NEWS
18 // FEBRUARY 2018 #359 http://www.airforcesmonthly.comRussia & CIS
Russian
air group
begins
withdrawal^
from Syria
ELEMENTS OF the VKS
Special Purpose Aviation
Brigade at Hmeymim air
base in Syria’s Latakia
province have begun to
return home to Russia.
The move came after
President Vladimir
Putin requested the
defence ministry started
withdrawal of “most of the
Russian forces” from the
country on December 11.
“Over slightly more
than two years, the
Russian armed forces
have routed together
with the Syrian Army the
most combat-capable
grouping of international
terrorists,” Putin said.
According to Russian
news agencies, 25
aircraft will return to
Russia. By December
14, eight Su-34s, three
MiG-29SMTs, two
Su-35S and an A-50U
had left Hmeymim.
The Su-34s and Su-35s
flew in two packages
each supported by a
Tu-154. All flights routed
through Astrakhan in
southern Russia before
the final leg to their home
bases. At the same time,
two Ka-52s were being
prepared for transport
to Russia. Russia will
retain a number of
Su-24s, Su-25s, two
Su-35S and a handful
of helicopters in Syria.
Meanwhile, Tu-22M
bombers, which were
forward deployed to
the operational airfield
at Mozdok in North
Ossetia, began returning
to their home bases.
During the Syrian
operation, fixed-wing
VKS aircraft carried
out 6,956 sorties, while
helicopters conducted
more than 7,000.
Meanwhile, Russian
daily Kommersant
reported that at least
seven Russian aircraft
were destroyed by rebel
shelling at the Hmeymim
base on December 31,
citing “military-diplomatic”
sources. The aircraft in
question were reported
as at least four Su-24s,
two Su-35S and an An-
transport, as well as an
ammunition depot.Russia deploys two Tu-95MS to Indonesia
A PAIR of Vozdushno-
Kosmicheskiye Sily
Rossiyskoy Federatsii (VKS
RF, Russian Federation Air
and Space Force) Tu-95MS
strategic bombers has
made the type’s first visit
to Indonesia. The aircraft,
‘47 Red’/RF-94201 and
‘49 Red’/RF-94191, flew
from their base in the Amur
region in Russia’s far east to
Biak-Frans Kaisiepo Airport
on the northern coast of
Indonesia’s eastern Papua
province, on December 5.
They were supported by two
Il-76MD transports that had
landed at Biak the previous
day. While flying over thePacific Ocean they were
refuelled by Il-78 tankers.
The Indonesian Air Force
said the deployment
was part of a long-range
navigation exercise.Including the bomber
crews, 110 Russian military
personnel were reported
to be involved in the
deployment, which ended
on December 9, when theaircraft made the ten-hour
flight back to their home
base. They were refuelled
once more over the Sea of
Okhotsk by Il-78s during
their return. Dave AllportAbove: One of the two visiting VKS Tu-95MS taxies in after landing at Biak Airport, Indonesia.
Russian MoDKazakhstan
receives
two more
Su-30SMs
THE KAZAKHSTAN Air
Defence Force began to
receive an additional 12
Su-30SM fighters from
an order announced on
September 12 last year
(see Kazakhstan orders
12 more Su-30SMs,
November 2017, p26).
Photos from the 604th
Air Base at Taldykorgan
showed ‘07 Red’ and
‘08 Red’ after delivery
from Irkutsk.
The former Soviet
republic previously took
delivery of six Su-30SMs
from a batch reportedly
ordered in 2014. The
first two (‘01 Red’ and
‘02 Red’) of four diverted
from VKS production,
arrived at Taldykorgan on
April 17 the following year,
with two more (‘03 Red’
and ‘04 Red’) following
shortly afterwards.
Delivery of the fifth
and sixth aircraft (‘
Red’ and ‘06 Red’)
was announced by the
Kazakh defence ministry
in December 2016.Su-57 fl ies with new engine
AN EXAMPLE of the Su-
fighter made its first flight
powered by the new NPO
Saturn izdeliye 30 (product
30) engine on December- The ‘second-stage’
powerplant, flown on the
port side of prototype
Su-57 ‘052’ (T-50-2), will be
used on series production
aircraft from 2020. The
17-minute maiden flight
with the new engine
was conducted at the
Gromov Flight Research
Institute at Zhukovsky,
with test pilot Sergei
Bogdan at the controls.
Sukhoi has completed
and flown nine flight-test
prototypes of the Su-
powered by NPO Saturn
izdeliye 117 engines,
derived from the AL-41F-1S
used in the Su-35. It was
previously announced that
the izdeliye 30 would first
be tested on an Il-76LL.First Il-78M-90A tanker rolled out
Above: The prototype Il-78M-90A is rolled out from the Ulyanovsk factory. UAC
AVIASTAR-SP has
completed the first Il-78M-
90A tanker aircraft for
the VKS. The aircraft,
c/n 0201, was rolled out
at Aviastar’s Ulyanovsk
production facility in
Russia on November- The Il-78M-90A is a
modernised version of the
Il-78, with four PS-90A-
turbofans replacing the
original D-30KP-2s. It
also features modern
avionics, including replaced
flight, navigation, radio
communications, lighting
and other equipment.
The wing has been
modified, a strengthened
bulkhead installed in the
rear fuselage and two
additional 50-metric-ton
fuel tanks incorporated into
the cargo compartment
to increase fuel capacity.
The additional fuel tanks
and refuelling equipment
are removable for use as a
standard cargo transport.
The modifications are
similar to those on the Il-
heavy military transport
to produce the Il-76MD-
90A, three of which have
so far been delivered to the
VKS out of a planned total
of 39. The new Il-78M-
90A is intended to replace
the VKS fleet of around 18Il-78 and Il-78M tankers
operated by the 203rd
Tanker Aviation Regiment
at Ryazan-Dyagilevo.
The aircraft was expected
to make its maiden flight
early in the new year. It
was ordered under a
research and development
contract, as funding
has yet to be allocated
for series production.
However, in anticipation
of a production contract,
Aviastar is reported to
have begun assembly of
at least two further Il-78M-
90As and hopes to receive
an order from the VKS for
around 30. Dave AllportAbove: Su-57 ‘052’ has been fi tted with an izdeliye 30 in the
No 1 engine nacelle, with an izdeliye 117 remaining in the No
2 (starboard) position. The izdeliye features a serrated engine
nozzle compared with the earlier engine’s fl at nozzle. UAC