Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Russia's New Mi-38 Transport Helicopter.
Russia producing new Su-34 bombers
Sukhoi said Monday it had just commenced full-scale production of the Su-34 Fullback fighter bomber at a Novosibirsk-based aircraft-manufacturing plant, a subsidiary of Sukhoi Aircraft Holding, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
"In 2008, our plant will increase its production capacity by 15-20 percent and will manufacture at least five Su-34 aircraft, while modernizing 20 Su-24 Fencer planes," said Alexander Kalashnikov, deputy general director of the Novosibirsk plant according to the report.
RIA Novosti said the Su-34 could prove to be a world leader for the next generation of combat aircraft. The news agency said the Russian Air Force planned to buy 70 of them by 2015 to take over from its current front line fighter bomber fleet of about 300 aging Sukhoi Su-24s. The Su-24s are still being upgraded to give them a longer operational life, the report said.
RIA Novosti said the first two serial-production Su-34s were bought by the Russian Defense Ministry in 2007 and that since then they have been based at the Lipetsk pilot training center where they have been used to train combat pilots.
RIA Novosti said the Su-34 fighter-bomber cost $36 million per unit. It described the plane as "a two-seat strike aircraft fitted with twin AL-31MF afterburner turbojet engines (which was) is designed to deliver high-precision strikes on heavily-defended targets under any weather conditions, day or night."
The report said the Su-34 was armed with a 30-mm GSh-301 cannon, up to 12 Alamo or Archer AAMs, ASMs, and bombs.
Venezuela to Buy More Than $5 Billion in Russian Arms
“Our delegation has just returned from Venezuela and the total amount of purchases could exceed $5 billion,” said Putin during a meeting in Moscow on the development of the country’s armaments industry.
The figure includes the $2.2 billion loan that Moscow will provide to Caracas for the acquisition of new Russian weapons, the premier said at a forum on developing Russia’s defense industry.
“The financing sources have already determined the basics and agreed with our partners,” said Putin about the agreements he reached last week with the government of Hugo Chavez during a visit to Caracas.
Venezuela, which since 2005 has purchased $4.4 billion of Russian arms, has become the Russian defense industry’s biggest customer in Latin America prompting expressions of concern from neighboring Colombia and the United States, which provides Bogota with roughly $500 million a year in military aid.
Specifically, Venezuela has already bought 100,000 assault rifles, 24 Su-30MK2 fighter-bombers and 51 helicopters.
In addition, an agreement is in progress to build in Venezuela a plant to manufacture Kalashnikov rifles and another one to make ammunition.
Russian sources say Venezuela now wants to buy three Varshavianka-class diesel submarines, 92 T-72 tanks, several dozen BMP-3 armored vehicles, 10 Mi-28N combat helicopters, Il-114 patrol airplanes and air defense systems.
Caracas is also interested in Mirash patrol boats, Murena-E landing craft and mobile coastal artillery systems capable of sinking vessels up to 130 kilometers (81 miles) away, according to military sources at the Interfax news agency.
Among other offers, Moscow is proposing to Caracas that it buy several dozen An-148 military transport aircraft and Chavez has already announced the acquisition of at least one Be-200 amphibious aircraft to use in putting out forest fires. EFE
Russia To Pay $2Billion For French Mistral Warships
“The first ship will cost 720 million euros and the second 650 million euros,” the RIA Novosti news agencies cited a source close to the negotiations as saying.
The deal, which involves joint construction of the vessels, is the first sale to Russia of such naval high-tech by a NATO country.
It has been condemned by Alliance members from the three Baltic nations, with leaked cables showing that U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also raised the issue while on a visit to Paris this year.
The helicopter carrier costs about 500 million euros ($650 million) and it was not immediately clear why Russia was paying a premium.
Moscow had sought to purchase the craft together with their sensitive equipment and the December 24 announcement in Paris made no mention of whether Russia had got its way.
The source close to the negotiation said Moscow was paying a higher price for the first craft because most of it would be produced in France, with Russia’s share in the project growing by the second vessel.
“If Russia’s share of construction on the first ship is 20 percent, it may reach up to 40 percent for the second ship,” the source told RIA Novosti.
The source said the third and fourth ships would be fully manufactured in Russia as per agreement, but gave no time frame of when the craft would be built.
A Mistral-class ship can carry up to 16 helicopters, four landing craft, 13 battle tanks, around 100 other vehicles and a 450-strong force. It has facilities for a full command staff and is equipped with a 69-bed hospital.
Russian Air Force Ready To Get 100 Su-35 & Su-34 By 2015
The Russian Air Force will receive up to 100 Sukhoi fighter jets by 2015, the Defense Ministry spokesman said on Sunday.
Three state contracts with the Sukhoi design bureau on the supply of the jets have been already signed, Vladimir Drik said.
Fifty advanced Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighters, billed as "4++ generation using fifth-generation technology," more than ten advanced Su-27SM Flanker multirole jets and five Su-30M2 Flanker-C multirole fighters are among the aircraft to be supplied.
The Russian Air Force will also receive twenty-five new Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers in the next few years, the spokesman said.
Russian Stealth Helicopter Development Plans
The Gazeta publication published comments attributed to official Andrei Shibitov, who stated: “We [Russian Helicopters] are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter.” No precise details on its performance or similar were given, save that a good $1bn was going to be used to develop the new stealth helicopter, and that this amount might be topped up in due course.
Stealth Helicopter Technology
According to Shibitov, at least two Russian helicopter firms were involved in developing fifth generation stealth helicopter technologies. One, Mil, was developing a helicopter with a traditional main rotor/ tail rotor arrangement while another, Kamov, was working on a helicopter with a coaxial rotor, where two main rotors are mounted above the fuselage and rotate in opposite directions.According to defence experts, both approaches have advantages: the traditional arrangement offers higher reliability and boosted front-line survivability, while the coaxial provides a more stable platform.
New Russian Helicopter
The Russian newspaper quoted another official – Konstantin Sivkov, the first deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems – who specified a number of features that the new Russian helicopter was required to have. These included:- A minimal radar profile
- A noise profile that’s minimised as much as possible
- A capability to cover large distances
- An ability to engage front line fighter jets
- A maximum speed as high as 370 miles per hour
The fact that the Hind is a third-generation helicopter highlights the ambition of the Russian defence industry in looking towards new fifth-generation helicopter technologies but governmental support is needed to push the project forward.
“If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine”, another Russian official told Gazeta
Russia plans to develop 5th-generation 'stealth' helicopters
"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," the paper quoted the company's CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying at a news conference in Moscow.
Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some $1 billion on the project, with more investment expected to be allocated from the state budget.
The official said the Mil design bureau had been working on a classical rotor model, which features a large main rotor and a smaller auxiliary rotor, while the Kamov design bureau had been developing a coaxial rotor model.
Military experts believe that the coaxial rotor model is more stable and easy to fly while the classical model is more reliable and has a higher degree of survivability on the battlefield.
First deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, Konstantin Sivkov, told the paper that fifth-generation combat helicopters have never been built before, although the United States has recently begun working on a similar project.
He said a fifth-generation combat helicopter must have a low radar signature, a high noise reduction, an extended flying range, be equipped with a computerized arms control system, be able to combat fighter jets (existing helicopters are generally only intended to hit ground-based targets) and reach a speed of up to 500-600 km/h (310-370 mph).
The project cannot proceed, however, unless it is backed by the government.
"If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine," head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues Leonid Ivashov told Gazeta.
Ivashov said that with sufficient investment and good organization the new helicopter could be built within five years. Otherwise, the project may drag on for 20-30 years.
But he was somewhat skeptical about the chances of carrying out the project.
"We have been trying to tackle everything - fifth-generation planes, fifth-generation helicopters, but nothing of this have so far been supplied to the army - today the army still uses helicopters produced in 1970s," Ivashov said.
Russia's main combat helicopter, the Mi-24 Hind, is a third-generation helicopter, and a few Mi-28 Havoc, Ka-50 and Ka-52 Hokum, which have just started to arrive in the Russian army, are fourth-generation helicopters.
(RIA Novosti)
Russia talks stealthy, 370mph combat helicopter
But the Ria Novosti newswire reports Konstantin Sivkov, who is identified as the "first deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Problems", filled in some criteria: Invisible to radar, extended flying range, smart weapons, air-to-air capability and 310-370mph speed.
Sivkov also noted the "US recently began working on a similar project". I'm not sure exactly what he's referring to. The US Army is considering launching the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) program, but the requirements are not set yet. Sivkov may be referring to the Sikorsky X2 or Boeing DiscRotor.
Ria Novosti also quotes Sivkov's boss, Leonid Ivashov, explaining the aircraft could fly within five years if it receives substantial investment, or "may drag on for 20-30 years" otherwise.
Update: Flightglobal first reported about this story two years ago at the Farnborough Air Show:
The Mi-X1 is an advanced conceptual project that is looking to increase the speed of its helicopters from 300kmh up to more than 500kmh. The company says it is also looking to engineer increased flight range of up to 1,500km in order to service offshore oil-platforms or other distant or difficult-to-reach locations. Mi-X1 is a civilian export product, though a lightweight military model is likely to be produced for the Russian armed forces.
source
Russia To Develop 5th Generation Stealth Helicopters
A Russian helicopter company is planning to develop the world's first fifth-generation combat helicopter, which experts say would be able to attack fighter jets and be invisible for radars, the Gazeta daily said on Thursday.
"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," the paper quoted the company's CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying at a news conference in Moscow.
Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some $1 billion on the project, with more investment expected to be allocated from the state budget.
The official said the Mil design bureau had been working on a classical rotor model, which features a large main rotor and a smaller auxiliary rotor, while the Kamov design bureau had been developing a coaxial rotor model.
"We are working on the concept of the fifth-generation combat helicopter," the paper quoted the company's CEO, Andrei Shibitov, as saying at a news conference in Moscow.
Shibitov did not specify the characteristics of the helicopter, but said the company was going to spend some $1 billion on the project, with more investment expected to be allocated from the state budget.
The official said the Mil design bureau had been working on a classical rotor model, which features a large main rotor and a smaller auxiliary rotor, while the Kamov design bureau had been developing a coaxial rotor model.
Military experts believe that the coaxial rotor model is more stable and easy to fly while the classical model is more reliable and has a higher degree of survivability on the battlefield.
First deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, Konstantin Sivkov, told the paper that fifth-generation combat helicopters have never been built before, although the United States has recently begun working on a similar project.
First deputy head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues, Konstantin Sivkov, told the paper that fifth-generation combat helicopters have never been built before, although the United States has recently begun working on a similar project.
He said a fifth-generation combat helicopter must have a low radar signature, a high noise reduction, an extended flying range, be equipped with a computerized arms control system, be able to combat fighter jets (existing helicopters are generally only intended to hit ground-based targets) and reach a speed of up to 500-600 km/h (310-370 mph).
The project cannot proceed, however, unless it is backed by the government.
"If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine," head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues Leonid Ivashov told Gazeta.
Ivashov said that with sufficient investment and good organization the new helicopter could be built within five years. Otherwise, the project may drag on for 20-30 years.
But he was somewhat skeptical about the chances of carrying out the project.
"We have been trying to tackle everything - fifth-generation planes, fifth-generation helicopters, but nothing of this have so far been supplied to the army - today the army still uses helicopters produced in 1970s," Ivashov said.
Russia's main combat helicopter, the Mi-24 Hind, is a third-generation helicopter, and a few Mi-28 Havoc, Ka-50 and Ka-52 Hokum, which have just started to arrive in the Russian army, are fourth-generation helicopters.
The project cannot proceed, however, unless it is backed by the government.
"If the government does not sign a contract, the idea will die on the vine," head of the Russian Academy of Geopolitical Issues Leonid Ivashov told Gazeta.
Ivashov said that with sufficient investment and good organization the new helicopter could be built within five years. Otherwise, the project may drag on for 20-30 years.
But he was somewhat skeptical about the chances of carrying out the project.
"We have been trying to tackle everything - fifth-generation planes, fifth-generation helicopters, but nothing of this have so far been supplied to the army - today the army still uses helicopters produced in 1970s," Ivashov said.
Russia's main combat helicopter, the Mi-24 Hind, is a third-generation helicopter, and a few Mi-28 Havoc, Ka-50 and Ka-52 Hokum, which have just started to arrive in the Russian army, are fourth-generation helicopters.
Topol Stays On Top
Russia announced that it is investing half a billion dollars, over the next three years, to expand ballistic missile production capability. With this investment, Russia will be able to double ballistic missile production by 2013. The government plans to spend over $2.5 billion buying various versions of the Topol ICBM, as well as the shorter range Iskander through the end of the decade. Unable to create an army or navy capable of defending their vast borders, Russia is building up the one weapon, nuclear armed ballistic missiles, that will be most likely to keep potential invaders out.
The original Topol was the first mobile ICBM, and entered service in the late 1980s, and the first solid fuel ICBM. The U.S. introduced solid fuel rockets for ICBMs in the early 1960s, but it took Russia two more decades to master this technology. The original Topols are now being retired, and only about 200 of the 360 originally manufactured are still in service. Three new Topol variants will soon become the most common Russian ICBM. The Topol family of missiles have been quite reliable. A year ago, Russia announced that the latest version of its Topol series of solid-fuel ICBMs; the RS-24, had entered service. The RS-24 appears to be a slightly heavier version of the 46 ton Topol-M (or RS-12M1/M2). The RS-24 will be deployed in silos as well as on wheeled vehicles. Only a few of the RS-24s are in service, with a least one of them on a wheeled vehicle. The RS-24 carried more warheads (up to ten) than the Topol-M. The Russians developed the RS-24 to enable them to use all the additional warheads to penetrate American missile defenses.
Meanwhile, the overall Topol force grows. In late 2008 Russia activated another two battalions (three missiles each) of Topol-M ICBMs. These were the road-mobile versions, that avoid destruction in a first strike, by constantly moving around on the roads 200-300 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
Of the other 60+ Topol-M missiles in service, over 80 per cent are fired from underground silos. There are now at least fourteen road mobile Topol M missiles in service. The 17.4 meter (54 foot) long transporter for these 46 ton missiles is a 16 wheel vehicle, using a 710 horsepower diesel engine. Russia continues to make component and design improvements to its most modern ICBM, the Topol M. This has increased its service life from ten to 21 years.
Russia is in the midst of replacing Cold War era RS-18 (SS-19) and RS-20 (SS-18) ICBMs with the newer Topol M (also known as the SS-27 in the West), more rapidly than earlier planned. This is the result of more money being allocated to buying ICBMs, and more reliable new ICBMs becoming available. Even so, Russia is not producing enough Topol Ms each year to replace the older liquid fuel missiles before they reach the end of their planned service life. So these older missiles are being refurbished, to extend their time in service.
But Topol tech is not always the answer. A naval version of the Topol M (the RSM-56 Bulava), for use on SSBN submarines, was supposed to enter mass production in 2008, but technical problems caused that to be delayed for another three years. Too many of Bulava test launches failed. The problem was traced to a widespread loss of skilled researchers and technical people, to better paying non-defense jobs. The government threw more money, and better management, at the Bulava, and that appears to have helped a lot.
Meanwhile, Russia continues to test launch older RS-18 and RS-20 ICBMs. Russia still has over a hundred (out of a 1980s peak of 360) RS-18s in service, and expects to keep some of them active into the next decade. The test firings for the last five years have been successful, and other quality-control tests have come back positive. The 106 ton, 24.5 meter/76 foot long missile uses storable liquid fuel, meaning that the missile is inherently more complex than a solid fuel missile.
Meanwhile, the RS-18 entered service in 1975, and it wasn't until the 1980s that Russia began producing reliable solid fuel rocket motors, large enough for ICBMs (the 45 ton RS-12M). The last RS-18s were manufactured in 1990, and Russia expects each of them to have a useful life of 30 years via the same kind of product improvements being applied to the Topol M. Annual test launches ensure reliability.
The RS-18 was developed as a "light" ICBM, in effect, a competitor for the U.S. Minuteman series. The RS-18 was the first Russian ICBM to carry MIRV (Multiple, Independent Reentry Vehicles). That means each warhead had its own guidance system. The RS-18 carries six warheads, and has a range of 10,000 kilometers. Topol-M has a range of 11,000 kilometers. Russia is also extending the life of its heavier (217 ton) RS-20 ICBMs to 30 years. This missile carries ten warheads, and is also being converted to launch satellites.
The Bulava debacle forced the government to deal with the personnel problems in the defense industries. As the civilian economy boomed after the Soviet Union dissolved, the mighty Soviet defense industries shriveled. The defense firms not only shrank in size, they also lost a disproportionate number of their most skilled design and manufacturing personnel. While during the Soviet period, the best paying jobs were in defense, since 1991, that has shifted to commercial firms, or overseas. Bulava forced the government, and the defense industries, to acknowledge that they could not create first class weapons with second class staff.
Strategy Page.
Russia's RSD-10 Ballistic Missile
| RSD-10 Pioneer SS-20 Saber | |
|---|---|
| Type | Intermediate-range ballistic missile |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976–1988 |
| Used by | Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology |
| Manufacturer | Votkinsk Machine Building Plant |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 37,100 kg (82,000 lb) |
| Length | 16.5 m (54 ft) |
| Diameter | 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Warhead | Three 150 kT MIRVs |
| Engine | Two-stage solid propellant |
| Operational range | 5,500 km (3,400 mi) |
| Guidance system | Inertial |
| Accuracy | 150-450 m CEP |
| Launch platform | Road-mobile TEL |
Russian Navy To Get 2nd Graney Class Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarine In 2015
The Russian Navy will Get a 2nd Graney class nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine in 2015.
The construction of the Kazan submarine at the Sevmash Shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk began in 2010. The first vessel of the Graney class, the Severodvinsk submarine, will enter service by the end of 2011.
"The hull of the Kazan sub has been built, but we still have to make many upgrades compared with the first vessel in the series. We are planning to deliver the submarine to the Navy in 2015," the official told on Tuesday.
The Kazan will feature more advanced equipment and weaponry than the Severodvinsk, which has been under construction since 1993.
Graney class nuclear submarines are designed to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles or 5,000 km), with conventional or nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets.
"The hull of the Kazan sub has been built, but we still have to make many upgrades compared with the first vessel in the series. We are planning to deliver the submarine to the Navy in 2015," the official told on Tuesday.
The Kazan will feature more advanced equipment and weaponry than the Severodvinsk, which has been under construction since 1993.
Graney class nuclear submarines are designed to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles (up to 3,100 miles or 5,000 km), with conventional or nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)