JF-17: 21st-century MiG-21 from Chengdu [p.42] Tikhomirov’s AESA ready for flight tests [p.36] MC-21 gets first orders [p.30] An-148 production grows up [p.26] Be-200 gets EASA type certificate [p.19] Carrierborne pilots training [p.38] SSJ100 certification soon [p.16] M M i i -26T -26T HEAVYLIFTER HEAVYLIFTER under upgrade [p.12] november 2010 • Special edition for Airshow China 2010
Tikhomirov’s AESA ready for flight tests under upgrade Carrierborne pilots training JF-17: 21st-century MiG-21 from Chengdu [p.42] november 2010 • Special edition for Airshow China 2010 [p.12] [p.30] [p.26] [p.19] [p.38] [p.16] [p.36]
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Columnist Alexander VelovichArtyom Korenyako Special correspondents Alexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov,Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev,Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva,Dmitry Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov,Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski,Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi
Design and pre-press Grigory Butrin
Translation Yevgeny Ozhogin
Cover picture Andrey Fomin
Publisher
Director General Andrey Fomin
Deputy Director GeneralNadezhda Kashirina
Marketing DirectorGeorge Smirnov
Business Development DirectorMikhail Fomin
Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied
with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis.
Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items.
take-off november 2010 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u2
MAKS News Daily newspaper is an on-site publication with a 10,000 copies circulation covering all important events of the airshow, exhibitors’ news, latest aerospace headlines, news conferences reports
in MAKS news show dailyAll news of MAKS 2011 airshow
With it’s exhibition-focused content, interviews with aerospacetop-managers and decision makers the main topics are:• Aerospace industry • Commercial aviation• Combat aircraft• Aero engines and avionics• Weapons and air defence• UAVs, etc.
Distribution:• Every exhibitor’s stand and chalet • Thousands of trade visitors
at the entrance gates• Chalet of the President of Russia• Publisher’s stand and distribution
points throughout the exhibition area
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Could you briefly describe current state of the Russia’s arms trade and prioritise geographical regions, most important for Rosoboronexport?
Russia's military technical cooperation with
foreign states has been practised for many a
century. Rosoboronexport has inherited the
best traditions of its predecessors in establishing
lasting relations with foreign partners.
But military technical cooperation is not
a pure "arms trade". It occupies a specific
zone within the Russia's foreign economic
activities where long-term mutually
beneficial partnerships with foreign countries
are built. It is only natural as procured arms
will be in service for 20, 30 or even 50 years.
When an importing country purchases our
arms, it entrusts us with the most precious
state issue – its security, and ultimately –
its independence and territorial integrity.
Such country becomes a long-time reliable
ally of Russia in both military-political and
economic areas.
Every year Rosoboronexport increases its
foreign sales value by $500–700 mln. As
a result, the amount of foreign military
sales carried out by Rosoboronexport has
augmented for the last 10 years almost by two
and a half times.
Russian military-purpose products also have
been delivered to much wider geographical
destinations. At present Rosoboronexport
maintains cooperation with some 70
countries. If previously India and China took
up the main share of contracts (up to 80%
of sales value), they are now joined by other
importers which have become major Russian
arms recipients, such as Algeria, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and some other
countries.
The Corporation is proactive in developing
new markets. Latin American countries
are a good example of such markets. We
have contracts with Peru, Columbia, Brazil,
Argentina, and Cuba, prospects also exist for
ANATOLY ISAYKIN:RUSSIAN ARMS MEAN RELIABILITY, QUALITY, SUCCESSRosoboronexport, the sole Russian state arms trade company entitled to export
the whole range of military and dual-purpose products, technologies and serv-
ices, is currently marking its tenth anniversary. The Rosoboronexport Corporation
was established by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation with
the authority to conduct foreign trade operations with the whole export nomen-
clature of Russian arms and joint research and development works in coop-
eration with defence enterprises and research institutes both in Russia and
abroad. Its status warrants state support for all its export/import operations. The
Corporation accounts now for more than 80% share in Russia's foreign military
sales. Rosoboronexport focuses its business development strategy on forming,
strengthening and developing long-term partnerships with foreign countries under
the motto "Efficiency. Reliability. Quality".
On the eve of the Airshow China 2010 exhibition Take-off asked Anatoly Isaykin,
Rosoboronexport’s Director General, to shed light on the key activities of the
Corporation.
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5 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off november 2010
promotion of Russian arms to Chile, Uruguay,
and Ecuador.
Military technical cooperation with
countries in South East Asia, the Middle East,
and North Africa is continued on a mutually
beneficial basis as well.
We maintain military technical
cooperation with our close neighbours from
the Commonwealth of Independent States
(CIS) and the Collective Security Treaty
Organisation (CSTO) within the guidelines
of the Russia's state policy. Our partners
are offered substantial preferences. This is
also natural since armed forces of the CIS/
CSTO countries are equipped with Soviet and
Russian-made weapons. We are developing
very dynamic mutually advantageous
relations in this area with Azerbaijan, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, and other member-states.
Of course, when supplying weapon systems,
Rosoboronexport observes all international
conventions, does not violate the established
force balance in the regions nor allows illegal
proliferation of weapons around the world
and their falling in the hands of terrorist
organisations and rogue totalitarian states.
Do you have any “hot list” of military-purpose products, favoured by foreign partners?
The nomenclature of military-purpose
products offered for export increases from
year to year. Now it includes several thousand
items that are equal in quality with the best
world products and even surpass them in
some respects. Russian combat systems are
actively adapted to meet NATO standards and
are in demand among member-states of this
organisation. Russian weapons and military
equipment are favourably distinguished from
competing products by their permanent
advantage in cost-effectiveness. All the above
have allowed Russia to keep for many years
the second place in the arms sales value.
What are the new business directions, considered by Rosoboronexport in order to secure its position on the world arms trade market?
Rosoboronexport continues to improve
its exports business concept in collaboration
with foreign partners. If previously military
equipment was sold as it was, now it is offered
with a set of services intended to support the
procured weapons during their life cycle,
including: maintenance, upgrading, repairs,
and even disposal when the service life has
been ended. Many customer states set up
their own repair bases and servicing centres,
and organise upgrading works and training
of combat crews and technical personnel.
In India, for example, the joint venture
"Rosoboronservice" has been established to
provide after-sale servicing of ships, aircraft
and helicopters. Preparations are done for
opening similar centres in other regions. In
India also functions the T-90S MBT licence
production plant.
Rosoboronexport always tries to help its
partners expertly and smoothly integrate
Russian-made equipment into existing
defence structures, making the whole system
operate efficiently, quickly, harmoniously and
reliably. Such approach enhances operational
effectiveness of systems and sets of equipment
and reduces their cost as well as funds required
for building and maintaining a corresponding
infrastructure.
As we know, the Corporation has strong relations with many Russian enterprises and regions.
Yes, you are right. Rosoboronexport
maintains business connections with more
than 700 defence enterprises in 56 regions of
Russia. Many of these enterprises have been
provided with foreign orders for several years
to come.
These days when we celebrate the
anniversary I wish our partners every success
in business, prosperity and well-being,
constructive and mutually advantageous
cooperation with Rosoboronexport for the
benefit of our countries and peoples.
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The long-awaited signature of
an agreement on the establishment
of Russian-Indian joint venture to
develop the Multirole Transport
Aircraft (MTA) took place in India
on 9 September. The Russian
participants in the venture are the
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)
and Rosoboronexport government-
owned corporation while their Indian
counterpart is Hindustan Aeronautics
Ltd. (HAL). The signatories have a
fifty-fifty ownership of the stock, with
the joint venture being headquartered
in Bangalore.
The intergovernmental agreement
on co-development and construction
of the MTA was signed as far back
as 2007. It makes provision for the
production of 205 aircraft in Russia
and India. The overall cost of the
development is set at $600.7 million
and will be shouldered by the parties
equally.
According to an official Indian
Ministry of Defence news release
circulated due to the establishing
of the joint venture, the MTA
will have a lifting capacity of
15–20 t to meet the concurrent
requirements of the Indian and
Russian air forces. Its maximum
takeoff weight will stand at 65 t,
cruising speed will be 800 km/h,
range will account for 2,500–
2,700 km and service ceiling will
equal 12,000 m. The MTA will be
powered by two turbofan engines.
An MTA prototype may complete
its maiden flight in 2016.
In September, the Sukhoi
company delivered the three
Su-27SKM single-seat multirole
fighters built by the Komsomolsk-
on-Amur Aircraft Production
Association (KnAAPO) under a
contract of 2007 to Indonesia. The
Su-27SKM is an upgrade of the
baseline Su-27 fighter. Under the
contract, KnAAPO earlier delivered
three Su-30MK2 two-seaters during
2008–2009.
The first two Su-27SKMs were
flown from Komsomolsk-on-Amur
to the Indonesian Air Force’s Sultan
Hasanuddin air base in South
Sulawesi province on 10 September,
with the final – third – one airlifted
in on 16 September. On arrival, the
fighters had been assembled and
tested at the customer’s air base
by later in September. The official
handover ceremony was held by
the Indonesian Air Force in late
September, with the aircraft heaving
participated in the traditional military
parade in Jakarta on 5 October.
Given the two Su-27SKs and
two Su-30MKs delivered in 2003
(see the picture), the Indonesia Air
Force has 10 Sukhoi fighters now
but is not going to limit itself to
the number. Soon after the delivery
of the Su-27SKMs, the service’s
commander, Air Marshal Imam
Sufaat, indicated the Indonesian
government’s intent to buy six more
Sukhoi fighters from Russia. “Given
the vast airspace of this country, 10
Sukhoi aircraft are not enough”, he
told Indonesian news agency Antara.
According to the Indonesian Air Force
commander, Indonesian President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has
given the green light to the decision
to acquire a new batch of Sukhoi
fighters from Russia.
MTA joint venture set up at long last
Indonesia gets Su-27SKM
And
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www.irkut.com
12–15% operational cost reduction in comparison with existing analogues.
Innovative design solutions for airframe.
Optimal fuselage cross-section to increase the comfort level or to reduce the turnaround time.
Cooperation with the world leading suppliers of systems and equipment.
Matching future environmental requirements.
Expanded operational capabilities.
Aircraft family with expanded operational capabilities and a new level of economic effi ciency
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8
The first production-standard
Il-76MF airlifter serialled 76954
took off for its maiden flight from
the airfield of the Tashkent Aircraft
Production Corp. named after Valery
Chkalov (TAPC) on 30 September.
The aircraft is designed for delivery
to Jordan, that’s why it got a new
designation, Il-76EI. It was flown
by a Russian-Uzbek aircrew led by
Ilyushin Chief Pilot Nikolay Kuimov,
a Hero of Russia and a Merited Pilot
of Russia. The flight was 38 min
long and “uneventful”, according to
the captain.
TAPC built the plane under a
contract for two Il-76MFs, signed
by Rosoboronexport on 17 August
2005 during the visit of His Majesty
Abdallah ben al-Hussein II, King
of the Hashemite Kingdom and
Commander-in-Chief of the Royal
Jordanian Armed Services, to the
MAKS 2005 air show.
The Il-76MF is an Il-76MD airlifter
derivative featuring the fuselage
stretched by 6.6 m, which has
allowed a 25% increase in the size
of the cargo hold – from 321 cu.m
to 400 cu.m – and a similar hike in
the lifting capacity – from 47 t to
60 t. The maximum takeoff weight
has grown from 190 t to 210 t, and
the powerplant includes advanced
PS-90A-76 engines with a takeoff
thrust of 14,500 kgf (the production
Il-76MD is powered by D-30KP2s
12,000 kgf each).
TAPC had made the first Il-76MF
prototype (c/n 90-01, reg. number
76900) by the mid-‘90s. It first flew
in Tashkent on 1 August 1995 and
then was handed over to Ilyushin
for testing. Manufacture of the
components for 20 new-version
aircraft (including 10 Il-76MF military
transports 10 Il-76TF commercial
freighters) was launched by TAPC
in the mid-‘90s owing to the
anticipated orders from the Russian
Defence Ministry and commercial
carriers. However, the official trials
of the Il-76MF prototype dragged
on, and no firm orders for the
advanced aircraft had been landed
for 10 years. At the time, TAPC
would make Il-76MDs for China,
Il-76MKI tanker planes and Il-76TD
airframes for their subsequent
conversion into the Indian Air Force-
ordered A-50EI AWACS planes in
Taganrog as well as deliver Il-76TD
and Il-76MD freighters by the piece
to Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Sudan,
Algeria, the Uzbek Air Force, Russian
Emergencies Ministry and Russian
air carriers Aviacon-Zitotrans and
Volga-Dnepr. Against that backdrop,
the construction of the Il-76MF and
Il-76TF, which became uncalled,
was suspended, with the company’s
backlog including four mated Il-76MF
airframes and individual components
for more aircraft of the type.
The backlog came in handy
in 2005 when Jordan displayed
interest in the Il-76MF. However,
the bargaining took several
years. Ilyushin signed a contract
for construction two aircraft by
TAPC for Jordan only on 4 July
2007. However, the signature of
the contract by the developer and
manufacturer did not launch the
work under the Jordanian order
for a long time. During the SOFEX
2010 international special forces
exhibition and conference in the
Jordanian capital of Amman in May,
Valery Varlamov, a departmental
chief with Rosoboronexport, said:
“The fulfilment of the contract has
run into objective difficulties calling
for signature of a supplement
in December 2009 and a minor
postponement of the delivery”. The
Rosoboronexport official stressed;
“Russia is reaffirming its readiness
to deliver the planes in line with the
newly-agreed schedule”. Obviously,
the first of the Il-76MFs will be able
to set off for Jordan in 2011.
The signature of the supplementary
agreement in December last year,
gave the deal a real impetus. By July
this year, the airframe of the first
Jordan-intended Il-76MF had been
almost complete, four brand-new
PS-90A-76 engines supplied by the
Perm Engine Company earlier this
year had been mounted under its
wing and installation of systems and
avionics had been in full swing. The
aircraft was built using the airframe
of Il-76MF c/n 96-02 from TAPC’s
backlog. Unlike Il-76MF c/n 90-01
tested in Russia, it is being outfitted
with a number of more advanced
avionics systems, some of which are
used in the Il-76TD-90VD freighters
TAPC manufactures for Russian
carrier Volga-Dnepr. The aircraft was
rolled out to TAPC’s flight test facility
on 17 September. The ground tests
of its onboard systems at the airfield
took two weeks, and the aircraft
took off for the first time on 30
September.
The Perm Engine Company will
have shipped to Tashkent another
four PS-90A-76 engines to power
the second Jordan-intended
Il-76MF being assembled using the
unfinished c/n 94-01 airframe. The
aircraft is slated for its maiden flight
in 2011.
When the two Il-76MFs have been
delivered, Jordan will become the
only country operating this version.
Most probably, when the backlog
has been exhausted by TAPC that
can build several more Il-76TDs
(Il-76TD-90s) in various variants
for Volga-Dnepr and Azerbaijan, the
production of the Il-76-family aircraft
will continue only in Russia by the
Aviastar-SP plant in Ulyanovsk under
the 476 programme.
First Il-76MF built for Jordan
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10
The third A-50EI airborne warning
and control aircraft serialled KW3553
built by Beriev company for the Indian
Air Force (IAF) under a trilateral
contract was ferried from Taganrog
to Israel on 8 October for ELTA to fit
it with the MSA radar system.
The first two production A-50EIs
were delivered to the customer in
2009–2010. They are in service with
IAF now.
The A-50EI airborne warning
and control system aircraft was
developed under the 2004 Russo-
Indian-Israeli contract. It is based
on the airframe of the Ilyushin
Il-76TD airlifter produced by TAPC
and fitted by Beriev with PS-90A-76
engines, and Israeli radar system
MSA (Phalcon) mounted on the
aircraft by Israeli company ELTA.
In addition, the aircraft is equipped
with a datalink from Russian radio
corporation Vega.
The first Il-76TD (c/n 94-02),
earmarked for conversion into the
lead A-50EI plane, was flown from
the manufacturer plant in Tashkent
to Taganrog in April 2005. Fitting the
first aircraft with PS-90A-76 engines,
radar fairings and the in-flight
refueling system as well as other
airframe modifications under the
A-50EI programme was complete in
autumn 2007. The aircraft performed
its maiden flight from Beriev’s airfield
in Taganrog on 29 November 2007.
On 20 January 2008, it was ferried
to Israel for assembly of the radar
system and conduct of the full set
of improvements and tests. The first
flight of the radar-equipped aircraft
took place in Tel Aviv on 5 June
2008. The plane had been tested in
Israel until last spring, after which it
flew to India on 25 May 2009 for its
IAF in-service ceremony at Palam air
base near New Delhi on 28 May. The
aircraft was serialled KW3551.
The second A-50EI aircraft under
that contract, which was based on
the Il-76TD airframe (c/n 94-03)
delivered to Beriev in June 2005,
first flew in Taganrog on 11 January
2009 and went to Israel for its radar
system installation on 24 June
2009, following the completion of
its factory tests. Outfitting the plane
with the radar system had taken
about nine months, and on 25 March
2010 the plane was ferried to the
customer and entered service with
IAF, serialled KW3552.
The third A-50EI wrapped
around the airframe of the Il-76TD
(c/n 94-04) completed its first flight
in Taganrog on 9 June this year and
then had spent four months being
painted in Ulyanovsk and tested and
debugged in Taganrog. Once it has
been equipped with the radar system,
cleared by the acceptance tests and
delivered to IAF, the contract for the
three AWACS aircraft will be fulfilled.
Nevertheless, the customer is not
about to limit itself to three aircraft
only. Negotiations are under way
on delivery of several more aircraft
of the type.
9 September saw the successful
completion of the major recent contract
on delivery of new Russian-made
helicopters to a Russian commercial
air carrier. The UTair company took
delivery of the final, 40th, Mi-8AMT
(Mi-171) at the Ulan-Ude Aviation
Plant (UUAP, a division of the Russian
Helicopters holding company) and
sent it on to its duty station in the
city of Tyumen. The deal was struck
in 2007 and announced officially on
21 February 2008. The Tyumen-based
carrier started accepting the first of the
40 Mi-8AMT and Mi-171 helicopters
in October 2008. In 2009, the aircraft
fleet was beefed up with 15 helicopters
of the type, and the deal has been
finalised this year ahead of schedule.
“We are completing a very
important contract on delivery of 40
Mi-171 and Mi-8AMT helicopters”,
said UUAP Managing Director
Leonid Belykh. “The deal has been
a major one to both UUAP and the
Russian Helicopters JSC in terms of
the number of machines delivered to
a Russian commercial operator. We
are proud of the job we have done
and are ready to fulfil new orders
from UTair and other commercial
operators”.
A Russian Helicopters spokesperson
said that the holding company was
ready to give priorities to new orders
from UTair to deliver additional Mi-171
helicopters within a schedule agreed.
UTair as a key customer of Russian
Helicopters is also to be offered soon
a new upgraded variant of the popular
helicopter family – the Mi-171M that is
now under development.
Beriev delivers third A-50EI
All of 40 Mi-171s delivered to UTair
UU
AP
Beriev
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Mi-26TC in China
The negotiations with the People’s
Republic of China on their buying Russian-
built Mi-26TC helicopters picked up after
the Chinese had analysed the operation of a
helicopter leased by China for use as part of
its natural disaster relief operation in the wake
of the disastrous earthquake in Sichuan prov-
ince. This Mi-26TC was brought to Chinese
company China Flying Dragon Special
Aviation in September 2007. Chinese experts
recognised the capabilities of the Russian hel-
icopter operating in the foothill environment
as extremely successful and effective.
The terrible 8-magnitude earthquake
snuffed up over 65,000 lives and injured
upwards of 360,000 people, with at least
23,000 missed. However, the number of vic-
tims could have been greater, because a moun-
tain range’s break-up and caving into a river
caused the level of water in the river to rise by
35 m, threatening a densely populated area
in the province with flooding. Special equip-
ment, including the leased Russian Mi-26TC
helicopter, were deployed by an order of the
Chinese government to the disaster-stricken
area to conduct a disaster relief operation and
prevent further loss of life.
On 20 May 2008, the crew flying the
Mi-26TC evacuated on a single day more than
230 people, the population of a whole vil-
lage threatened by a flood. At the same time,
the machine hauled rescue equipment and
essential items. The crew also was tasked with
bringing special equipment to areas hit by
rubble to conduct earth-moving operations.
The first of construction vehicles was lowered
with pinpoint accuracy to a spot measuring
merely 4.5x3 m. Then the spot doubled in
size, and work accelerated. Operating hand
in glove with the People’s Liberation Army,
the Mi-26TC hauled 15 engineer vehicles in
limited visibility conditions on a single day,
with the vehicles weighing more than 200 t in
total. It airlifted 18 engineer vehicles more on
the next day, with their total weight standing
at about 300 t.
Having appreciated the strengths of the
unique helicopter shown on all Chinese TV
channels, the customer in late May 2008
decided to buy the leased Mi-26TC out ahead
of schedule. The aircraft was given Chinese
registration number B-7802. Soon, talks
kicked off on acquisition additional helicop-
ters of the type as well as joint development
and production of heavy-lift helicopters tai-
lored to the requirements of Chinese custom-
ers.
A contract on delivery of a second Mi-26TC
to China was signed in November 2008 dur-
ing Airshow China 2008. July 2009 saw the
aircraft serialled B-7803 delivered to Qindao
Helicopters Special Aviation Co. That has
used it with success on fire-fighting and disas-
ter relief operations ever since.
A third Mi-26TC (serialled B-7807), which
had been built by Rostvertol this summer,
flew on its own to China very recently, on
14 October this year, three months ahead of
schedule set by the contract. Chinese com-
pany Lectern Aviation Supplies had ordered
the machine.
China is going to buy another aircraft of
the type in the near future, with the 2008
MI-26T2MI-26T2NEW-GENERATION RUSSIAN NEW-GENERATION RUSSIAN HEAVYLIFTERHEAVYLIFTERA new Russian-made Mil Mi-26TC heavy-lift transport helicopter went to China on
12 October. Chinese company Lectern Aviation Supplies Co. Ltd. had ordered it
in March this year. The helicopter had been developed by Mil Moscow Helicopter
Plant and manufactured by Rostvertol JSC. It is the third machine of the type,
bought by the People’s Republic of China over the past three years. Venezuela
has acquired three aircraft of the type recently, and Russian Emergencies Minister
Sergey Shoigu voiced his plans for procuring five more new Mi-26s following the
forest fires that raged in Russia this summer. This is an indication that the Mi-26,
the world’s largest and heavy-lift-capable production-standard helicopter, remains
in demand on the global market. Its appeal to potential customers is to grow even
more owing to the machine’s upgrade programme being held jointly by the Mil
design bureau and Rostvertol plant under the Mi-26T2 programme.
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contract making provision for seven Mi-26TC
options.
Advanced capabilities of Mi-26T2
Russian heavy-lift Mi-26, which first
flew on 14 December 1977, revolutionised
rotorcraft building in its day by setting new
heavy-lift helicopter standards. It was able
to carry up to 80 troops in combat gear or 60
casualties on stretchers, or cargo weighing up
to 20 t in its cargo cabin or on the external
sling. Its US rivals have been unable to beat
it at this yet.
A graphic proof of the superiority of the
Russian machine over its US competition
is the widely known facts of history of the
combat operations in Afghanistan, when the
Mi-26’s services had to be resorted to so as
US Chinooks downed in mountainous areas
can be recovered. Isn’t this the best advertise-
ment for the aircraft developed by the Mil
design bureau?
However, to remain on the cutting edge of
technological progress and meet the require-
ments of potential customer in a better man-
ner, Mil kicked off heavy upgrade of the
Mi-26 six years ago, paying for it out of
pocket. The upgraded helicopter was des-
ignated as Mi-26T2. Its key features will
include the round-the-clock operation capa-
bility, advanced digital avionics allowing a
crew reduction down to two pilots, and uprat-
ed engines.
The BREO-26 avionics suite of the
Mi-26T2 upgrade is wrapped around the
NPK-90-2 flight navigation system com-
prising a digital display system, control
consoles, a digital computer, a satellite
navigation system and a digital flight con-
trol system. In addition, the Mi-26T2’s
avionics suite includes a day/night gyro-
stabilised surveillance optronic system, an
up-to-date communications suite and an
integral test system. Optional gear includes
night-vision goggles. According to expert
estimates, the BREO-26 avionics suite will
boost the Mi-26T2’s reliability, flight safety,
stability, controllability and hovering preci-
sion, the latter being especially important
when using the external sling.
Owing to its advanced avionics suite, the
Mi-26T2 can fly round the clock in any
weather and above sea surface. Another advan-
tage of the machine is a reduction in mission
planning time and in-flight workload on the
crew owing, among other things, to automatic
onboard systems health monitoring.
The Mi-26T2 carries outsize cargo and
vehicle weighing a total of 20 t both in its
cargo cabin and on the external sling. Its mili-
tary variant hauls 82 troops while its casevac
version 60 casualties. The machine also can
handle construction and erection work of
Vladimir SCHERBAKOV
The second Mi-26TC delivered
to China in 2009 demonstrates its
fire-fighting capabilities with Bambi
Bucket containing 15 t of water
Left: the third Mi-26TC delivered to
China in October 2010
Bottom: upgraded Mi-26T2 glass
cockpit
And
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w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u14 take-off november 2010
various degrees of complexity, fire fighting,
quick fuel delivery with on-the-ground refuel-
ling of vehicles, etc.
Certainly, the upgraded Mi-26T2 heavy-lift
helicopter has bright vistas not only in Russia,
but also on the international market where
interest in rotary-wing heavylifters remains
keen. The Russian-made Mi-26T2 will retain
its edge over its foreign competition in terms
of a number of basic characteristics, in the
first place, maximum carrying capacity and
heavily-laden range.
For this reason, analysts foresee interest in
the Mi-26T2 advanced heavy-lift helicopter
on the part of countries from all over the
world, including European NATO members
whose defence need in an advanced heavy-lift
helicopter will never be met even by upgraded
US CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K Super
Stallion. They are unable to carry all of the
materiel in service with the militaries of the
NATO members. With its carrying capacity
of 20 t, the Mi-26T2 remains unchallenged,
given that the lifting capacity of the upgraded
CH-47F being fielded with the US Army and
several other armies is up to 13 t and that
of the CH-53K designed mostly for the US
Marine Corps stands at 16 t.
There is a lot of work for the future Mi-26T2
in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well, of
them being traditional Russian aircraft markets.
This indicates a niche for the advanced Russian
all-weather day/night heavy-lift helicopter
meeting the most stringent requirements.
The first Mi-26T2 is in the final stages of
preparations for its flight trials and is due in
the air any time soon.
Basic characteristics of Mi-26T2 heavy-lift helicopter
Maximum takeoff weight, t 56.0
Maximum carrying capacity, t:
- in cargo cabin 20.0
- on external sling 20.0
Speed, km/h:
- maximum 295
- cruising 255
Service ceiling, m 4,600
Range, km:
- on internal fuel 800
- ferry, with external tanks 1,920
Engines AI-136T
Takeoff power, hp 2x11,400
c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | u p g r a d e
Rostvertol-avia’s Mi-26T carries
BMD-3 airborne infantry combat
vehicle
Left:
CH-47 Chinook recovery operation
by a Mi-26T of Vertical-T company,
Afghanistan, October 2009
Ro
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ert
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LC
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United Engine Corporation (UEC) is the leading Russian industrial group in production of engines
for aviation, launch vehicles,electric energy sector and gas pumping.
United Engine Corporation is a part and a subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom.
UEC integrated more than 80% of assetsof the Russian aviation engine-building industry.
take-off november 2010 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u30 take-off november 2010
c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | p r o g r a m m e
Later on, Irkut signed letter of intent for
90 more MC-21 aircraft in Farnborough.
The Ilyushin Finance Co. leasing compa-
ny ordered 28 airliners of the type with 22
options (50 aircraft in all). Another Russian
aircraft lessor, VEB-Leasing, made an agree-
ment for 15 planes with 15 options. Two
letters of intent were signed by air carriers as
well: Russian tourist charter carrier Nordwind
ordered five MC-21s plus two options, and a
customer, who requested anonymity, ordered
the same number of airliners. Overall, the
deals clinched generated a good orderbook for
the MC-21 developer, totalling 140 aircraft.
According to the developer, the MC-21
will one-up its closest foreign rival, the Airbus
A320, in better efficiency, since its direct
operating costs are expected to be 12–15%
less, fuel efficiency 25% higher and mainte-
nance costs 30% lower.
This is to be achieved through using cutting-
edge equipment and systems from major for-
eign manufacturers and a number of ingenious
design and layout solutions. For instance, a
large part of the airliner’s design, 35–37%, is
composites, of which, in particular, the wing
and empennage will be made in full.
The most important component of the
MC-21’s competitive edge concept is the
comfort unprecedented for aircraft in the
class. The MC-21’s cabin is 3.65 m wide,
which is 12 cm more than that of the A320
and 19 cm of the cabin of the Boeing 737.
This allows either using wider and more
comfortable seats or increasing the width
of the aisle, which will expedite boarding
and disembarkation and enable passengers
to pass clearly of service trolleys easily.
Like the Dreamliner, the MC-21 will have
larger passenger windows. Comfort will be
enhanced by maintaining a cabin pressure
corresponding to an altitude of 1,830 m
(the cabin pressure of the EU and US
rivals corresponds to the 2,400-m altitude)
and using a very effective air conditioning
system.
When launching the MC-21, a lot was said
about the window of opportunities for the
programme. At present, air carriers all over
the world have essentially to choose between
two types of medium-haul narrow-body air-
liners – the A320 family and Boeing 737. The
orderbooks of the two are set for several years
to come, because single-aisle planes are all
the rage in the world now. Thus, if Irkut can
deliver on its promises and bring the MC-21
on the market in 2016, it will have a very good
chance to carve up a good slice of the market
for itself. Irkut President Oleg Demchenko
estimates that the MC-21 programme can
win the company up to 10% of the global
150–200-seat narrow-body airliner market.
Leading Western companies, which joined the
MC-21 programme, agree with him, believing
the MC-21 output may exceed 1,000 aircraft.
UAC President Alexey Fyodorov said, “The
MC-21 is UAC’s priority as far as civil avia-
tion programmes are concerned. The plants in
Ulyanovsk and Voronezh are coming on board;
they will join UAC’s division being established
on the basis of Irkut. The government is doing
its best to facilitate the programme. Pursing
the MC-21 programme, we are developing a
new-generation passenger plane and, hence,
high-tech branches of Russia’s economy”.
There is little time left before the airliner’s
maiden flight. Irkut plans that the first MC-21
will take to the skies in late 2014. If all goes
to plan, its certification tests will have been
complete by 2016 and then deliveries of early
production-standard airliners to the launch cus-
tomer will kick off.
And
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om
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And
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in
MC-21’s glass cockpit
MC-21 passenger cabins: business class
and tourist class (right)
31 take-off november 2010w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u
c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | p r o g r a m m e
Models of MC-21 three
versions
take-off november 2010 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | n e w s
32
Late in August, Sukhoi’s divi-
sion Novosibirsk Aircraft Production
Association (NAPO) completed the
assembly and conducted the maiden
flight of the lead Su-34 tactical bomb-
er under a five-year governmental
contract for 32 aircraft of the type
for the Russian Air Force, conclud-
ed in December 2008. In all, NAPO
is to build and deliver four Su-34s
this year, which has been confirmed
by Sukhoi Director General Mikhail
Pogosyan during the latest air show
in Farnborough. The remaining three
aircraft are in Novosibirsk in the final
stages of assembly.
The RusAF Commander-in-Chief,
Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin said on
1 September during his visit to
Voronezh that the four aircraft would
enter service with the Voronezh air
base (Baltimor airfield) operating
previous-generation Su-24M tactical
bombers at present. In the course of
the RusAF’s revamping, the disband-
ing of the air regiments stationed
at Shatalovo and Buturlinovka air
bases in the Smolensk and Voronezh
regions is expected to result in acti-
vation of a largest air base in the
country. It is to operate Su-24MR and
MiG-25RB recce aircraft and Su-25
ground attack aircraft in addition to
Su-34s and Su-24Ms – about a hun-
dred warplanes in all.
The Russian Defence Ministry
has taken delivery of five production
Su-34s to date. Three of them (serials
02, 04 and 05) are used for operational
evaluation by the RusAF Combat and
Conversion Training Centre (CCTC) in
Lipetsk and two more (serials 01 and
03), along with several LRIP aircraft,
are used in the final stages of the
official tests at the Defence Ministry’s
Chkalov GLITs State Flight Test Centre
in Akhtubinsk. The Lipetsk-based
Su-34s flew across the country and
took part in large-scale Exercise
Vostok 2010 (East 2010) this summer
(see the picture).
The new aircraft built under the
2008 governmental contract differ
from the aircraft of the type earlier
built by NAPO in several improve-
ments. For instance, they are pow-
ered by upgraded engines, AL-31F
Series 42s (AL-31F-M1s), developed
and produced by MMPP Salut plant.
The engines feature enhanced thrust
and a longer service life. The deci-
sion to fit all subsequent production
Su-34s with such engines was taken
following the AL-31F Series 42’s suc-
cessful official trials, Salyt Director
General Yury Yeliseyev announced at
the Engines 2010 show this spring.
AL-31F Series 42 engines already
power the 24 Su-27SM fighters oper-
ated by a RusAF air base in the
Russian Far East.
Further down the road, new
Su-34s are going to be furnished
with an APU derived by Aerosila from
the TA14-130-35 auxiliary power unit
equipping the Su-35 fighter. The use
of the APU will give a considerable
shot in the arm to the Su-34’s self-
contained operation. According to
the ARMS-TASS news agency, tests
of the APU on board a Su-34 com-
menced at GLITs this summer.
In addition, the passed milestones
of the tests have led to the introduc-
tion into the aircraft of advanced
operating modes for their avionics,
specifically for the phased-array fire
control radar from the Leninets hold-
ing company.
If all goes to plan, the Su-34 will
have completed the full set of its
official tests at GLITs by year-end,
which will enable the first RusAF
line air base to receive four cutting-
edge aircraft NAPO is assembling
and testing now. In the future, NAPO
is going to step up the Su-34 output
rate: Mikhail Pogosyan said during
the Farnborough air show in July that
the out was to reach 12–20 aircraft
a year.
The first Sukhoi Su-30M2 two-
seat multirole fighter made under
the governmental contract award-
ed last August during the MAKS
2009 air show performed its first
flight from the factory airfield of
the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft
Production Association (KnAAPO)
on 17 September 2010. As is known,
KnAAPO, a division of Sukhoi, is
under the contract to manufac-
ture 64 combat aircraft, including
12 Su-27SM single-seaters, four
Su-30M2 twin-seaters and 48 cut-
ting-edge Su-35S fighters and deliv-
er them to the Russian Air Force until
2015. The first of the Su-35s ordered
by the Defence Ministry is nearly
completed by KnAAPO and is due to
fly for the first time before year-end.
In 2011 the first four production
Su-35S aircraft will join official tests
to begin soon with the deliveries
of the next production fighters to
RusAF manoeuvre units to com-
mence in 2012–2013. By the way
the Defence Ministry is pondering an
order for several Su-30MKI twin-seat
supermanoeuvrable fighters as well
from the Irkut Corp.’s Irkutsk Aviation
Plant for use by RusAF aircrews for
Su-35 conversion training.
New Su-34s for Russian Air Force
The first Su-30M2 built
Yury
Ka
bern
ik
Kn
AA
PO
UNITED INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION “OBORONPROM”27 Stromynka st., 107076 Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected]
Moscow
Rybinsk
Kazan Perm
SamaraUfa
Ekaterinburg
Novosibirsk
Ula-Ude
St.Petersburg
“Russian Helicopters” Company, a whole subsidiary of OBORONPROM Corporation, is the leading Russian designer and manufacturer of rotary-wing aircraft equipment
“United Engine Corporation”, a whole subsidiary of OBORONPROM Corporation,is the leading Russian industrial group producing engines for aircraft, aerospace industry, gas compression stations and power plants
adve
rtis
ing
OBORONPROM Corporation, a Russian Technologies State Corporation company, is a diversified industrial-investment group
in the engineering and high technologies sectors.The Corporation integrates more than 25 leading Russian
companies in helicopters and engines manufacturing.
Rostov-Don
Arseniev
Kumertau
take-off november 2010 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | n e w s
34
The flight trials of the first
prototype of the Sukhoi’s Future
Tactical Fighter (PAK FA) resumed
in Zhukovsky (Moscow Region) in
mid-August following a two-month
break for scheduled improve-
ments. On 31 August the aircraft
was demonstrated to a high-
ranking Indian delegation, whose
members and their Russian coun-
terparts discussed the coming
establishing of the joint venture
designed to develop and produce
the fifth-generation future mul-
tirole fighter known in India and
FGFA. Test pilot Sergey Bogdan, a
holder of the Merited Test Pilot of
Russia title, performed an impres-
sive set of aerobatics on the T50-1
for the delegation.
Two other Sukhoi design bureau
pilots joined the PAK FA test pro-
gramme in September. Roman
Kondratyev flew the plane for the
first time on 15 September while
Yury Vaschuk on 20 September. A
bigger team of the pilots qualified
for flying the advanced fighter
will speed up the tests that a
second flying PAK FA prototype
is expected to join by the end of
the year.
8 October saw the delivery of the
first three Ansat-U trainer helicopters
to the Russian Air Force Academy
Syzran Affiliate as the Syzran Flight
School has been renamed recently.
The machines were ferried from the
Kazan Helicopters JSC to Syzran
Flight School airfield by the school’s
Deputy Commander for Flight
Training Col. Alexander Pantsev,
Maj. Anatoly Anafrichuk and Lt.-Col.
Ivan Gnetetsky with the Army
Aviation Combat and Conversion
Training Centre (CCTC) in Torzhok.
It is the Torzhok-based CCTC where
Syzran-based instructor pilots had
converted to the new helicopter
type, using the Ansat-U machines
delivered from the Kazan Helicopters
earlier this year.
In Syzran, the Ansat-Us will oust
the obsolete Mi-2s used for initial
training. Two more new Ansat-Us
flew to Syzran Flight School from
the city of Kazan on 20 October, and
the Russian Defence Ministry web
site says, “The Air Force Academy
Syzran Affiliate will have received as
many as seven new helicopters by
year-end”.
Hero of Russia Col. Nikolay
Yartsev, commander of the Air Force
Academy Syzran Affiliate, called the
arrival of the Ansat-Us to Syzran
a “historic event”. This year, the
only Russian military helicopter
pilots’ flight school, which turned
70, has received new aircraft for the
first time in many years – four new
Mi-8MTs were delivered in June and
the long-awaited conversion to the
Ansat-U has begun.
PAK FA tests go on
First Ansat helicopters arrive to Syzran
i n d u s t r y | r e s u l t s
The history of 558 Aircraft Repair Plant
started on 26 June 1941 – virtually on
the first days of the Great Patriotic War.
Nowadays the plant is a major aircraft repair
enterprise which acquired a reputation of
a reliable partner owing to high quality of
aircraft repairs and individual approach to
each Customer. Special attention is paid
to development of new models of military
hardware and service equipment, as well
as to introduction of new technological
processes.
558 APR performs overhaul of the Su-17
(Su-22), Su-25, Su-27, MiG-29 and An-2
aircraft, Mi-8 (Mi-17) and Mi-24 (Mi-35)
helicopters of all versions. The enterprise
carries out full cycle of overhaul of the
airframes and all component items. Besides,
the plant successfully works on the upgrade
of aviation materiel. Upgraded MiG-29 and
Su-27 fighters acquire brand new features
and combat capabilities: they received an
improved cockpit display and management
system, advanced navigation and radar
sighting systems as well as an expanded
weapon suite. Another area of aircraft
upgrade is installation of SATELLITE
system – an onboard equipment of
individual radio engineering protection
which nearly eliminate the possibility of
hitting the protected object by missiles with
radar guided homing heads; the jamming
is created to all attacking enemy radars
(fighters, interceptors, surface-to-air
missiles, etc.).
The jamming impact is formed
automatically at all stages of interception
enabling the pilot to carry out his combat
mission without being distracted to activate
jamming. SATELLITE does not interfere
the operation of onboard equipment of
protected aircraft. The system can be
installed both on combat and civil aircraft
either in containers or inside the airframe.
To make container option more efficient,
SATELLITE-M version was developed.
The advantage of this version is that the
containers with equipment are designed
in the form of transition beams for two
hardpoints holding aircraft weapons, so our
system does not occupy separate hardpoint.
When blanketed enemy radar is in the
scanning mode, the system creates masking
interference in the channels of range, speed
and angular data. On the enemy scanning
displays numerous false target marks appear
making it difficult to identify the true target
amidst the false ones.
In the tracking mode, the equipment
produces driven disturbances in the channels
of angular data measurement. Radar aerial
starts tracking the false target situated in the
different direction relative to the protected
aircraft. Angular position of the false target
changes in the predetermined manner
imitating manoeuvres of the protected
aircraft.
Jamming creates a latent controllable
withdrawal of goniometrical scanning
systems which results in occurrence of
intensive sign-alternating overload of missiles
and curving their flight-path guidance thus
considerably decreasing missiles flight range
and increasing their current and final miss.
Owing to accumulated experience,
unique qualification of personnel, advanced
production facilities, high quality of service,
strict and timely execution of the orders,
558 ARP earned well-deserved authority
among the airmen of many countries of the
world.
558 ARP is always open for cooperation.
558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSCBld. 7, 50 let VLKSM, Baranovichi,
commercialw w w . t a ke - o f f . r u 35 take-off november 2010
Scanning mode Lock-on and tracking of the false target
Missile launch
Let us start with the ‘hottest’ Tikhomirov-NIIP’s ongoing programme – the AESA radar development to fit the fifth-generation fighter. What is the status of the programme and what results were achieved by now?
We at Tikhomirov-NIIP believe the pro-
gramme has made quite an advance. We have
assembled three AESA prototypes, gotten a
wealth of experience and understood full well
what has to be done with the transmit-receive
(T-R) modules and the rest of the design of
the radar. We have outlined efforts to iron out
the deficiencies revealed during the bench
tests and are launching the manufacture of a
couple of experimental modules earmarked for
testing new solutions. However, even the first
three AESAs made have displayed virtually all
of the design characteristics and proved their
high endurance. We have completed all of the
mechanical and climatic tests, with the anten-
na operating smoothly under all conditions.
We have dealt with all of the cooling issues that
are rather difficult to us because the cooling of
a rather power-consuming AESA is one of the
most difficult phases of its development. Our
designers have come up with an ingenious solu-
tion to the cooling issues.
When is the AESA to be flight-tested?The developer of the aircraft will set the
timing. The tentative decision is that the sec-
ond AESA, previously earmarked for avionics
bench testing by Sukhoi, will be mounted on
the third PAK FA prototype. It is quite possible
that this will take place early next year. Then
we will equip the fourth fighter’s prototype with
production-standard radar fitted with the third
AESA we are testing now.
Based on the bench test results produced, is it possible to give a preliminary assessment whether your radar is a success or not and assesses its strengths and weaknesses com-pared with its Western analogues?
Certainly, our AESA is a success; it is as
good as any foreign radar of the type. We have
evaluated the transmission power and recep-
tion noise, and the results give us hope that
the performance of our AESA will surpass
even that of the F-22’s radar. We have tested
a whole range of operating modes – surveil-
lance, lock-on, tracking, multiple-target and
simultaneous beam shaping. If we had a fly-
ing testbed, we would have proved the radar’s
strengths on real sorties already. I hope, the
decision to have the flying testbed made will
be taken eventually.
As is known, the radar system of the fifth-gen-eration fighter will comprise five AESAs. We have spoken about the basic one in the front so far. What about the rest of them?
Naturally, we have been working on all
of the components of the radar system. The
L-band wing array have been manufactured
and tested. We are waiting for the fighter’s
developer to send us relevant wing compo-
nents for us to check our AESAs using stand-
ard fairings. The side-looking array documen-
tation has been issued as well. The advanced
T-R modules I have mentioned will be tested
on side-looking AESAs and then will be used
in the forward-looking antenna, because there
is no radical difference in the technologies of
the front and side-looking AESAs. The com-
plete system, comprising the five AESAs will
be installed in the next fighter prototypes.
Let us talk about another of your advanced designs, the Irbis phased array radar. How is its development going on?
As far as the Irbis is concerned, we have made
good progress during its flight trials that now
involve two Su-35 prototypes and a Su-30 fly-
ing testbed. The radar has operated smoothly
and proven virtually all of the design charac-
teristics in terms of range, including its unique
long-range acquisition mode. An advanced
transmitter has been developed, and its design
reliability has ensured. The preliminary tests
have been completed, and the Su-35 is wait-
ing now for a nod to start its official trials. The
first production Su-35 will have been made in
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u36 take-off november 2010
TIKHOMIROV-NIIP AESA READY FOR FLIGHT TESTS
INTERVIEW WITH TIKHOMIROV-NIIP DIRECTOR GENERAL YURY BELYA feature of the future fifth-generation
fighter is to be its highly automated
multifunctional integrated active elec-
tronically scanned array (AESA) radar
system. Such radar is under devel-
opment by the Tikhomirov Scientific
Research Institute of Instrument Design
(Tikhomirov-NIIP). To date, Tikhomirov-
NIIP has made three X-band AESA pro-
totypes as well as experimental L-band
AESA and conducted extensive lab
tests and debugging. Tikhomirov-NIIP
Director General Yury Bely told Take-off
about the state of the AESA develop-
ment programme and other pressing
issues.
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u 37 take-off november 2010
Komsomolsk-on-Amur before year-end, and
the Ryazan State Instrument-Making Plant is
finalising the bench tests of production-stand-
ard Irbis radar slated for installation in it. The
second radar has been made to fit the second
production aircraft, with the third and fourth
being manufactured. So, the four produc-
tion Irbis radars will be delivered in the near
future and be used in the official tests as part
of the production-standard Su-35s. We test
all operating modes on the flying testbed and
then on two Su-35 prototypes, after which the
only thing left is to have their performance
confirmed using the standard Irbis radars on
board production aircraft.
Do you plan to upgrade your previous phased-array radar, the Bars? The media also have reported that replacing the Su-30MKI’s Bars with the Zhuk-AE radar is allegedly being pondered. What do you think of that?
Upgrade of the Su-30MKI fighter is a sepa-
rate line of work providing for gradual upgrade
of the Bars phased-array radar as well. Stage
One of the upgrade is to enhance its perform-
ance through introducing advanced operat-
ing modes and more capable computers and
maximising the hardware solutions of the
existing phased-array radar productionised
in India. Stage Two is slated for replace the
passive phased array with an AESA. We have
reached agreement with the customer for such
work, but no contract has been signed yet.
Nonetheless, we have been following this line
of work already, paying for that out of pocket.
As for the hypothetical replacement of the
Bars with the Zhuk-AE, we do not believe
such a switch makes sense for a number
of reasons. Firstly, even the first stage of
upgrade will make the Bars more capable
than the Zhuk-AE in terms of potential
characteristics, and when fitted with an
AESA it will boost its superiority even
further. Secondly, the radar’s replace-
ment would call for a very hard work
to mate the other radar with the avionics
and, hence, a lot of testing. Thirdly, the
customer bought a license for full-scale pro-
duction of the Su-30MKI fighter, including
its Bars radar, and large-scale production
has kicked off. The upgrade retains continu-
ity, while the radar replacement will mean a
waste of money.
Would you dwell on other of your efforts to expand the capabilities of the existing radars?
Just a fortnight ago, in late September,
there was the first successful launch of an
upgraded air-to-air missile by a Su-27SM3
prototype, with the missile hitting its tar-
get. To extend the missile’s range, we had
upgraded the antenna, transmitter and RF
update channel of the Su-27’s organic radar.
The Su-27SM3 upgraded fighter entered
its official tests and, probably, will serve the
pattern for upgrading the Su-27 fighters in
combat units.
In addition, gradual upgrade of the
MiG-31 interceptor equipped with
our Zaslon weapon control system with
phased-array radar continues. As is known,
during Phase One of the upgrade, the
MiG-31 fleet was fitted with an advanced
computer system and an up-to-date cockpit
management system at the weapon systems
operator’s station. Aircraft upgraded this
way have been fielding with combat units
now. Phase Two will see the weapons suite
beefed up through adopting advanced medi-
um- and long-range missiles and upgrading
the Zaslon radar accordingly.
The team you led developed small-size phased array radar, the Osa, to fit light war-planes, e.g. the Russian Yak-130, Chinese FC-1 (JF-17), etc. Has it got a future?
Unfortunately, no contracts for the
radar have been awarded yet but some
customers show their strong interest in
it. At the same time, other potential
customers have shown interest in
such radars, suggesting applica-
tion of the Osa radar on various
land-based and naval platforms.
The same goes for the larger
phased-array radar of ours, the
Irbis.
As for our airborne radars,
we will focus in the near future
on completing the fifth-generation
AESA radar development, finishing the
Irbis’s trials and productionising it for use
on the Su-35, and upgrading the well-known
Zaslon radar for the MiG-31, Bars for the
Su-30MKI and N001 for the Su-27 and
Su-30MK2.
Thank you for an interesting interview and all the best in your work.
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w
Wing-mounted L-band AESA prototype
at MAKS 2009 airshow
X-band AESA prototype during bench
tests in Tikhomirov-NIIP laboratory
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u38 take-off november 2010
Nitka’s problems that derailed the training
session of the Russian carrierborne air regi-
ment pilots last year have recurred this year,
too, in the form of the arrestor gear being in
need of repair. Engineers with the Proletarsky
Zavod plant (St. Petersburg) have run a tech-
nical assessment of the state of the devices,
for which purpose Arrestor Gear No. 4 was
disassembled and examined thoroughly. The
examination proved the feasibility of train-
ing resumption with the use of three arrestor
gears, which is quite permissible even on
board the aircraft carrier.
Time flies, and the carrierborne air regi-
ment has been left recently by its old hands,
some getting higher billets and other putting
in for separation due to their age. The threat
of losing experienced personnel and continu-
ity in the Russian Navy’s unique and only
carrierborne air regiment has emerged against
the backdrop of the continuous reforming of
the Russian Armed Forces.
However, command spotted the negative
trend on time, and new pilots were posted
to the regiment – both rookie lieutenants
and those transferred from the Air Force
following a thorough selection. Manning
the air regiment and preserving its seasoned
personnel is especially important due to the
Russian Navy’s plans to have new aircraft
carriers built, because one naval aviation
regiment will certainly not be enough to
deploy on all of them. It seems that the
Navy will not have to start from scratch any
Late August and September saw the training of pilots with the carrierborne
regiment of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet resume at the NIUTK ground-based
test and training facility (Nitka in the Russian pilots’ vernacular) in the Crimea.
Last time Northern Fleet pilots trained here was in summer 2007, the 2008 training
session was disrupted due to the known developments in the Caucasus, and the
Nitka facility itself experienced technical problems in 2009. There have been some
issues earlier this year, too. A Take-off correspondent visited the training at Nitka
in Saki.
FOLLOWING FOLLOWING A LONG PAUSEA LONG PAUSEReport from NitkaReport from Nitka
more when time calls for an increase in car-
rierborne aviators.
To train at Nitka this year, six Su-33 carri-
erborne single-seat fighters, three Su-25UTG
twin-seat trainers and a land-based Su-27UB
combat trainer flew to the Crimea from the
Severomorsk-3 naval air station, the air regi-
ment’s home base. KnAAPO had overhauled
the Su-33s not long before that. The regiment
is to receive four more aircraft of the type
in autumn – the overhaul pace unheard-of
for many years, actually, since the regiment
received the aircraft 16 years ago.
Almost 20 flying shifts had been done at
Nitka within only a month, with all tasks
fulfilled. Owing to the good job done by the
seasoned Ukrainian Navy personnel, main-
taining the facility, and support units, the pilots
restored and honed their ski-jump ramp-assist-
ed takeoff and arrested landing skills. The most
important is that the regiment’s five new pilots
performed arrested landing by themselves after
flight training supervised by instructor pilots.
Lt.-Col. Oleg Kostyanoy, Maj. Andrey Pestov
and Capt. Stanislav Avdin landed on the simu-
lated deck for the first time on a Su-33, and
Capt. Victor Tombak and Lt. Alexey Bityuk
first snagged the arresting cable with the hook
of a Su-25UTG.
As usual, the training was influenced by the
Nitka facility’s peculiarities caused by con-
tinuous change in the force and direction of
Victor DRUSHLYAKOV
Photos by the author
39 take-off november 2010w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t
Left to right: Northern Fleet Air Arm combat training department head senior inspector pilot Igor
Matkovsky, shipborne fighter regiment commander Yevgeny Kuznetsov, and fighter squadron
deputy commander Vladimir Kokurin
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u40
the wind. When operating off a carrier, this
factor is more stable owing to the ship’s ability
to manoeuvre. Nonetheless, the Nitka training
was a success despite the existing limitations.
The regiment’s ground crews, too, performed
well, maintaining the aircraft in combat readi-
ness far away from the home base.
Unfortunately, aircrews were unable to
begin to learn the ropes on the advanced
MiG-29KUB carrierborne fighter, though
the decision to field the fighter with the air
regiment had been taken as far back as a year
ago. The delivery of the first production-
standard aircraft of the type is believed to be
next year.
The Admiral Kuznetsov carrier put to sea in
late September, by the time the regiment had
come back from the Crimea, with the flight
training continuing on deck. The first flight
session on board the Admiral Kuznetsov took
place on 6 October. Carrierborne operations
were supposed to go on, weather permitting,
until early November.
The carrier is slated for overhaul and
upgrade next year, which could last until
2015, during which time, another training
session is planned for Nitka in 2011, with
MiG-29KUBs’ participation being a possi-
bility. Once the session has been completed,
repair of Nitka’s arrestors will be unavoid-
able and rather expensive. Further down the
line, a new training facility is to be commis-
sioned in Yeisk (Krasnodar district). This will
allow longer larger-scale training of naval
pilots, with training no longer being subject
to political and technical uncertainties. The
annual dreary preparatory period, which is
unavoidable under the Russian-Ukrainian
Nitka lease agreement, will no longer be
necessary.
By the way development of the future car-
rierborne aircraft is being launched in Russia.
Nobody doubts any longer the importance
of the Russian Navy developing an aircraft
carrier force of its own and Russia’s aircraft
industry developing advanced carrier-based
aircraft. Hence, the programme should be
given national priority owing to its complexity
and the huge investment required.
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u40
Lt. Alexey Bityuk who made his first arrester
landing during this training
take-off november 2010
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | r e p o r t
41 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off november 2010
Flight training onboard Admiral Kuznetsov carrier,
October 2010
Serg
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Serg
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Serg
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m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u42 take-off november 2010
Background
The new Sino-Pakistani fighter dates back
to the later 1980s, when Pakistan began to
consider a replacement for the obsolescent
F-6 (the Chinese derivative of the Soviet
MiG-19) and, further down the road, the
F-7 (the Chinese version of the MiG-21,
which was supplied to PAF on a large scale
in the F-7P variant). After attempts at woo-
ing US companies to join the programme
had failed, the Chengdu plant’s efforts to
develop a successor to the F-7 carried on
solo. The programme was dubbed Super 7.
The China Aviation Technology Import and
Export Corporation (CATIC) offered it to
Pakistan on the equal financial participation
and risk sharing terms. Initially, the Super 7
was expected to carry Chinese-made avion-
ics and weapons, with adaptation of Western
ones further down the line being a possibil-
ity. Assembly of production-standard aircraft
was to be launched by PAC in Kamra, which
had had an experience in repairing Chinese
fighters and making their spares. China and
Pakistan in 1988 made an intergovernmental
agreement on co-development a co-produc-
tion of a new fighter designated in China as
FC-1 (Fighter China, the first fighter devel-
oped by China).
Meanwhile, construction of the early pro-
totypes of the fighter was in full swing at
CAC’s Chengdu plant. Russian-made after-
burning turbofan engine RD-93, a derivative
of the MiG-29’s baseline RD-33 tailored for
use on single-engine planes, was selected
to power it. The Klimov company in St.
Petersburg developed the RD-93 that dif-
fered from the baseline model in having
an accessory gearbox mounted below the
engine, advanced airframe attachment fit-
tings and an improved control system, while
retained the basic thrust, fuel consumption,
weight and dimensions. Klimov supplied the
first RD-93 prototypes to China in 2002–
2003 to fit FC-1 prototypes.
In early 2000s, the Chengdu plant launched
construction of six prototypes of the new
fighter, including four designed for flight
tests. The first prototype, PT-1, had been
completed by summer 2003 and performed
its maiden mission on 25 August 2003, con-
trolled by test pilot Wang Wenjian. On the
same day, PAF announced a new designation
for the plane – the JF-17, with JF standing
And
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in
A most interesting warplane novelty shown in
a static display area of the Farnborough air
show this summer was the JF-17 (FC-1) light
multirole fighter developed by the Chengdu
Aircraft Industry Corporation (CAC) in the
Chinese city of Chengdu and adopted by the
Pakistani Air Force (PAF) recently. During the
upcoming Zhuhai air show, the fighter is to
debut in the demonstration flight programme
as well. The aircraft is co-produced by CAC
and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
(PAC) in Kamra.
The light fighter in the 10-t class, which
mounts relatively up-to-date avionics and
weapons, has been dubbed ‘21st-century
MiG-21’ by the media. Indeed, the JF-17
emerged in China as a successor to the
clone of the legendary Soviet MiG-21 – the
J-7 (F-7) that had been in production there
for years. However, time will tell whether the
new plane becomes as popular in the world
as the famous Soviet fighter was. Only PAF
buys the JF-17 so far, and nothing has been
heard even of the People’s Liberation Army
(PLA) plans to procure it. Nonetheless, sev-
eral countries, which have bought Chinese
fighters customarily due to their inability to
afford pricier Western aircraft, have dis-
played interest in the fighter.
JF-17Sino-Pakistani 21st-Century MiG-21?
43 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off november 2010
for ‘joint fighter’ to highlight the interna-
tional, Chinese-Pakistani, efforts and the
number 17 symbolising the aircraft being the
most up-to-date one in PAF inventory right
after the most sophisticated PAF fighter,
the F-16. At the same time, the aircraft was
given a proper name, Thunder. In China, the
fighter retained its FC-1 designation.
From maiden flight to launch deliveries
The second FC-1/JF-17 prototype, PT-2,
was intended for static tests and the third
one, the PT-3, became the second flying
prototype. The Chengdu plant finished its
construction less than a year after the first
plane had been completed, and it flew on
9 April 2004. Two years later, on 28 April
2006, the PT-4 prototype joined the flight
test programme. In addition to testing sta-
bility, controllability, manoeuvrability, take-
off and landing handling and key systems
operation, which the first two flying proto-
types were doing, the PT-4 was to start the
trials of the Chinese-made avionics suite.
Similar tasks faced the sixth prototype, PT-6
(maiden flight on 10 September 2006), while
the fifth prototype, PT-5, was designed for
endurance tests.
The ground and flight tests of all FC-1
prototypes were conducted in China, at
CAC’s flight test facility in Chengdu, at
CFTE flight research centre in Yanlian and
at testing ranges of PLAAF, with Pakistani
pilots taking part in them proactively since
spring 2004.
Conceived as an F-7 derivative, the new
fighter gained an utterly new appearance.
Actually, the only similarity between it and
Chinese clone of the MiG-21 are the size
(length – 14 m, wingspan – 8.5 m, wing
area – 24 sq.m), weight (empty weight –
6,450 kg, normal takeoff weight – 9,100 kg,
maximum takeoff weight – 12,400 kg) and
23-mm underbelly automatic cannon. The
FC-1 got fixed side-mounted air intakes,
which made available enough room in the
nose section to house an up-to-date radar
(Chinese KLJ-7 so far). The delta wing has
large enough leading-edge root extensions
(LERX), but it would be an overstatement
Andrey FOMIN
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FC-1 first flying prototype in a test flight
Two FC-1 first flying prototypes, PT-1 and PT-3, at CAC airfield in Chengdu
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u44 take-off november 2010
to say that the aircraft has a blended wing/
body fuselage characteristic of most of the
fourth-generation fighters. The wing high-
lift devices, comprising moving flaps and
leading-edge slats, are controlled automati-
cally to enhance manoeuvrability depending
on speed and the angle of attack. The aircraft
control system is a compromise between the
fly-by-wire and mechanical solutions, with
the FBW control capability implemented
for pitch only and the automatic-stability
mechanical control solution taking care of
roll and directional control. The JF-17 is
powered by a rather efficient and thrust-
capable turbofan typical of the aircraft in the
class, and its instrumentation features the
class cockpit design with three large multi-
function displays and a head-up display.
At the same time with flight-testing the
prototypes and based on the deficiencies
revealed in them, the Chengdu plant started
manufacturing an eight-ship low-rate initial
production (LRIP) JF-17 batch intended
for operational evaluation in Pakistan. The
first two aircraft of the batch were brought to
Pakistan from China in February 2007. Their
final assembly took place at PAC’s Kamra
facility in Punjab Province in the northeast
of the country, where they were taken for a
check flight on 2 March 2007 by Pakistani
military pilots, Wg Cdr Ahsan Rafiq, who
had been appointed office commanding the
JF-17 Test and Evaluation Flight, and Sqn
Ldr Hakim Raza. The planes were serialled
07-101 and 07-102. Merely three weeks later,
on 23 March 2007, both pilots demonstrated
the latest Pakistani fighters during the air
parade in Islamabad in honour of another
anniversary of the Pakistani Armed Forces.
On the verge of the air parade, the JF-17
serialled 07-101 had been given a special
paintjob patterned after the Pakistani and
Chinese national colours.
A year later, the six remaining LRIP air-
craft were delivered to Kamra from China,
with serials 07-103, 07-104 and 07-105 in
February 2008 and 08-106, 08-107 and
08-108 in March. At another military parade
in Islamabad on 23 March 2008 the spectators
saw as many as four JF-17s flying in tight for-
mation over the Pakistani capital city.
Made in Pakistan
“We at PAC do not just assemble these
fighters like plants assembling knockdown
kits. We manufacture their parts and units
actively by ourselves”, one of the leaders
of the Pakistani JF-17 programme directo-
rate said in Farnborough this summer. He
emphasised that considerable efforts were
being made to beef up the production facili-
ties of the PAC Kamra to increase the JF-17
output, maintenance, repair and overhaul
(MRO): “Now, we have a four-plant complex
operating at Kamra and employing numer-
ous staff, which is the cause behind the com-
plex having been dubbed Thunder City”.
The official launch of PAC’s JF-17 pro-
duction line was on 22 January 2008, and
23 November 2009 saw the rollout of the
first Pakistani-made fighter serialled 09-111
and given a bright green paintjob sporting
the Pakistani flag (the first two production-
standard JF-17 serialled 09-109 and 09-110
were built in Chengdu). As many as 16
The first PAC-manufactured JF-17 (No. 09-111)
featuring special paintjob, November 2009
JF-17 first pre-series aircraft (No. 07-101) in special markings
at the air parade in Islamabad skies, 23 March 2007
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One of two Pakistani JF-17s (No. 10-113)
unveiled at Farnborough in July 2010
And
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om
in
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
45 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off november 2010
JF-17s had been built by July 2010, includ-
ing eight LRIP and eight production ones
with serials up to 10-116, with six of them
having been made in Pakistan. Two of them
(10-113 and 10-114) were displayed during
the Farnborough air show in July this year.
PAC’s production capabilities allow an
output of 15–25 JF-17s a year (an aircraft
or two a month). A statement was made in
Farnborough that “Pakistan’s participation in
the fighter co-production will exceed 50%”.
In all probability, PAC specialises in manu-
facture of JF-17 parts and units and their final
assembly so far. The official news release cir-
culated by the JF-17 programme directorate
during the air show said the fighter would be
produced in 50-ship blocks, with each subse-
quent block to differ from the previous one in
a number of novelties. The Pakistani Air Force
is going to take delivery of the first 50 fighters
until year-end 2012. The service awarded the
launch contract for 42 production aircraft on
7 March 2009 (another eight planes were,
probably, LRIP ones). PAF is to receive as
many as 150 fighters by 2015, and the total
JF-17 requirement of the Pakistani Air Force
is estimated at 250 aircraft designed to oust
all of the current F-7 and Mirage fighters and
A-5 attack aircraft.
The T&E Flight mentioned above became
the first PAF unit to operate the JF-17. The
unit was activated on 20 February 2007, upon
which its personnel began to learn the ropes
on the aircraft of a new type, conduct opeval
and devise flight, tactical and maintenance
manuals. The T&E Flight was fielded with
eight LRIP aircraft. The first PAF combat
unit on production-standard JF-17 fight-
ers – the 26th air squadron led by Wg Cdr
Khalid Mehmood, was activated at Minhas
airbase in Kamra, near PAC’s production
complex on 18 February 2010.
JF-17’s Russian heart
The current prototype, LRIP and early
production JF-17 fighters are fitted with
systems developed in China with Pakistani
participation. The only exception is their
powerplant, with the engines supplied from
Russia, which has repeatedly caused con-
siderable concern on the part of another
major partner of Russia in military techni-
cal cooperation and Pakistan’s confirmed
opponent – India. Recently, the question of
whether or not it was reasonable to continue
the RD-93 deliveries to China was raised in
Russia as well, after the FC-1/JF-17, which
had started a proactive promotion to third
countries, rivalled the MiG-29 for a lucra-
tive contract.
Following the delivery of the first proto-
type engines by Klimov to fit FC-1 proto-
types, China and Russia made a deal in April
2005 for delivery of 100 production RD-93s
in support of the full-rate production of
the fighter. The contract is valued at about
$238 million and can extend the output to
500 units in the future. Klimov made the
first 15 engines during 2005–2006, with the
Chernyshev MME in Moscow handling the
full-scale production and delivery of the rest
of the RD-93s.
Meanwhile, given India’s continuous
pressure on Russia due to these supplies and
trying to get rid of its engine dependence on
Russia, China has for years been running a
programme on an indigenous RD-93 ana-
logue designated as WS-13 Taishan. China
RD-93 turbofan being delivered
by Chernyshev MME to China
for JF-17 fighters
Ale
xey M
ikheyev
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u46 take-off november 2010
is reported to have started rig tests of the
first WS-13 example as far back as 2006,
and a experimental engine is said to power
an FC-1 prototype in Chengdu. However,
Air Vice-Marshal Mohammad Arif, JF-17
programme manager on the Pakistani side
of the project, said in Farnborough: “The
development of the engine will take a lot of
time, probably, five years or more”. At the
same time, other Pakistani officials are more
optimistic than their boss is and believe that
“he has voiced the worst possible variant,
though the engine’s development could be
completed much sooner, in fact”.
No doubt, the design of the Chinese
WS-13 is wrapped around the RD-93 like
technical solutions of the Russia-exported
AL-31F were used widely in developing the
WS-10 Taihan unveiled at the Zhuhai air
show in November 2008 and designed to
power the J-10, J-11B and J-15 fighters.
However, it looks like the Chinese designers
of the WS-13 ran into the problems of reli-
ability and weight constraints, just as they
did developing the Taihan. The reason is
the lack of experience in up-to-date turbo-
fan engines development and production,
albeit licence production. However, Chinese
machine-building has been progressing like
there is no tomorrow of late, and the day will
come soon when China will cease importing
Russian aircraft engines after having ensured
acceptable characteristics of its own aero
engines.
Avionics and weapons suites
The JF-17 carries all-Chinese avionics so
far. Its avionics suite’s architecture is based
on two MIL-STD 1553B multiplex data
channels and two central computers.
The primary targeting system of the fight-
er is the KLJ-7 multimode pulse-Doppler
slotted-array radar capable of tracking “a
considerable number” of targets. To detect
and track ground threats and attack them
with precision-guided munitions, the aircraft
can be fitted with a podded optronic sys-
tem with the infrared and laser capabilities
(a Chinese-made WMD-7 target designator
pod was displayed next to the JF-17 during
the Farnborough air show). Provision for a
helmet-mounted sight has been made too.
The navigation suite is wrapped around
an inertial ring laser gyro system mated with
GPS and a standard set of radio navigation
gear (ILS, TACAN, etc.).
The cockpit management system is based
on the HOTAS controls, three large colour
multifunction liquid crystal displays with
a digital terrain map, and a HUD with the
angle of field of view standing at 25° at the
least. A full-colour video camera and a VCR
are included to record information.
The communications suite comprises two
UHF/VHF radios and a datalink. The self-
defence suite is made up of illumination
and missile attack warning stations. The
KG300G podded electronic warfare system
from the Chinese Electronics Technology
Corporation (CETC) was on display next to
the fighter at Farnborough.
The JF-17 can haul its weapons, podded
systems and drop tanks on seven hardpoints,
with the two of them on the wingtips are
used only to mount dogfight missiles, while
the wing inboard and underbelly stations are
designed mostly for drop tanks – an 800-litre
one under belly and two 800- or 1,000-li-
tre under wing. Instead of the underbelly
drop tank, the hardpoint there can mount a
2,000-lb (900-kg) free-fall or guided bomb.
Smaller bombs, various guided missiles and
EW and target designator pods are attached
to the middle underwing hardpoints. Thus,
the fighter’s single-sortie warload is not big.
It includes up to four missiles on an air-to-air
mission, while on an air-to-ground mission it
comprises a 2,000-lb Mk84 or GBU-10 bomb
or four 450-kg Mk82 bombs on twin bomb
racks, or similar cluster bombs or incendiary
canisters, or one or two air-launched antiship
and antiradiation missiles. The all-up war-
load, including drop tanks, is within 3,600 kg.
There is also a 23-mm integral twin-barrelled
automatic cannon at the pilot’s disposal.
At the initial stage, the JF-17’s basic air-
to-air weapons should be Chinese bi-spectral
JF-17 cockpit mock-up
at MAKS 2007 airshow
Defe
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Air-to-air missiles
for JF-17 fighter PL-5EII
SD-10A (PL-12)
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Basic characteristics of JF-17’s air-to-air missiles
PL-5EII SD-10A
Length, mm 2,893 3,934
Diameter, mm 127 203
Wingspan, mm 617 674 (752)
Launch weight, kg 83 180
Warhead weight, kg 6 n.d.a.
Range, km 0,5–18 1–70
Maximal Mach 2.2 4
Maximal g-load 40 38
Guidance system heat-seeker inertial + active
radar homer
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
47 w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u take-off november 2010
heat-seeking dogfight missile PL-5EII and
active radar homing medium-range missile
SD-10A. The former is a Chinese deriva-
tive of Soviet missiles R-3S and R-13M and
similar to the latest variants of US missile
AIM-9 Sidewinder. The SD-10A is compa-
rable to the US AIM-120 AMRAAM and
Russian RVV-AE. It is an indigenous design
fitted with an active radar homer with inertial
RF-updated guidance on the initial leg of the
trajectory. PLAAF’s J-8F, J-10 and J-11B
fighters have had in its inventory since 2005.
It came to light during the Farnborough
air show that the trials of the PL-5EII mis-
sile and gravity bombs as part of the JF-17’s
weapons suite had been completed and the
integration of the SD-10A medium-range
missile was still underway and expected to
be finished by year-end 2010. Work also is
underway on integrating certain air-launched
weapons – already available to Pakistan or
ordered in other countries – with the JF-17’s
weapons suite. Mention should be made
that Chinese heavy antiship missile C-802A,
which, probably, is slated for integration with
the fighter’s weapons suite, was displayed
next to the JF-17 in Farnborough. One also
could see there the LS-6 inertial-navigation
tail-kitted glide bomb previously displayed
at Zhuhai.
At present, Chinese engineers and test-
ers and the Pakistani military are busy
with developing the so-called Phase I (i.e.
Chinese-made) systems and weapons and
integrating them with the fighter, and the
talks on the JF-17’s further avionics and
weapons suite development through intro-
duction of Western gear are going on. For
instance, it is known that in February 2010,
the partners displayed interest in adapting
the Thales RC400 radar and Mica medium-
range missile to the fighter along with a
number of other precision-guided weapons.
It is believed that Pakistan’s long-standing
wish to fit the JF-17 with European-made
avionics and weapons could become true in
the second block of 50 production-standard
fighters, whose production is slated to kick
off in 2013.
“The First Chinese” not to limit itself to Pakistan alone?
Having delivered the first production-
standard fighters and been inspired by the
Pakistani military’s positive response, the
JF-17 developer is not going to limit itself
to the Pakistani market alone. Certainly, the
150 firm orders with 100 options is a rather
good result. However, there are many coun-
tries accustomed to buying Chinese aircraft
that, albeit hardly cutting-edge, are quite
combat-capable and, which is more, inex-
pensive, nonetheless. The competition in the
PL-5EII and SD-10A AAMs
LS-6 satnav-homed
gliding bomb
WMD-7 optronic
sighting pod
KG-300G electronic
warfare pod
An
dre
y F
om
inA
nd
rey F
om
inA
nd
rey F
om
inA
nd
rey F
om
inA
nd
rey F
om
in
C802A anti-ship missile
m i l i t a r y a v i a t i o n | c o o p e r a t i o n
w w w . t a ke - o f f . r u48 take-off november 2010
class of 10-t supersonic fighters is not that
tough, to boot. For instance, the Indian LCA
Tejas is still in its flight trials, with its export