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at [email protected]http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #367 OCTOBER 2018 // 21Two more MiG-29MU1s for Ukraine
THE LVIVS’K Y Y
Derzhavnyy Aviatsiynyy
Remontnyy Zavod (LDARZ,
Lviv State-owned Aircraft
Repair Plant) delivered two
additional MiG-29MU1
fighters to the Povitryani
Syly (PS, Ukrainian Air
Force) in late July. Based
at Lviv International Airport‘Danylo Halytskyy’, LDARZ
is the only Ukrainian
repair plant capable of
overhauling all MiG-29
variants in PS service,
occasionally delivering
modernised single-seat
MiG-29MU1 aircraft
with improved avionics- including upgraded
radar and navigation
equipment (see MiG
modernisation in Lviv,
January 2018, p82-85).
The two new MiG-29MU1
aircraft – ‘07 White’ and ‘08
White’ – were delivered to
the single PS operator of
this version – 40 brihada
taktichnoyi aviatsiyi (brTA ,tactical aviation brigade)
at Vasyl’kiv air base
(see Ukraine’s MiG-29
experts, April 2 017, p84-
89). Together with the pair
delivered last year (‘05
White’ and ‘06 White’), the
number of MiG-29MU1s
in 40 brTA service now
stands at ten.At least one of the
aircraft is new to the
unit – ‘08 White’ (c/n
2960731239) is former
‘108 Blue’, previously one
of the Ukrainian Falcons
display aircraft, evacuated
from Kirovs’ke air base
in the Crimea in 2014.
Vladimir TrendafilovskiKazakh C295Ms at
Ramstein Air Base
THREE C295Ms from
the Kazakhstan Air
Defence Force (KADF)
visited Ramstein Air
Base, Germany in early
August. The transports
departed Almaty and flew
via Chkalovsky air base,
Russia, touching down
at Ramstein on August 6.
The aircraft were bringing
staff and materiel for
Exercise Steppe Eagle2018 at Shaw Air Force
Base, South Carolina.
These were embarked
in a civilian Boeing 757
that flew non-stop from
Ramstein to Shaw on
August 7, after which the
C295Ms returned home.
The three C295Ms were
‘02 Red’ (c/n 096), ‘07 Red’
(c/n 168) and ‘08 Red’
(c/n 169) based at Almaty
International Airport.Su-57 tests targeting pod
THE SUKHOI Su-57
fighter has begun tests
with the new 101KS-N
targeting pod. The 101KS-
N has been developed
by the Uralskiy Optiko-
Mekhanicheskiy Zavod
(UOMZ, Ural Optical
and Mechanical Plant)
at Yekaterinburg and
is currently the most
advanced Russian podof its type. The complete
101KS Atoll electro-optical
suite for the Su-57 includes
a range of sensors, among
them the 101KS-N – the N
suffix stands for Nazemnyi,
or ground (targeting).
The Atoll reportedly
draws heavily from the
Lockheed Martin Sniper
XR pod. It contains a
stabilised platform withTV and thermal imaging
cameras (within a common
optical package, including
the scanning mirror and
automatic tracking unit),
a laser rangefinder/
target indicator, as well
as a laser spot tracker.
UOMZ is also developing
a lighter version of
the pod for the Yak-
130 combat trainer.A NEW upgraded version
of the Mi-26, the Mi-26TV2,
has made its maiden
flight. Russian Helicopters
announced on August 19
that the helicopter had
taken to the air at the
Rostvertol flight test centre
in Rostov-on-Don, flying
for around 30 minutes
and reaching an altitude
of over 4,921f t (1,500m).
Following preliminary
flight tests at the Mil
Moscow Helicopter
Plant, the helicopter willbe handed over to the
military for official state
tests. Russia’s State
Armament Programme
for 2018-27 envisages
acquisition of the new
variant for its armed forces.
Russian Helicopters
CEO, Andrey Boginsky,
said that crew workload
has been considerably
reduced by an automated
flight and landing system,
while new defensive aids
significantly improve
survivability. Dave AllportFirst fl ight of new Mi-26T2V
The new Mi-26TV2 during its maiden fl ight at Rostov-on-Don. Rostvertol/Egor BugrimovThe two new MiG-29MU1s, ‘07 White’ and ‘08 White’, on the LDARZ apron of Lviv International Airport, moments before departing for Vasyl’kiv air base to join
their parent unit – 40 brTA. Ukroboronprom via authorStanislav BazhenovDalibor Ankovic20-21 RussiaNews AFM Oct2018.indd 21 10/09/2018 14:00:01