplicate administrative functions, the creation of general corporate centers of competence and service, the expansion of cooperation of production sites for more efficient implementation of aircraft-building programs. At the same time, reputable design schools will continue to develop, "the UAC reported.

They noted that, as part of the transformation, the formation of corporate competence centers is also being discussed, which will provide, for example, administrative, economic and financial support for the activities of all enterprises in the UAC circuit.

Earlier, the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, told reporters that the state corporation plans to restructure the UAC's debts and carry out additional capitalization in the first quarter of 2021. According to him, the UAC debt is being repaid and restructured by about 400 billion rubles.

Chemezov explained that Rostec will receive part of the funds from the budget and contribute them to the capital of the UAC in order to close loans, and restructure part of the debts. He recalled that the debts of the UAC at the time of joining Rostec were about 500 billion rubles.


https://tass.ru/ekonomika/10722071

Just noticed this:

- Some new projects there is a "Moment"? Maybe they will create drones?

- At the moment, MiG is working on the creation of a light strike aircraft, which can be both manned and unmanned. It is conducted on an initiative basis and is not funded by the State. But the company sees the market and focuses on it.

So that single engined plane they were toying with could be a light strike aircraft in manned and unmanned versions?

But not being funded by the state is interesting too... does that mean it is not LMFS or it is but it is not getting funding?

GarryB wrote:So that single engined plane they were toying with could be a light strike aircraft in manned and unmanned versions?

But not being funded by the state is interesting too... does that mean it is not LMFS or it is but it is not getting funding?

This is what Yelchaninov said: легкого ударного самолета

I think it is totally legit to think it is the LMFS/LFI/PLIB or whatever it is called now, that is a multifunctional fighter that can be both manned and UCAV. I may be wrong, but it makes full sense to me.

Regarding the state support, many projects begin like that, the military allows companies to convince them of advantageous possibilities, and that is perfectly right, otherwise they would waste countless billions in happy engineering as US does. If the idea is so good that the company is ready to put their money on the line for it, then it is maybe worth analysing it.

So is this new project something like Su-25 or more of a MiG-29 style?

The problem has been trying to perform CAS and be a light cheap fighter... it is combining the two that seems to be the bridge too far... the A-16 version of the F-16, and the current F-35 fiasco, not to mention talk of LIFT CAS platforms etc etc...

Ironically making a fighter VSTOL actually makes it less capable as a CAS aircraft... as the Soviets found in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The idea of a VSTOL fighter that could operate from front line airfields so short flights to combat and proper integration with ground forces....

The obvious problem is they are fragile and cannot actually just take off from anywhere, and their design generally means they have an enormous IR signature from the side and rear making them horrendously vulnerable to the primary means of modern enemy self defence from aircraft... the heat seeking MANPAD.

There was the PAK SHA which is supposed to be a CAS design and the LMFS which is the MFI/S which eventually became the PAK FA.

The wording seems to make reference to a strike aircraft, but this is hardly surprising since we know from the beginning LFI/LMFS/PLIB is defined a multifunctional fighter / multifunctional tactical aircraft / fighter-bomber, and this is today a given, since every fighter type plane is going to be able for strike role. For background, from the LMFS thread:

The official strategy of UAC for 2016-2035 was published in December 2016. That document interchangeably uses “LFI,” an acronym translated as Lightweight Tactical Fighter, or “PLIB,” translated as the Future Lightweight Fighter-Bomber, as the names of this program.

In 2018, the United Engine Corp. (UEC) said in a presentation that the LFI/PLIB’s powerplant could be a single “izdeliye 30” turbofan developed for the Su-57 fighter. According to the same presentation, two modified “izdeliye 30” engines would be used to provide propulsion for the PAK DP.

The RSK MiG uses the acronym “LMFS” for its lightweight fighter project. In December 2019, RSK MiG ordered TsAGI to “calculate the aerodynamics of a lightweight multifunction tactical aircraft (LMFS) in a twin-engine configuration” and compare it with foreign counterparts. One of the known RSK MiG LMFS designs is a canard that has a large delta wing, with small control surfaces at the rear and on the sides of the engine nacelles. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 24,500 kg (54,000 lb.) and is designed to reach speeds of up to Mach 2. The ferry range with additional fuel tanks will be 2,160 nm, and the basic weapon load is to be carried inside the fuselage.

The current conceptual work on the RSK MiG LFMS is a continuation of the LFI lightweight tactical fighter program launched by MiG as early as 1986. The LFI fighter was later refreshed in the form of the E-721 project for the purposes of the PAK FA stealth fighter program. In 2002, the MiG E-721 lost the PAK FA competition for the Sukhoi T-50 project, the present Su-57.

It is difficult to imagine a "Shturmovik" or CAS plane like Su-25 being single-engined like proposed by UEC, I see no reason why any of these statements should refer to the follower of the Su-25 and not to the substitute for the MiG-29, which has been in discussion for ages under all those names above.