The Russian Military Merged Thread- Air Force

[YZT580]

we've all had those embarrassing moments.  It may be 20 tonnes overweight, be held together with binder twine and have duct tape on the engine nacelles but it is still a beautiful sight to see.  They do have trouble building reliable engines though don't they?

 

[Good2Golf]

...They do have trouble building reliable engines though don't they?

Da!

 

[MarkOttawa]

Still a bit of free press in Russia:

MAKS Can’t Stop the Rot of Aerospace Industry


I have lived in Russia and Ukraine for almost half of my life — most of the time reporting on the aerospace and defense industry in this part of the world. In that time I have seen the ups and downs of MAKS, the Moscow Air and Space Salon [website http://www.aviasalon.com/en ], track with the fortunes of the aerospace sector as a whole in Russia.

The industry struggled in the 1990s and at one point many of us wondered if this air show would just disappear due to lack of interest. After the turn of the century, the aerospace firms in Russia were in a recovery mode, which continued for about a decade.

Russia’s aerospace industry is one of the few success stories of the Soviet era. Unlike the perennial disastrous output of communism’s centrally-planned, state-managed agricultural sector or the pathetically unreliable and crudely-designed automobile models that were produced for the common citizen, Soviet aerospace could boast numerous achievements and firsts. It was the linchpin that made the Soviet Union a world military power.

However, the build-up to the air show this year and the conversations I have had in the proceeding months with those I have known in this industry for more two decades tell a collectively sad tale. MAKS in 2015 will be to Russia’s aerospace industry what the closing years of the Brezhnev era were to the Soviet Union as a whole: an attempt to mask a tragic decline by pasting a glorious and victorious veneer over the top of it and hoping that no one would notice.

A look at some of the major contracts that are expected to be announced during MAKS tell the tale. The 48 Sukhoi Su-35S fighter aircraft to be signed for delivery to the Russian Air Force are the second such order by the Russian armed forces, the first having been at the same MAKS expo in 2009. This is a total of 96 new fighter orders in a six-year period and does not even begin to address the replacement needs of the air force. Russia’s armed forces need hundreds of new fighters at present — not just a few dozen.

The aircraft currently in inventory are aging, in need of modernization and increasingly wanting for adequate supplies of spare parts and components that had been produced in Ukraine, but which are now embargoed by Kiev for sale to Russia as retaliation for Russia’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. This partly explains the steady numbers of Russian military aircraft dropping from the skies over the last few months [see first link above]…

If the platform that was planned to be in service already with the air force were on schedule, the Sukhoi T-50/PFI, there would be no need for another Su-35 procurement, but this program is mired in multiple developmental problems. The fifth-generation jet engine and the active electronically scanning array (AESA) radar that are supposed to be installed in the T-50 are nowhere in sight, so the aircraft is being built with the same Saturn 117S engine and NIIP Irbis passive (rather than active) scanning array radar that is already fitted to the Su-35. All of which means its not really a fifth-generation weapon system…
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/528628.html

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Then see this on Soviet/Russian air overall--scroll down if needed:

https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/mark-collins-russian-air-force-woes-contd/comment-page-1/#comment-13271

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

A helicopter called RACHEL?

Russia to begin production of new high-speed helo in 2022

IHS Jane's 360 - 1 September 2015

Commonly referred to as the Russian Advanced Commercial Helicopter (RACHEL), this new high-speed platform is being developed by the Mil and Kamov design houses as an eventual replacement for the Mil Mi-8/17 'Hip' series. Although billed in its moniker as a commercial project, it has obvious military applications with many hundreds of Mi-8/17s serving today in Russia and beyond.

A flying testbed is reportedly being built using elements of the Mi-35, but with a slightly altered fuselage and rotor system, to prove the speed parameters of the new design.

Russia's future RACHEL high-speed helicopter will no doubt feature elements of Kamov's new Ka-92 co-axial compound with a pusher-propeller design (pictured) to achieve its stated top speed of 270 kt. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

 

[CougarKing]

Russia won't spend on more PAK-FAs/T-50s, but yet they're spending more on these?

Defense News

Irkut Signs Two New Su-30 Fighter Contracts
By Matthew Bodner 6:34 p.m. EDT September 11, 2015

Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut has lined up orders with the Russian Defence Ministry and Algeria for the delivery of 22 Su-30 heavy multi-role fighter jets over the next two years, Russian officials said this week.

Sergey Chemezov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of Russia's state defense technology holding Rostec, announced Friday that Russia has signed an agreement with Algeria for the delivery of 14 Sukhoi Su-30MKI multi-role fighter jets.

The Su-30 is classified by the Russians as a generation 4+ fighter, and is a less advanced derivative of the Soviet-designed Su-27 flanker than the newer Su-35 multi-role fighter, which is marketed as a generation 4++ fighter jet, sporting Russia's latest electronics and weapons.

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[MarkOttawa]

A2/AD--Growing Russian SAM etc. capabilities:

Russians ‘Closed The Gap’ For A2/AD: Air Force Gen. Gorenc

AFA CONFERENCE: “The alarming thing,” said the commander of US Air Forces in Europe, is that the Russians are catching up. “They’ve closed the gap.”

“The advantage that we had from the air I can honestly say is shrinking,” Gen. Frank Gorenc said, “not only from with respect to the aircraft that they’re producing, but the more alarming thing is their ability to create anti-access/area denied [zones] that are very well defended” by batteries of ground-based anti-aircraft missiles.

After embarrassing fumbles in the 2008 invasion of Georgia, the Russians embarked on “a very large modernization” to improve both training and equipment, Gorenc said. “They learned a lot,” he told an increasingly unnerved roundtable of reporters at the annual Air Force Association conference here. “They [improved] quality and quantity.”

Russian fighter jocks are famous for flashy (sometimes fatal) maneuvers at air shows. But Gorenc isn’t solely or even primarily worried about their Top Guns: It’s ground-based radars and missiles that have him most concerned.

“It’s one thing to address an aircraft threat which has increased significantly — which by the way it has –but clearly surface to air missile systems are much cheaper, they’re much more available,” he said. “There’s clearly a whole set of modern long-range surface-to-air missile systems that are being layered in a way that makes access into that area more difficult.”

Gorenc is focused on the anti-aircraft kill zones that extend from two pieces of Russian territory in particularly: Crimea in the Black Sea and Kaliningrad on the Baltic. (He’s also keeping an eye on the Russians in the Arctic, he said, but that’s less immediate).

“Some of the array that’s in Kaliningrad extends into Poland today. That’s a fact,” he said. In other words, launchers on Russian soil can hit targets in NATO airspace. In fact, Gorenc has said in the past that a third of Polish airspace is in the Russians’ range.

“Up to this point, we have talked about anti-access/area denial with respect to the Pacific problem, but what I’m telling you is this is not just a Pacific problem, ” Gorenc said. “It’s as significant in Europe as it is anywhere else on the planet.”

A2/AD, to use the shorthand, is such a problem because it blunts the leading edge of the American war machine: airpower. It’s not just an Air Force issue. Aircraft carriers have been the flagships of the fleet since 1941, while the Army hasn’t lost a soldier to enemy airstrikes since 1953. Since at least 1991, the US has fought all its conflicts with absolute control of the air, unimpeded in its ability to reconnoiter the battlefield, bomb enemies, and rescue friendly ground troops.

“Anyone who has watched the United States operate understands… that it’s to their advantage to deny access into areas, particularly from the air,” Gorenc said. “With air superiority everything is possible, without it nothing is possible.”

So what can the US do? In the long term, the Pentagon’s “offset strategy” seeks to develop new technologies that leapfrog ahead of our enemies as they catch up to our current tech. A medium-term solution is stealth aircraft: Russian missiles can’t kill what their radars can’t see. (The Navy, less sure of stealth, prefers to jam enemy radars [emphasis added]). Two squadrons of the new F-35A will arrive at Lakenheath air base in England, but that doesn’t happen until 2020, and they won’t be equipped to strike ground targets for some years after that. Stealthy F-22s have already done their first deployment to Europe to do training and test whether local airbases could support them. The F-22s are back in the US now, but Gorenc emphasized he could get them back if needed.

But the vast majority of US and allied air forces are conventional “Fourth Generation” aircraft that show up on radar just fine. Their survival depends not on technology but on training...
http://breakingdefense.com/2015/09/russians-closed-the-gap-for-a2ad-air-force-gen-gorenc/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

So much for those previous reports about the Russian AF "falling out of the sky"": 

Diplomat

US Air Force: Russia Has Closed Air Power Gap With NATO
However, even more alarming are Moscow’s growing anti-access/area denial capabilities, according to a U.S. general.

NATO’s air superiority vis-à-vis Russia is waning, Air Force (USAF) General Frank Gorenc, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa told an audience at this year’s Air and Space Conference held near Washington DC, according to military.com.

“The advantage that we had from the air, I can honestly say, is shrinking not only with respect to the aircraft that they’re producing, but the more alarming thing is their ability to create anti-access/area-denial [A2/AD] that are very well defended,” Gorenc said.

With his remarks, the general has joined a chorus of defense analysts and policy makers dispensing Cassandra-like warnings about the slipping technological edge of the United States military and the growing danger posed by effective countermeasures to American power primarily based on precision-strike regimes (See: “No More Easy Victories for the US Military?”).

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[CougarKing]

I wonder how close Minsk and Moscow really are nowadays considering what happened to Ukraine?

Reuters

Putin gives go-ahead to Belarus airbase plan
Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:37am EDT

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed the establishment of an airbase in neighboring Belarus, the latest move by Moscow to project its military power abroad.

Saturday's announcement, which comes at a time of tension with the West over Russian involvement in Ukraine and Syria, may also signal the Kremlin's interest in keeping unpredictable Belarus within its geopolitical orbit.

Putin said in a statement he had agreed a government proposal to sign a deal for the military airbase and ordered defense and foreign ministry officials to start talks with Belarus. The plan is not expected to face major obstacles.

The idea of setting up an airbase in the ex-Soviet republic was revealed by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2013, and follows a 2009 agreement under which Russia and Belarus agreed to defend their common external frontier and airspace.

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[CougarKing]

Su30SMs in Syria:

Aviationist

Satellite image shows four Russian Su-30SM parked in the open air at airfield in Syria
Sep 20 2015 -

By David Cenciotti
Four Russian Flanker derivative have arrived at Latakia airport.
Satellite images prove Russian combat planes have eventually deployed to Syria.

The deployment, anticipated by an air bridge from Russia that involved several An-124 Condor airlifter flights (that we were able to track thanks to their Mode-S transponders) saw the aircraft arrive at al-Assad International Airport, near Latakia, the main Syrian port city, on Sept. 18.

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[CougarKing]

Putin building up his air force presence in Syria?

Aviationist

Latest imagery shows 28 Russian aircraft (12 Su-24s, 12 Su-25s and 4 Su-30s) on the ground at airbase in Syria
Sep 22 2015

By David Cenciotti
Imagery taken on Sept. 21 shows 28 aircraft on the ground at Latakia airbase.
A satellite image has finally unveiled the whole Russian Air Force contingent made of 28 combat planes deployed to Syria: taken on Sept. 21, the photograph shows 4 Su-30SMs, 12 Su-25SMs and 12 Su-24s lined up, in the open air, along runway 17L at al-Assad International Airport, near Latakia, in western Syria.

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[CougarKing]

Su34 Fullbacks in Syria, plus another delay for the PAK-FA:

Aviationist

Six Russian Su-34 Fullback bomber have just arrived in Syria. And this is the route they have likely flown to get there.
Sep 29 2015

By David Cenciotti
The Russian military build up continues as six Su-34 Fullback attack planes arrive in Syria.
Six Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft have eventually arrived at Latakia to join the Russian contingent already there.

Images allegedly shot around the al-Assad International Airport clearly show one Russian Fullback about to land at the airbase in western Syria where 28 Russian aircraft have arrived last week.

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Diplomat

Russia’s First 5th Generation Fighter Jet to Enter Service in 2017
The induction date for Moscow’s newest fighter aircraft has been pushed back.

Russia’s answer to the American F-22 and F-35 aircraft, the PAK FA T-50, will enter service with the Russian Armed Forces in 2017, Russian Air and Space Forces Commander Colonel-General Viktor Bondarev said over the weekend.

“Under the program, we will finish testing next year and will begin to receive the T-50 jets in 2017,” Bondarev told Sputnik News. Back in June, during the Paris Air Show, the head of United Russia’s Aircraft Corporation, had still talked about a potential 2016 or early 2017 induction date. However, serial deliveries are now slated to begin in 2017.

The Sukhoi PAK FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) T-50 prototype — the name will change for the production aircraft — is a multi-role, single seat, twin-engine air superiority/deep air support fighter with stealth capabilities. First flown in 2010, it is expected to have a service life in the Russian Air and Space Forces of up to 35 years.

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[CougarKing]

The Russian pilots based in Syria almost came to blows with Turkish F16s:

Aviationist

Russian Su-30SM, Su-24 violate Turkish airspace. Flanker locks on TuAF F-16 for +5 minutes
Oct 05 2015

By David Cenciotti
It looks like a Sukhoi Su-30SM deployed to Syria has had a close encounter with Turkish Air Force F-16s past the Syria-Turkey border.
Russian planes deployed to Syria violated the Turkish airspace twice in the last couple of days.

According to NATO, the violations occurred “on 3 October and 4 October by Russian Air Force SU-30 and SU-24 aircraft in the Hatay region. The aircraft in question entered Turkish airspace despite Turkish authorities’ clear, timely and repeated warnings. In accordance with NATO practice, Turkish fighter aircraft responded to these incursions by closing to identify the intruder, after which the Russian planes departed Turkish airspace.”

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[The Bread Guy]

Russia's Info-machine now has a web page for its Aviation Group in Syria in English - enjoy!

 

[CougarKing]

The cat and mouse game continues... Or rather the Bear and Squid game...

Reuters

US Navy scrambled jets as Russian warplanes approached carrier


The USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier scrambled four fighter jets to intercept approaching Russian warplanes as it carried out a military exercise on Tuesday in the Sea of Japan, U.S. military officials said on Thursday.

The two Russian TU-145 "Bear" jets came as close as a nautical mile from the carrier and were flying at a low-altitude, about 500 feet (152 m) above sea level, the officials said.

TU-145 Bear is a long-range anti-submarine warfare plane and a variant of the TU-95 Bear strategic bomber.

The incident, although unusual, was characterized by the Pentagon as "safe."

"There was nothing to indicate they were posing a direct threat," said Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis.

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[CougarKing]

Tu160s over Syria!!

Diplomat

25 Russian long-range strategic bombers in action over Syria for the very first time
Nov 17 2015 -

By David Cenciotti
Russian Air Force heavy bombers made their first appearance over Syria yesterday night.

It looks like Moscow stepped up its military effort in Syria even before the intention to intensify the air strikes was announced by Putin on Nov. 17.

As initially reported by Reuters, a US official has confirmed that Moscow has conducted a significant number of strikes in Syria using both sea-launched cruise missiles and long-range bombers.

The Russian MoD said 25 long-range bombers took part in the raid: 5 x Tu-160s, 6 x Tu-95MS and 14 x Tu-22M3.

According to one our sources who wishes to remain anonymous, the long-range bombers the Russian Air Force has used against ground targets in Syria early in the morning on Nov. 17 were Tu-22M Backfire strategic bombers.

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[MarkOttawa]

Cruise missile implications for NORAD?

Why the U.S. Should Be Paying Attention to Russia’s Latest Strikes in Syria

...the United States should pay attention to this air vector of attack from Russia’s mainland, and the deployment of the new Kh-101 missile along with the modernized Kh-55. Russia’s bomber force is not an anachronism, but still breathes life...

Beyond the publicity lies a real capability test. From bases in mainland Russia, five Tu-160 Blackjack, six Tu-95MS Bear and 14 Tu-22M3 Backfire bombers set out for Syria with an escort of Su-27SM fighters and deployed what appeared to be a series of Kh-55 air-to-ground missiles (probably the upgraded Kh-555). More interesting was footage of new Kh-101 long-range air-to-ground missiles shown loaded inside Russian bombersin a rotary launcher (its nuclear tipped variant is Kh-102), and supposedly fired. Meanwhile, the large group of Tu-22M3s, Russia’s mainstay anti-ship bomber, made do with a large complement of gravity bombs for the missions...

As recently as this summer, the Russian air force was ridiculed in the West, particularly with respect to its long-range aviation capabilities. Having suffered a large spate of accidents, Russia grounded its Tu-95 bomber fleet in July. In August, I wrote an article for War on the Rocks discussing the impact Russia’s bomber overflights had on U.S. strategic perceptions of Moscow’s intent, despite wearing out its air force. It seems Russian bombers are back, and this time not for show, but to demonstrate the capability to conduct long-range precision strikes. While these aircraft likely represent the smaller operational component of a bomber force that looks much larger on paper, the large arsenal of missiles that even a few Tu-95MS or Tu-160s carry is an important multiplier...

Michael Kofman is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute and an Analyst at CNA Corporation. Previously he served as Program Manager at National Defense University. The views expressed here are his own.
http://warontherocks.com/2015/11/why-the-u-s-should-be-paying-attention-to-russias-latest-strikes-in-syria/

As for non-conventional:

NORAD and Russian Cruise Nukes: “de-escalation”?
https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/mark-collins-norad-and-russian-cruise-nukes-de-escalation/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Holy Blackjack, Putinman (with video at link)!

Russian Tu-16os launch Syrian air strike from Kola Peninsula, in far northwest Russia, in a global strike show.

During the night between Nov. 19 and 20, the Russian Air Force conducted a very long-range strike mission against IS targets in Syria: two Tu-160 Blackjack strategic bombers departed from Olenegorsk airbase, in the Kola Peninsula around 21.00z but, instead of taking the usual route through the Caspian Sea and Iran, went westbound, skirted the airspaces of Norway and the UK, flew over the Atlantic until Gibraltair, entered the Mediterranean sea and flew eastbound towards Syria and then eastbound along the usual corridor, back to Russia.

This video, released by Russia’s MoD shows the Tu-160s (and Tu-95) being armed and launched for the night mission…
http://theaviationist.com/2015/11/20/russian-armed-tu-160-bombers-circumnavigate-europe-launch-cruise-missiles-against-is-targets-from-mediterranean-sea/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Blackjacks with Flankers (presumably Syria-based):

@ANDRESF2D

#RuAF Su-30SM fighter jets accompanying Tu-160 bomber over the Mediterranean Sea & #Syria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja_kvsngEFI …
https://twitter.com/ANDRESF2D/status/667778409888641024

Mark
Ottawa

 

[MarkOttawa]

Bombers' routes:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3327144/Typhoon-fighters-scrambled-RAF-Lossiemouth-intercept-two-Russian-Tu-160-bombers-near-British-airspace.html

Mark
Ottawa