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Scramble 467
of Russia with seventeen multifunctional two-seat Su-30SM
fighters, twelve of which became part of the Russian Air
Force, and five more were delivered in separate contracts of
the Naval Aviation of the Russian Navy. All twelve Su-30SM
fighter planes delivered in 2017 entered the 14 Guards Fighter
Aviation Regiment at the airfield Khalino (Kursk).
The Irkutsk Aircraft Plant PJSC “Irkut Corporation”
transferred only six Yak-130 combat training planes to the
MoD in 2017. The first three aircraft arrived in Armavir at
the end of May 2017, and three more Yak-130 arrived at the
end of July. However, the further transfer of the Yak-130 to
Russia has stalled. Although from June to November 2017,
eight more Yak-130s were built by Irkutsk, none of them
was delivered and at the end of the year all these Yak-130
remained in Irkutsk. Perhaps this is due to the next revision
of this type of aircraft after two accidents with Yak-130s
occurred on the same day on 21 June 2017. But finally, on 14
March four Yak-130 (05-08 red, probably l/n 1404-1407) were
delivered to the air force. All four departed to Novosibirsk-
Tolmachevo on their delivery to the Krasnodar Higher
Military Aviation Pilot’s School (KVVAUL), 200th Training Air
Base (UAB) at Armavir.
On 13 March the MoD announced the first upgraded Il-76MD-
M was transfereed to the air force. In August 2013 the initial
contract for the upgrade of Il-76MD transport- and Il-78 air
refuelling airctraft was signed. This Il-76MD (RF-76746, cn
0073479374) was transferred to Zhukovsky in 2014 and work
was started by JSC “Aviation Complex SV Ilyushin”. It first
flew on 28 February 2016. Since June 2017 it was used for joint
State Tests. The aircraft remains its original D-30KP engines,
but gains a lot of systems also introduced on the Il-76MD-90A
(the new-built Il-76 with new PS-90A-76 engines) like new
navigation, communictaion systems and elements of a glass
cockpit. Its service life is extended with 15 years. The costs of
a Il-76MD-M are just one-third of the costs of a new Il-76MD-
90A. The Ministry of Defence plans to upgrade41 Il-76MD.
In October 2016 Ilyushin was awarded a contract for three
Il-76MD-M for delivery in 2018.
The Russian Ministry of Defence expects to sign an order
for the purchase of 114 extra Ka-52 Alligators. The contract
will be signed as part of the State Arms program 2018-2027.
The Ka-52 will be equipped with an upgraded optical vision
system. Also new long-range rockets are under development
for the Ka-52. The Ka-52 is under serial production since 2009.
The aviation plant in Arsenyev plans to deliver six new Ka-52
to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2018. In January 2018
two Ka-52 were delivered for the Southern Militray District
by transport aircraft to Kurban in Kasnodar region. It was
reported that the final assembly of the Ka-52 will relocate to
here. In December two Ka-52 were delivered by air transport
to Pskov air base to a new established regiment in the
Smolensk region. The unit in Ostrov, Tver region, recieved
its last out of eight projected Ka-52s. We think this refers to
the same unit. If not this might concern the 378 Army Avition
Base Vyazma, where already Mi-8 and Mi-24 are based.
Russia sent two T-50s (called Su-57 in Russian air force –
but we refer to the prototypes still as as T-50) to Syria as
show of force to the world. On 21 February 2018 two T-50,
accompanied by a Su-30SM? Flanker, arrived at the 555
Aviagruppa at Hmeymim in Syria. Rumours sugest two more
arrived a also, but this has not been confirmed. Sattelite
pictures of 23 February show the two T-50s, and also seven
Su-24s, five Su-25s, four Su-30SMs, five Su-34s, six Su-35s,
three Il-76s, two Tu-154s, and one of each Il-22, Il-62, A-50,
An-26, An-72 and nine helicopters.
Meanwhile, on 6 March 2018, the tenth prototype T-50-10
(coded 510 blue) was flown from Komsomolsk through
Novosibirsk-Eltsovka to Zhukovsky for further tests. It was
first flown on 23 December 2017.
On 23 August 2017 Kazan Helicopters announced the start of
assembly of the first prototype of the Mi-38T, the military
version of the Mi-38. They will build to prototypes and deliver
before end of 2019, but expected end of 2018. Both prototypes
will conducting joint flight test for compliance with the
requirements of the Russian Armed Forces. According results
of the tests, further purchases of the Mi-38T will be planned
within the framework of the state armament program in
2018-2025. The Mi-38 can transport 30 passengers or 6000 kg
internal cargo. The external load is 7000 kg. For comparison
a Mi-17-1A2 can transport 24 troops or 4000 kg internal
cargo and the Mil-26 90 troops or 20.000 kg. The Mi-38T has
features like fuel system with explosion protection, special
communications equipment and additional fuel tanks to
increase flight range. The expected use will be combat
search-and-rescue, VIP and troop transport.
Poland just ordered an additional number of M346s. Seen here is the eighth and last example of the first order, which has been delivered to
Deblin in the meantime. (7798, M346, Venegono, 23 October 2017, Marco Muntz)
