Airforces - Demo Hornet

24 http://www.airforcesmonthly.com

NEWS

// AUGUST 2018 #365

Russia & CIS

Ukrainian Su-24MR overhauled

THE L ATEST addition

to the Povitryani Syly

(PS, Ukrainian Air Force)

Su-24MR Fencer-E

fleet is ‘60 Yellow’ (c/n

0741613), which returned

from being overhauled

at NARP in early June.

All Ukrainian Su-24MRs

and Su-24M Fencer-D

bombers are operated

by 7 brihada taktichnoyi

aviatsiyi (brTA , tactical

aviation brigade) at

Starokostyantyniv air

base – the sole remaining

PS Fencer unit.

The Su-24MRs are

operated by 7 brTA’s

reconnaissance squadron

and it is believed that eight

are currently operational

(from over 20 aircraft on

base), all in their original

Soviet-era configuration.

As reported last month,

the Odessa Aircraft

Plant (OAZ, Odeskyy

Aviatsiynyy Zavod) has

developed a programme to

modernise the Su-24MR,

adding ICAO- and NATO -

compatible communication

and navigation equipment.

Furthermore, OAZ plans

to provide a full overhaul

and modernisation service

for the type in-house.

The only repair plant in

Ukraine currently capable

of overhauling Su-24MRs

is NARP at Kul’bakino

air base near Mykolayiv.

Vladimir Trendafilovski

Above: Fresh from overhaul at NARP, Su-24MR ‘60 Yellow’ departs Kul’bakino in early June to join its parent unit – 7 brTA at

Starokostyantyniv. This is the second Su-24MR overhauled here since 2014 (and the fi fth Su-24 in total). Ukroboronprom via author

Armenia

negotiating

Su-30SM buy

ARMENIA IS reportedly

in advanced negotiations

to purchase Su-30SM

multi-role fighters from

Russia. Armenian Prime

Minister Nikol Pashinyan

published a photograph

on his personal Facebook

page on June 18 showing

him sitting in the cockpit

of an Su-30SM.

According to Russian

media reports, a deal to

supply at least 12 of the

type was agreed in 2012

but went no further owing

to Armenian financial

difficulties. Shortly before

a change of power in

Armenia in May, the

proposed purchase

was deferred until 2024,

but since then the new

government has renewed

efforts to acquire the

aircraft. Armenian defence

ministry sources indicate

a firm contract could be

finalised within one to two

years. Dave Allport

Russia signs

contract for

fi rst Su-57s

THE RUSSIAN defence

ministry has ordered its first

batch of series-production

Su-57 fighters from the

United Aircraft Corporation

(UAC). Deputy Defence

Minister Alexey Krivoruchko

confirmed on June 30 that

the first state procurement

contract had been finalised.

Deliveries of the initial

batch of 12 aircraft from

Komsomolsk-on-Amur

“will begin shortly”, Mr

Krivoruchko told reporters.

UAC CEO Yuri Slyusar

said the first Su-57s could

enter service next year.

Second Tu-214PU-SBUS for Russian MoD

TUPOLEV HAS handed

over the second of

two special-purpose

Tu-214PU -SBUS

aircraft to the Russian

Ministry of Defence

(MoD). Constructed

at the Kazan Aviation

Factor y, RA-64530 was

accepted on June 20.

The Tu-214PU -SBUS is

an airborne control

post (PU, Punkt

Upravleniya) equipped

with the SBUS-214

(Spetsyalnyi Bortovoy

Uzel Svyazi) onboard

communication centre.

Two Tu-214PU -SBUS

aircraft were ordered

by the Russian MoD in

November 2015 at a cost

of around $45m. The first,

RA-64529, carried out

its maiden flight in Kazan

on October 14, 2017 and

was handed over to the

MoD on March 26. The

second aircraft first flew

on December 24 last year.

The Special Air Group

Rossiya – serving the

president of Russia – now

operates five Tu-214SR

(Samolyot Re-translator)

radio-relay aircraft, two

Tu-214PU airborne control

posts, two Tu-214SUS

communications relay

aircraft, and four Tu-214

passenger versions.

The Federal Security

Service (FSB) has a

single Tu-214VPU (V for

Vozdushnyi, airborne)

control post. The MoD

also has two Tu-214R

reconnaissance aircraft

and two Tu-214 - ON

surveillance aircraft for

Open Skies missions.

Piotr Butowski

Azerbaijan

operating

Bell 412s

AZERBAIJAN HAS recently

acquired at least two Bell

412s from an unknown

source. Both were seen

during rehearsals for a

military parade to be held

in Baku on June 26 to mark

the 100th anniversary of

the Azerbaijan Army.

These are the first non-

Soviet era helicopters to

be flown by Azerbaijan

in a military parade – the

other 48 taking part in

the event were Russian

types. Dave Allport

UAC

Kazakhstan’s fi rst Y-8F200WA fl ies

SHAANXI AIRCRAFT

Corporation has flown

the first Y-8F200WA

tactical transport for the

Kazakhstan Air Defence

Force (KADF). The aircraft,

still painted in primer

and marked only with the

number 5905 (probably

the last four digits of the

construction number),

completed its maiden flight

at Shaanxi Liugu Airport

in Chenggu on June 14.

The aircraft was ordered

under a contract signed on

April 21 and although the

number involved was not

announced, it is believed

the initial deal is for

three. All are scheduled

for delivery before the

end of the first quarter

of 2019. Dave Allport

The fi rst KADF Y-8F200WA prepares to taxi for its maiden fl ight. via Chinese internet