Airfleet_4_2013

Military-tecnical cooperation

Q. Ok. Then, there will be another question – Has Rosoboronexport prepared something special for the exhibition at Zhukovsky?

Of course, at all MAKS salons we tried to do something special – spectacular and memorable. For example, at last salon for the first time we demonstrated our interactive exhibition complex, which became a new approach in the matter of expositions of military equipment at international exhibitions. It is based on up-to-date Russian simulator systems capable not only to screen a beautiful picture but also simulate different combat situations, thus demonstrating our customers a combat effectiveness of Russian arms. Within two years passed since the last MAKS, we upgraded aircraft presentation programs, and the key point – we added the main Air Defense systems. Demand for AD systems grows constantly, especially at recent times after widely-known events in Africa, which clearly demonstrated the consequences of the dominance in the air.

Therefore, the above mentioned advanced presentations will be very useful.

FUTURE OF ROSOBORONEXPORT Q. Alexander Alexandrovich, thank you for finding the time for this interview.

First of all, we wonder in what mood and with what tasks Rosoboronexport goes to MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon this year?

Actually, we have a competitive spirit and ambitious goals and objectives.

MAKS is one of the most important events of the year as well as key international exhibitions for Rosoboronexport. This is the only place where we can demonstrate our partners all main products of aircraft industry as well as air-defense systems, which comprise more than a half of total volume of our deliveries. Of course, at negotiations we do our best trying to explain

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our partners the main advantages of the Russian technologies but when customers see aerobatics performing by Sukhoi or MiG aircraft in the sky – then this become the best, let’s say, “air support” for our words.

Speaking about our business program, I can say that we have a busy schedule of meetings and, of course, we hope that it will be resulted in signing new contracts.

Q. Do you have plans to sign any contracts during this exhibition?

Let’s keep the intrigue. As you know none of the salons at Zhukovsky passed without hot news yet. So, I believe that we will not see boring journalists at this salon, too.

Q. Let’s talk about aviation industry.

How do you think – which Russian aircraft has the best chances on the world market?

Well, we have a number of such aircraft.

On my opinion, the advanced Su-35, the Su-30MK fighter, the Yak-130 trainer as well as the last versions of MiG-29 have good chances for success. Among helicopters, of course, it will be Mi-17 military transport helicopter, Mi-35M attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport as well as unique Mi-26T2 helicopter; light helicopters – Ka-226T and Ansat. Besides, I would like to mention another two attack helicopters – Mi-28NE and Ka-52. Both helicopters are well-known to experts.

Currently, the Russian Air Force is already equipped with a number of such helicopters. Thus, the time for intensive promotion of both helicopters on the world market has come. Moreover, we have already signed a contract on Mi-28NE with one of our traditional partners.

Military-tecnical cooperation

Q. Don’t you worry that “internal” competition between Ka-52 and Mi28NE may be projected on export markets as they are in general designed to perform the same tasks? What actions are to be taken by Rosoboronexport in this regard?

It is our advantage, because we have an opportunity to offer two advanced attack helicopters capable to operate at night, equipped with up-to-date armament and different in some specific features at once. I don’t want to introduce you with technical features of above mentioned helicopters as it will take a lot of time. The features of the Ka-52 are mainly associated with unorthodox coaxial blades and specific guidance and target designation equipment; the features of the Mi-28NE are mainly associated with its thick armor and serious measures taken to improve the survivability. It means that our customers have the choice between the Ka-52 reconnaissance attack helicopter and Mi-28 gunship. However, it should be pointed out that both helicopters are capable with high level of effectiveness to perform the full range of tasks assigned for this type of helicopters.

In this regard I would like to remind you that Rosoboronexport in his time was created in order to avoid destructive rivalry between Russian manufacturers on the world market. We develop a marketing strategy that, if it is possible, takes into account the interests of all Russian companies. It is a difficult task but the results of our activities show us that we are on the right way.

Q. Currently the state tests passes the upgraded Il-76MD-90A. What export prospects do you expect from this aircraft? Are there any negotiations on delivery of the aircraft to foreign customers?

Actually, Il-76MD-90A is one of the most perspective aircraft on export market.

Due to impossibility of the aircraft manufacture at Tashkent enterprise in recent years, we had to deliver our existed aircraft – as it was in situation with China. Currently a new manufacturing line in Ulyanovsk is A I R

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ready, and we expect that in the nearest future the state tests of the aircraft will be completed, thus the serial manufacture of the upgraded Ilyushin will begin. At the same time, we must understand that the priority for the supply will be for the Russian Air Force, only then will be export orders.

Anyhow the works on the promotion of the aircraft are conducted, and now our partners, primarily the countries operating the Il-76, display their sincere interest in upgraded variant of the aircraft. It is very good. Along with re-engining, a number of other upgrades have been made concerning wing design, gears and avionics. In fact, the new aircraft absorbed the best features of its predecessors. That is why along with many foreign customers we look forward to the moment when its serial production will be launched.

Q. Another question concerns the export prospects for another aircraft – Be-200. We heard a lot about the interest of foreign customers to this, but as we know only EMERCOM and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation have purchased it.

It is a very good sign for foreign customers. The Be-200 has a similar situation with Il-76. Manufacturing facilities have been removed from Irkutsk to Taganrog. It took some time, but recently the new manufacturing complex has launched the serial production of the aircraft. Foreign customers have not lost their interest to this project.

Good chances the Be-200 has on the Indian market, where the Ministry of Defense plans to hold a tender for the purchase of aircraft for search and rescue operations as well as patrol aircraft for Coast Guard.

Detailed negotiations are underway with two countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

Besides that, some Middle East countries display interest to Russian amphibian aircraft. Here, I am talking about only military variants of the aircraft, because promotion of the civil variants including the fire fighting version, Beriev Aircraft Company provides itself. By the way, we have plans to demonstrate on this MAKS the Be-200 to a number of foreign delegations.

Q. It is well-known that after-sales service is one of the main terms for the successful development of the military and technical cooperation with foreign partners. What activities are to be taken by Russia in order to improve it?

Among the most significant projects of Rosoboronexport, I would like to mention the creation of Indian facilities aimed for maintenance and service of the Su-30MKI fighters. Besides, within the framework of contracts on the Mi-17V-5 helicopters delivery to India and the Mi-35M helicopters delivery to Brazil we began creation of heavy-repair lines for separate units. Moreover, some steps with regard to improvement of service network manufacturers undertake itself. For example, recently in Republic of South Africa, the Russian Helicopters, JSC in cooperation with Denel Aviation opened a service center for repair and maintenance of Russian helicopters. Taking into account the fact, that currently we promote here the upgraded Mi-17, the creation of such center will be an additional argument in favor of our proposal.

Q. What do you think about the rivalry in the field of maintenance and upgrading of Soviet/Russian-made aircraft from third countries?

Yes, actually, after the collapse of the USSR, a number of companies still work on the territories of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) as well as the Warsaw Pact countries, and these companies compete with us in this segment of market.

Some companies have been established in other countries. The main problem is that the maintenance and upgrading in these cases are very often carried out with operating troubles, materials and parts may be replaced with cheaper spare-parts, which not specified in the design documentation. They often refuse from the further tests.

Besides that, their labor costs are usually low in comparison with Russian. Thus, their prices are lower, and sometimes it may reach the level of dumping.

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Military-tecnical cooperation

Q. What projects can you point out as an example of successful partnership with CIS countries?

Q. So, how do you deal with such a situation?

We explain our partners the consequences of such destructive approach to the matter of maintenance and upgrading without attracting the developers. Slow but steady we change the situation in our favor. The Rosoboronexport volume of aircraft maintenance is growing steadily, even taking into account the fact that a large portion of the work independently carried out by other entities of the military and technical cooperation.

However, with some countries we managed a mutually beneficial cooperation in this field. For example, in cooperation with Belarus enterprises we carry out maintenance and repair works of RD-33 engines and the MiG-29 fighters.

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We have a number of such examples, but I will tell you about the most effective partnership. I mean the promotion of the AN-140-100 an An-148 aircraft, especially its patrol variants. Both projects will be also demonstrated to our partners at MAKS. I think that join manufacture of the aircraft at Aviacor plant in Samara in cooperation with Ukranian Antonov State Company is a great step forward in the field of aircraft industry cooperation. We should increase a number of such projects, because due to increasing rivalry it is better to work together, especially taking into account that we have all required conditions.

Q. Currently Rosoboronexport is responsible also for training of foreign specialists in Russia and countries of customers in order to ensure the maintenance and service of delivered military equipment. How do you accomplish this task with regard to aviation and cosmonautics today?

Training of foreign specialists is a standard and well-established practice. For example we train the pilots and engineering staff for helicopters in Torzhok, where is located the Training Centre for Army Aviation pilots – not just the best centre in Russia, but also one of the best centers in the world. The highly experienced staff of this center tests the advanced Russian helicopters, analyzes the experience of operation and combat use, research and develop new tactics. Therefore, our customers will get not only advanced aircraft, but also crew trained by the best instructors.

It concerns not only helicopter industry, but also other aircraft. By the way, if we are talking about the training, we had an experience of uncommon practice. For example, as part of the offset agreement in 2007 was trained and sent to International Space Station (ISS) the first Malaysian cosmonaut.

Now try to imagine – what a significant event it was for Malaysia. It is a good example of Rosoboronexport capabilities and flexibility in the field of promotion of Russian technologies. No one of weapon exporters has such an experience. I believe that we will realize a lot of unique projects in the future.

Military-tecnical cooperation

BRAHMOS GOES ONTO SU-30MKI Release of a dummy mockup of the BrahMos PJ-10 missile from Sukhoi Su-30MKI twin seat multirole fighter is planned for November-December 2013 and fire tests of the real thing for June 2014, BrahMos Aerospace chief executive officer (CEO) A. Sivathanu Pillai told us at the International Maritime and Defense Show held in St. Petersburg 3-7 July 2013. BrahMos Aerospace is a 50/50 Indo-Russian joint venture established in 1998 by Indian MoD's R&D arm DRDO and Russia's rocketry firm NPO Mashinostoenia.

The air launched variant of the triservice Mach 3 cruise missile shall attain operational readiness in 2015. It will weigh 2.55 tons, some 0.5 ton less than already operational land-launch version through deletion of the solid booster. The air launched version differs in having additional aerodynamics control surfaces and a reshaped body.

Two fighters will be involved in the trials.

One has already been upgraded for the work at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and second is under work. The

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airplanes will carry the missile on the under fuselage hard point, using a special pylon developed by BrahMos Aerospace and manufactured by HAL. The pylon was on display on the Indian air force Su-30MKI side SB173 demonstrated at Aero India 2013, - since then the airframe has undergone other necessary upgrades for the PJ-10 testing.

According to the Indian media, during the late-2012 visit to New Delhi of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Russian weapons sales agency Rosoboronexport and the Indian defense ministry firmed up agreement on joint production of 216 BrahMos missiles in the air-launched version. Respective documents were signed on December 24.

The deal is worth some US$ 1.3 billion, of which Russian vendors receive more than half.

The earlier plans to add the missile to the airplane's arsenal as part of the bigger Super 30 effort seem to have been dropped: the missile integration proceeds as a separate program, non-related to overall modernization of the jet. Between

40 and 100 indian air force Su-30MKIs shall be enabled to fire BrahMos missiles.

Pillai told us at IMDS2013: "We have been interacting with Sukhoi specialists on the issue of integration of the BrahMos missile onto the Su-30MKI - we work together

Military-tecnical cooperation

on implementation of the Indian air force requirements".

"We started our activities with development of the missile for surface warships and then proceeded with making the missile able to fly from land-based launchers. In March this year we successfully fire-tested the submarine version, launching it from an underwater platform. Right now we are focusing on the BrahMos an air-launched weapon. Soon we will also be going into space with a satellite-based system for targeting, to know precisely where our targets are. So, all of our assets will be integrated, - we will make it integrated into a networkcentric warfare", Sivathanu Pillai said.

Today, a dozen of the Indian navy ships are equipped with anti-ship and land-strike BrahMos missiles, whereas the Land Forces have four regiments armed with mobile launchers on wheeled chassis. Lethality and reliability of the BrahMos system has been proved in some three dozen launches done since 2001, most of them successful.

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To reached the advertised range of 290km, the missile attains altitude of 14-15km before speeding up to Mach 2.5-3.0 and destroying assigned target with 200-kg warhead and the high kinetics on impact.

Touching on the BrahMos II, Pillai described it as "a new version, able to go with a speed more than Mach 5". In the coming years the cruise missiles can be intercepted by antimissiles. "Faced with this, we must work on the new version that can make our system able to complete the mission. We must increase the speed, we need to make countermeasure systems and reduce missile's signatures. We need to make it from the proper materials able to withstand the heat from high speeds. Indian scientists and researchers are already working on this. It will take us five years to develop the technology. It does take time because supersonic rocketry technology are very complex".

On the successful underwater launch of the Brahmos the Indian media reported

the following. It was performed from a pontoon off Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal, marking "a global first" in the vertical launch of a supersonic cruise missile from an underwater platform. A daily newspaper wrote:"The anti-ship version of the potent missile, with a range of 290 km, blasted off from the pontoon at 2.10 p.m. and hit an altitude of 14 km before cruising along a trajectory at Mach 3 to decimate the designated target as low as 12 meters over the sea. The flight lasted about 400 seconds. All telemetry and tracking stations and naval vessels positioned along the flight path confirmed the accuracy of the mission".

Chief executive officer of BrahMos Aerospace Sivathanu Pillai described the launch as a ‘milestone’. He said the mission’s objective was to demonstrate the vertical launch of the missile from underwater. “The capability has been proven and the missile is ready for fitment on the Navy’s future submarines under Project 75-I,” Pillai told the Hindu newspaper. He added that BrahMos in vertical launch mode "would add teeth to submarines" as it wouldn’t compromise on their defensive capability. “This will make submarines doubly potent and most lethal,” he insisted. Commending BrahMos scientists from India and Russia and Indian Navy officials on the feat, Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony said it was a “wonderful achievement and a proud moment for India.” According to V.K. Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister and Director General of DRDO, the testfiring was another landmark technological breakthrough and a significant step towards boosting India’s military might.

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Airshows

New Delhi is an enthusiastic buyer of Sukhoi jets, with over 270 Su-30MKIs on order. During December 2012 visit of the Russian president to New Delhi, Vladimir Putin witnessed signing of several major arms deals. The largest of those calls for shipment of 42 additional Su-30MKI kits for subsequent assembly at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The value of that deal is estimated at 3 billion US dollars. This recent order supplements earlier signed contracts for a total of 230 such fighters. Today, 15 out of 32 Indian air force fighter squadrons operate Su-30MKI multirole fighters. At AeroIndia 2013 we had an opportunity to speak to P. Lall, commander of an Indian air force squadron and a highly skilled Sukhoi fighter pilot.

Q. There is this badge on your flight suit ÂŤSukhoi 30 MKI: 1000HOURS+Âť, from which we understand that your flight time in this type has exceeded a thousand hours. Are you the only one in India who has amassed so many hours in the Su-30MKI? No, I think there are some ten-fifteen other pilots who passed the mark, maybe even more than that.

Q. Is it prestigious to be a military pilot in India?

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Certainly. Serving in the Armed Forces has always been a very prestigious profession in India. And still is. Here, at Aero India, you can see so many little boys around who are dreaming to be pilots and also Armed Forces officers. It is a very glamorous profession, although a very challenging one. And, I am sure, it is inspiring many of the youngsters in my country.

Q. Please tell us about preparation of pilots for the Indian air force. Is it easy to become a fighter pilot?

I would not say it is easy to become a military pilot. It is certainly difficult. Because you have to undergo a very vigorous selection process. Your selection process starts with entry exams, to clear the preliminaries,

Airshows

and then you get selected for your piloting skills, your basic skills as a pilot. And even after that it is not over. After you are inducted to a training Academy, where you first undergo basic training, and then you commence flight training. In between you have to pass very vigorous medical examinations. So you've got not only to be physically fit, you also have to be mentally fit, and have a strong health to be able to fly. And once the training commences, flight training is difficult and at the same time, it poses a lot of challenges to you both mentally and physically. If you overcome all of these challenges, it would take typically between two and four years of training before you qualify as an operational fighter pilot.

Q. Did you meet the Averianov test pilots?

I met the father, Slava Averianov, when he came here to do training of our pilots in the Su-30MKI. That was seven to eight years back. During the time Averianov was in India, and he was training some of our initial pilots to fly this airplane. And it was that time when I interacted with him and realized that he is one of the best test pilots at the Sukhoi company. And, of course, he was well qualified to fly the airplane and train other pilots in the type. He was a nice A I R

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person and it was fun for any pilot to fly with him and socialize in between flights.

Q. What did you feel when you fly the Su-30MKI for the first time?

It was a great feeling then, because the Su-30MKI is a very unique airplane. No other country in the world has airplane like this because... In this airplane you have a Russian airframe and engines, and various equipment items from different countries.

This is a very-very potent and lethal combination. If you go through the systems and look inside the cockpit of the Su-30MKI, you will see what I am talking about. The head-up and multifunctional displays that are available to the pilot and the systems that are onboard are excellent. And you would probably never see that kind in any other third and fourth generation fighters that are coming off production lines. So it is always a great experience to fly this airplane. It has always been prestigious for Indian air force pilots to fly that type since its introduction into service.

Q. Russian pilots are very superstitious. Are Indian pilots also?

I am sure that all of us have a bit of being superstitious, but this is not manifested much in the Indian air force. It can be that

some persons ware a scarf or take a wallet or some other omen with them when they go to fly, but it is not that prominent in our Air Force as such.

Q. Does Indian air force have women officers?

We have women officers in all kinds of services in the Indian air force. And they

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Performing aerobatics at low level near the ground is something when you cannot make a mistake. If you make a mistake, you do not have much time to react. So each and every maneuver demands that concentration and reliability.

Q. What can you tell about the Cobra maneuver? It is a difficult one?

We do not do the classical Cobra maneuver here. But the answer is "yes". The Cobra maneuver is something that is called "super maneuver more" and a characteristic feature of the Su-30MKI. It demands a little more skill from the pilot than the other ones.

Q. What are the subjects you want to talk about when you meet with the Russian Knights?

I think it would be good to interact with the Russian Knights because they are flying very much a similar airplane to what we have. The systems are a little bit similar, and, certainly, in terms of handling the airplanes we can get some input from them so as what they do when flying in a close formation, and this would help us in doing our job. Probably we can give them some inputs on how we handle the aircraft in our single aircraft profile. In think we can help each other.

Q. India has invested so much in the Light Combat Aircraft "Tejas" program.

What will you feel if they order you to a Tejas unit?

are shoulder-to-shoulder with us, men.

Flying fighter airplanes is perhaps the only thing they do not do. But they do transport jets and they fly helicopters.

Q. What aerodynamics maneuver is the most dangerous?

I do not think we are going to execute any dangerous maneuvering over the show site. The entire flight profile has to be very strictly corresponding to rules in terms of heights, flights and other flight parameters.

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After the Su-30MKI, I do think I will have a problem flying it. The Tejas is also a wonderful aircraft, I think. Right now it does not have all the technologies we want it to have, some do not work as we want them to, but this is being changed as the industry is working on the airplane to make it what we want it to be. This is to do with multifunctional displays, how do we get to a certain system, how you operate that certain system from the multifunctional displays and multifunctional displays, how to use a weapon... It is also about firing our weapons and making sure that they go all

the time, and that everything else works well. These are the things that we need to improve until everything looks really fine.

Q. What's your point about HUD and Helmet-mounted sights? Some people say they overlap. Would you prefer to see a better HUD or a helmet-mounted sight in the Super 30 cockpit?

I would prefer both. I would like to have a helmet-mounted sight because this is the way the world is going. I would like to have a helmet-mounted sight when I look right or left out of the cockpit. This device gives the pilot very large flexibility when he makes various maneuvers. At the same time, helmet-mounted sight and head-up display shall be good enough to give me all the parameters I need at a certain point in time.

I do not need them to display all that is on the multifunctional displays. So I think both are important, and would not mind having both in my cockpit.

Q. But helmed mounted sight often means more weight on the pilot's head.

Are you Ok with that?

Oh, yea, you are right about the extra weight! We are used to the Shlem [here: ZSh, Russian acronym for "Protective Helmet"], the Russian helmet which is a standard for Sukhoi fighter pilots. I have not tried a helmet-mounted sight on my head yet. When I try it on, I will compare it with the Shlem. But I am sure if other pilots are managing, I am sure we can do the same.

Q. You have already achieved much, flying the Su-30MKI. What is your next personal target? Mastering new types?

Landing on a carrier? Become an Air Marshal?

In our air force we do our job professionally at every level. And at my level I am doing the job that was entrusted on me.

I take care of the aircraft, improve my flying skills and train my junior pilots. When I get both, then... we will see what comes next.

Airshows

PILOT SERGEI BOGDAN

SPEAKS OF SU-35S Today, the Su-35S is the most advanced Russian heavyweight multirole fighter available for export. In its current form, the Su-35 flew for the first time in 2008.

It represents a further development of the Su-27. While retaining aerodynamics shape and outward appearances, the Su-35S differs in having a totally new pack of avionics including Tikhomorov’s NIIP N-035 Irbis radar with passive electronic scanning replacing the N-001

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Mech with Cassegrain parabolic antenna with mechanical beam scanning. To attain supersonic cruise (supercruise) capability, the Su-35S is powered by a pair of NPO Saturn Item 117S motors each delivering 14,500kg [31,967lb] of thrust at full afterburner and 8,800kg [19,400lb] at military power.

Su-35S prototypes have made nearly 700 test flights in frame of the type certification program, which is not yet com-

plete. Partly, the Su-35 development was funded with refundable loans, including those from VEB, one of the five large state banks under Kremlin’s control.

The Russian MoD placed a first firm order in 2009, for 48 airplanes. Initial batch of six Su-35s is expected for delivery this summer; mass production shall commence next year. The Russian air force commander Gen. Bondarev says the service expects 250 deliveries of

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newly built Sukhoi fighters of the Su-34, Su-35 and PAKFA types in 2012-2020 timeframe.

The Su-35S has already won its first foreign order. It came from China. The deal on 24 exportable Su 35s is estimated at US$ 1.5billion. Deliveries of newly built Su-35s to China are expected to start in 2015, after the plant in Komsomolsk-onAmur deliveries a sufficient number of the newly built Su35s to the Russian air force. Meantime, Rosoboronexport continues its fighter sales campaigns in Venezuela, Vietnam and Indonesia.

We were able to speak to Sergei Bogdan shortly after he climbed out of this jet after a superb flight performance over Le Bourget on the opening day of the Paris temporarily hired by the Sukhoi company air show 2013. Sergei has amassed over specifically for demonstration at Le Bourget.

4900 flight hours on several dozen aircraft Touching on the characteristic features types including 460 hours in the cockpits of the Su-35S setting it apart from the of Su-35 fighters . Assessing the readiness earlier Sukhoi designs, Bogdan says that of the type to squadron service, Sergei renmost of the maneuvers included in the Le ders this "high". “But some of the combat Bourget flight profile have already been regimes specified for this type are yet to demonstrated earlier on other types. But be fully done. The airplane is now at the the higher thrust to weight ratio and the final stage of customer acceptance trials”. more advanced flight control system enSpecifically on the Side 07 that flew over able this airplane to make some further Le Bourget, Bogdan says that this particular advancement in Sukhoi’s “super maneuairframe is “a combat machine which can verability” domain. Giving an example of be used in anger against certain types of well known, but recently “tuned” maneutargets. We are working to soon enable ver, Bogdan speaks of the Bell (tail slide). this machine to use the whole spectrum “Earlier, when executing this maneuver, of the weapons in the specification to the the airplane stopped mid air and then type”. The Side 07 belongs to the Russian started to drop while keeping the position air force. To be able to arrive at Le Bourget, of nose-up|tail-down. Now, thanks to the this machine required – and received – a Su-35's higher thrust to weight ratio, the special intergovernmental agreement and airplane does not go down but instead the permission of the owner. The airplane is flights forward at a slow speed. In that A I R

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moment the Su-35S pilot can make a sharp turn using vectored thrust”. Another example of Su-35S uniqueness is its ability to make the following sequence “which has a application in aerial combat”. Having fired a missile at one target, the airplane makes a sharp pitch-up and quickly turns on the top of it in order to align the nose in the direction of another aerial target with subsequent launch of a second missile. “These two fine-tuned maneuvers are the brilliants of my demo flight profile at Le Bourget”, Bogdan says.

We also asked Bogdan about the very short takeoff demonstrated during the Paris 2013 opening day performance.

Sergei answers the takeoff run was some 250-300 meters, that short due to thrust vectoring and high thrust to weight ratio.

“Short takeoff is another useful feature of the thrust-vectored Sukhoi fighters. We demonstrated it before on the Su-30MKI. More

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power available for the Su-35S makes me able to set the plane into high pitch upon liftoff and then make a sharp turn”.

The flight profile at Le Bourget had some maneuvering at angle-of-attack up to 90 degrees. “There is one regime at which the alpha goes up to 100 degrees”,

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Sergei adds. Speeds are from zero (during the tail slide) to some 70 kilometers per hour in level flight. Due to relatively small demo flight area over Le Bourget, the airplane can accelerate only to 800 km/h, and reach maximum altitude of 1400 meters. The g-load peaks at 9, and on the high-speed turn in the horizontal plane Bogdan kept 8.7g.

What did foreign pilots present at the show ask about the Su-35S? “So far I’ve had no questions from them. Perhaps they wanted to see my performance first. As per the pilots of our customers, we only have short personal meetings at this show on some organizational and managerial issues, not much connected to our professional activities”.

Perhaps it makes sense to add to Sergei's words what the manufacturer writes about the airplane in its press release distributed during the Paris air show 2013. In this document Sukhoi depicts the Su-35S as “a deeply modernized super-maneuverable multirole fighter of the "4 + +" generation. The applied technologies of the fifth generation provide for the superiority of Su-35S aircraft over similar class fighters. Our aircraft has a

much better flight characteristics compared with standing analog fighters and more perfect on-board avionics.” Sukhoi further asserts that “the aircraft characteristics exceed all Europe - an tactical fighters of the fourth and "4 +" generation like the Rafale and the Eurofighter 2000, as well as upgraded American fighters such as the F-15, F-16 and F-18. The Su-35S can also successfully counter the fifth generation fighters F-35 and F-22A”. In particular, the Su-35S is the fastest (2,400 km/h at an altitude of 11,000m) of the above mentioned fighter types. Besides, it has a higher thrust. “The Su-35S also has an almost two-fold benefit to the modern French (Rafale) and Swedish (Gripen) fighters in the flight range (without externally carried fuel tanks - 3,600 km). The Gripen NG aircraft, for example, has only one engine, so it has a smaller combat survivability and reliability. The American F/A-18 fighter is inferior to the Russian Su-35S in the flight altitude”. At the show, Sukhoi company's test-pilot Sergei Bogdan did his best to convince the public in the Su35S superiority over all other fighter jets brought to Le Bourget.

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Military-tecnical cooperation

SMOKEY BANDITS Malaysia acquired MiG-29N tactical fighters and MiG-29NUB twin seat operational trainers in 1995. This aircraft became the first Russian type in the inventory of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). The MiGs are for the air superiority role. Almost simultaneously, in 1997 Malaysia also purchased F/A-18D Hornet tactical fighters from the United States. These were to provide RMAF with an all weather interdiction capability.

In 1997 RMAF MiG-29 squadron made its first appearance at LIMA. Since then the MiGs have been the show’s main attraction. The current RMAF chief himself is one of the pioneers in the MiG-29N air display team. In the beginning the team was popularly known as

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Taufan Ganas (Raging Storm). During LIMA’2003 RMAF MiG-29N display team was officially introduced as the Smokey Bandits and this name has been their trademark ever since. The term smokey bandit was originally coined by visiting foreign air force pilots in reference to the black cloud of smoke generated by the MiG-29’s Klimov RD-33 Series 3 engines when operating in full military thrust.

The Smokey Bandits are in reality a fully operational combat unit and not a dedicated full time display Team. The pilots maintain their combat readiness by participating in routine exercises and trainings as required to maintain their skills and competency level. The display

Team is formed as and when they are required and directed by the Chief of Air Force or upon national requirement.

The continued success story of the No. 17 Squadron’s air display team having evolved from Taufan Ganas to the Smokey Bandits is contributed by the hard work, dedication, esprit de crop, and professionalism of its squadron members.

RMAF commander Rodzali Bin Daud said the following about the Team on the eve of LIMA’2013. “As the famous saying goes, “To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home”. Once again, RMAF is proud to showcase its best aviators and their machines sparing across the skies

Military-tecnical cooperation

of Langkawi for LIMA’2013. As chief of air force, I take great pride in seeing my men performing their best to showcase RMAF capabilities to Malaysia and the world. We are committed to deliver the promise of our predecessors in keeping the skies of Malaysia safe and secured always. LIMA’2013 is the best opportunity for RMAF to prove itself through the skill and professionalism of its men and women who have dedicated their lives to their beloved nation. The Smokey Bandits team is the epitome of true aviation skill and professionalism as they have proven time and time again through the years, both locally and abroad. Once again, we are proud to present you these brave and courageous men from No. 17 Squadron who themselves are the pride and joy of RMAF.” Rodzali Bin Daud himself served in the No. 17 Squadron, and flew with the Smokey Bandits in 1998-2000.

Mior Nor “Ghost” Badrishah is the current commander of No.17 Squadron and Team leader. He flew with Smokey Bandits starting in 1997, flew solo in 2001-2002, and has been the leader since 2011. He addressed the LIMA’2013 visitors with the following words. “We have come a long way since the MiG-29’s inception in the RMAF and since 1997; we have been a regular feature in LIMA expositions. With some new faces in the team, we will strive to show our best to people of Malaysia and the world in line with the Chief of Air Force’s aspirations in transforming RMAF into A I R

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the Next Generation Air Force. We are determined to keep the excellent track record of devotion, passion, precision and professionalism in our performance.

Alongside the 31 enlisted and 12 officers out of 180 squadron personnel who make up the Smokey Bandits team, we would like to say “Let the engines roar and the smoke fill the skies for the Bandits are here to steal your breath away”.

Mior joined RMAF in June 1988, graduating from RMAF Cadet School in Kuala Lumpur. Military life was introduced to him as early as the age of 13 when he was selected to join the Royal Military College (RMC) for his secondary education. He is a distinguished graduate from Air University, Alabama ACSC

Class of 2010 with Masters of Military Operational Art and Science. His skills and potential in becoming a good fighter pilot was evident as early as when he finished top of his class during basic flying school with “Best Flyer Award”.

He went on to win the Top Gun Pilot trophy in RMAF annual Air to Air Gunnery competition. He has logged more than 2700 FH so far with over 700 jet instructional hours. He is married to YM Raja Nor Azlina and they have 12- year old daughter, PM Athirah.

We were lucky to interview Mior Nor “Ghost” Badrishah at LIMA’2013.

Q. How was the name of the group invented?

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Military-tecnical cooperation

in Malaysia to be a pilot? Do many youngsters want to become a fighter pilot? Do you think that your performance at the show brings in more youngsters into this profession?

The name of the Smokey Bandits first came when we had a joint exercise with the Americans. They asked us “why is that your aircraft makes so much of the black smoke?” We told them that this aircraft got a Russian engine and it does that way at full afterburner. So that said, Ok – and next time they saw us in the air, they started calling us “Smokey”, “Bandit”, and then mixed the two words into “Smokey bandit”.

And after a while this became nickname.

And, a little over, the name came for aircraft of our squadron. We took name to be [our mark] that of our air display team, the Smokey Bandits. It happened in 1998 – 2000, - about that time.

his aircraft against the adversary, and our adversaries in the joint exercises with foreign air forces have been the F-15, the F-16, the F-18 and so on. You must be fit, of course to pull 9g. And that means that the weight gets nine times larger against your body.

Q. So, for how long you can keep this highg?

Yes. First, I believe that it is good to be a pilot. It is a good job. Most of our ambition is to fly the airplane. And to be a fighter pilots means to be above other pilots, which gives you a fleeting that you are greater. Secondly, it is my job as leader of the Smokey Bandits is to promote the positive image of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, so we can pull more of the young generation to join the service and do a service to our country.

Q. How long does it takes for a young Malaysian boy to become a fighter pilot?

Normal time is about four to six years.

To be a good fighter pilot you may probably need another couple of years.

Q. How do they start the career of the fighter pilot?

Q. It is quite often heard from the US pilots having joint exercises with you [No. 17 Squadron] that their biggest impression was to see a MiG-29 in a 9-g turn. Is it really difficult for a pilot to make a sustained turn at 9 g?

Normally, it is not about that to win a dogfight. The actual time depends on actual engagement, combat engagement. Normally, it is less than 10 to 15 seconds.

It is also known that the Hornet can make only 7g. The Super Hornet also does not match the MiG-29’s in the ability to perform at high g.

Yes, the Hornet and the Super Hornet can pull only something like 7.5g. But again, it depends what sort of flight you perform. It also depends on the weapons, aircraft systems, and also the skill of the pilot. In plain words, this does not mean that… if you can pull 9g and your opponent could not, then you’ll win the fight. No, it is not that easy. Sometimes technology works. The newer Super Hornet has better technology than the classic MiG-29. Much more better of that in the Super Hornet.

First, they go to the Air Force Academy for four years. That’s to have a first degree, to complete the first degree. After having received their first degree, they go to the Fighter Pilot School for another year.

So, it makes five years. And then they are off the class, they will be selected to join in the Fighter Lead-In Conversion starting with the MB.339A or… now we have the MB.339CM, from Italy. These are used as Lead-in Fighter Aircraft for fighter pilots.

Here, they are meant to spend six month to a year. After that they are posted to a MiG-29 or to the Sukhoi or the Hornets, or to the Hawks aircraft. There you need to spend a year or a year-and-a-half, depending on the syllabus. From the time they join the Flight School, to get your wing, it takes between five and six years to become a fighter pilots.

It is not difficult, this aircraft type is meant to perform 9-g turns. Normally, it is up to the pilot, how the pilot handles

Q. Here at the air show many thousands of people are watching you when you fly aerobatics. Is it popular

Q. Do many RMAF pilots leave the service prematurely and seek a job of commercial pilot?

Q. Was it a nickname first?

Yes, it was a nickname initially. And then we accepted it. We were in Brunei for the first time in 2011, at Brunei International Defense Exhibition BRIDEX 11.

Then, next year, we were at the Singapore Airshow 2012. These were out first time air shows outside our home country.

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Military-tecnical cooperation

After having spent a number of years with the Air Force, the pilots want to go to the commercial world. This is an issue for many air forces, and we also have that issue in Malaysian air force.

hear about fifth generation aircraft. This aircraft is about the third generation. So, maybe it is a good time for us to change this aircraft, maybe not. I am not sure. It depends on the Air Force.

Q. There is a proposal to upgrade the RMAF MiG-29. Do you think it worth it?

Q. Please tell us your opinion. What is the main difference of the MiG-29 that sets it apart from other fighters in RMAF inventory?

Let me get my superiors talk about it.

Q. Is it still life in those aircraft?

You mean the MiGs? Oh, yea! The issue here is what when we first bough the MiGs and until now we have not had any major upgrade program on the aircraft.

In terms of technologies this means that you keep lagging behind. You know that now the industry produces fourth generation aircraft, and we are even starting to A I R

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The technology. If you compare the MiG-29 with the Hornet, our classic Hornet, you may find that the technology matters. The Hornet is far ahead compared to the MiG-29. It has a glass cockpit, while the MiG-29’s cockpit is still analogue. The Sukhoi also has a glass cockpit, and that sets the MiG-29 apart from other fighters RMAF has.

But I think the MiG-29 is still quite good in the role of an interceptor…

Yes, we can do intercept. It depends on the skills of the pilots, and the skills of the ground controllers. So far we have never failed to fulfill our mission.

You are an operational pilot. And you are also an air display pilot. How do you combine the two different professions?

In many air forces which have display groups they do not combine those.

Actually, we never practice aerobatic until we are tasked to do so. For example, for LIMA’2013 we received the respective order from our command. The order had us practice aerobatics starting from January. And we have been practicing in January, February and March. Other than that, we are normal day-to-day a combat pilot and never practice any aerobatics. Instead, we do our normal combat training routines like any other squadron.

Q. In other words, this brings more pressure on you?

Yes, exactly! We do two jobs at a time.

Q. Could you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

I am 43 years old. I have about 2500 flying hours. Of those I logged some 1500 FH hundred our in the MiG-29.

The rest comes from the PC-7 and so on. I have been with the air force since 1987. So, I have been there for 25 years now. Rank: I am Lieutenant Colonel – Podpolkovnik… Ya govoryu po russki chut-chut…

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Industry

IRKUT ORDERS 200 PW1400G ENGINES

Russia’s Irkut Corporation has selected the PW1400G as a factory standard on the MC-21-200/300 next generation narrow body jetliner. Most of the aircraft sold so far (the maker claims 135 firm and 115 conditional orders) will be equipped with US-made power plants. First flight is expected in 2015 and entry into service in 2017.

"We have already got a firm order from Irkut for 200 engines all made

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to [quantity production standards], but some of those will power experimental aircraft", says Robert Saia, Pratt&Whitney vice president for Next Generation Product Family. He, however, declined to speak about prepayment: "It is now how it works. We have to wait until they sale their airplane."

On request, the MC-21 can be powered by PD-14 turbofan from Russia's United Engine Corporation

(UEC). Taking PW1400G/PD14 rivalry as a personal competition with general designer Alexander Inozemtsev (his friend since P&W had ownership of 25% in Perm Motors, now part of UEC), Saia says: "We are working hard to beat the PD-14... and still want to make sure the MC-21 is going to be a successful program."

Meantime, Pratt&Whitney is waiting for "final thrust requirements" to the

Industry

engine that would power MC-21400, a largest member in the MC-21 family. Saia says he needs "to see the final thrust requirements for the -400.

It might be above our capability for power".

The maximum advertized thrust for the firm's PW1000G family of geared turbofan (GTF) engines, also referred to as the PurePower, "is about 33 thousand pounds", Saia adds. Largest A I R

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in the family are the PW1100G and PW1400G motors, both with an 81in fan diameter, bypass ratio of 12 and thrust ranging between 24,000 and 33,000 lb depending on aircraft model.

Saia insists the PW1100G is "identical to the PW1400G with only difference in nacelle outward appearance and electrical harnesses, which are specifically designed for Airbus

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Industry

airplanes, not for the MC-21. As per testing, they are identical". This enables P&W to give test figures for both models combined: by Paris air show four test engines amassed 450 working hours. Since first flight for the 81-in-fan-engine on May 15, "we have clocked about 35 hours in the air". Before Paris, the 747 test-bed carrying an experimental PW1100GJM motor had performed 7 flights.

Describing the PW1100G/1400G effort as "on schedule with positive initial results", the maker now pre-

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pares for "Block 2 testing" to commence in 4Q2013. "We have completed all of the critical [and] structural testing on that engine. Our engine is proving its performance guarantees.

We will begin engine certification testing in August", Saia says.

First PW1100G-powered A320 is expected to fly in October 2014, and first delivery to take place in the first quarter of 2015. Here, the PW1100G faces competition from CFMI LEAP-1A which also powers the Airbus A320neo. When asked to

draw a comparison, Saia said: "From an engine-to-engine comparative, we have a 3% fuel burn advantage. We will be lower in maintenance costs and we will be lower in airport noise.

So we add value to an airplane like the neo versus to what the LEAP engine would do. We also feel that we have a 3% cost operating advantage over the LEAP engine, and that [translates into] three to four million dollars of value to the airline, which is a big number than you look at this sort of aircraft". Since the GTF project started earlier, "we are ahead of them by about nine months".

Touching on the PW1500G powering the C Series, Saia says: "We have delivered six propulsion systems for the first three flight test vehicles. Bombardier people are working very hard to make first flight happen soon".

Are any other plans on equipping Russian airplanes with P&W engines?

Saia answers: “We continue to do studies with United Aircraft Corporation. Probably not the Superjet, but we are doing studies, and we will see how these will... Our focus is right now on the MC-21, executing on the MC-21�.

For Pratt, having Irkut among its customers is important. The Russian airframer selected the GTF in a time when the famed US engine maker was in a difficult economic situation, yet on the way to recovery. Now, having won

Industry

positions on the Bombardier CSeries, Mitsubishi MRJ, Airbus A320neo, Irkut MC-21 and, most recently, Embraer’s planned second generation of E-Jets, the PurePower geared turbofan family has completely revived a company that a decade ago became better known for the well-documented missteps associated with thePW6000.

Much had been expected from the latter, but, having found place only on the A318, this engine did not perform to expectations.

The experience moved the company to completely revamp its engineering process to ensure a level of technological readiness in the geared turbofan not seen in the case of the PW6000. “They established a very rigorous process for developing and introducing innovation and new technology,” said Pratt&Whitney CEO David Hess. “And they’ve stuck to that discipline and that rigor over the last ten years, as they’ve brought forward that technology.”

The transformation started with a commitment to “up-front” investment in the geared turbofan program. In all, the company has spent one billion US dollars on research and development.

Perhaps more significantly, “hundreds of millions of dollars” were invested during five years leading up to the demonstrator’s first flight on an Airbus A340 test-bed in 2008.

In his turn, Saia explained that not only has Pratt returned to ensuring A I R

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thorough product maturity before launch, it has adopted more robust engineering discipline in terms of evaluating risk and design readiness.

In around 2003-2004 it implemented what Saia called a “gated-process model” that ensures it doesn’t reach for too much technology too early in a program’s development.

A recent Boeing study predicted a demand for up to 23,000 singleaisle airliners over the next 20 years.

For the three engine manufacturers

involved in the seven single-aisle aircraft currently in development, the business case for developing all-new engines to power them has been more than justified. From the perspective of product readiness, Pratt&Whitney is a clear leader in this race. By teaming up with Irkut on the MC-21, claimed to be the most technologically advanced design of the aforementioned seven, the US company firms up its leading positions in the given market sector.

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Propulsion

MOTOR SICH BEST DESIGN SOLUTIONS In 2007 the aircraft engine-building industry of Ukraine was integrated into corporation “A. Ivchenko scientific-production association”. The corporation was created by two companies: MOTOR SICH JSC and SE “Ivchenko-Progress”, which are situated in one territory and were almost indivisible throughout all the history.

Our Company is the corporation basis, which includes more than fifteen structural divisions situated in the territory of Ukraine with about 24 thousand employees.

MOTOR SICH JSC is a company specialized in building, manufacturing and aftersales service of the gas-turbine engines for civil and military aviation, industrial gas-turbine drives, as well as gas-turbine power generating units and gas-pumping units equipped with the above drives. In the recent years we also actively work at building the helicopter-building industry in Ukraine. Quality and reliability of the aircraft engines manufactured by our Company are proved by their operation of many years in fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft in more than 100 countries of the world.

One of generally recognized criteria of successful activity of the company is its participation in the international air shows. MOTOR SICH JSC constantly takes part in the air shows in China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, the United Arab Emirates, Russia and other countries.

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Vyacheslav Boguslayev President, Motor Sich JSC We are the active and constant participant of the Beijing Air Show “Aviation Expo China”.

Nowadays, the list of our engines, which are in mass production and at different stages of building for passenger, transport and military transport aircraft, covers the turboprop and turbopropfan engines featuring power of 400 to 14000 h.p. and the bypass engines featuring thrust of 1500 to 23400 kgf.

The D-436-148 engine used for passenger aircraft of family Аn-148 should be distinguished among others. It meets the ICAO up-to-date requirements with

respect to emission level and ensures the An-148 aircraft noise level below the established standards.

For various versions of the An-148 aircraft and other passenger and transport aircraft equipped with propulsion engines of the D-436 family MOTOR SICH JSC built the AI-450-MS two-shaft auxiliary gas-turbine engine.

It ensures starting of the propulsion engines and supply of compressed air and electrical power to the aircraft systems with the propulsion engines inoperative.

In the middle 2013 the Republic of Cuba started the operation of the An-148 100-passenger version – the Аn-158 aircraft.

Nowadays the designers of SE “Antonov” are involved in the design works aimed at building the administrative version – An-168 and the transport one – An-178.

The An-168 aircraft will be equipped with the D-436-148 engines and the D-436-148FM engine is currently designed for the An-178 transport version featuring a weight-lifting capacity of 18 tons.

The ever-increasing importance of military aviation gives rise to high requirements for training of new pilots, maintaining the flight skills and training the pilots from the combat maneuver units in using the aircraft weapons.

Due to this fact, the trainers and combat trainers are of great importance for the Air Force of any country.

The aircraft performance characteristics considerably depend on the engine characteristics.

Propulsion

Over the time of 85 years “A.Ivchenko scientific-production association” corporation was involved in building and manufacturing the engines for trainers and combat trainers.

Nowadays more than three thousand trainers and combat trainers equipped with the gas-turbine engines manufactured by our Company are operated in 42 countries of the world.

Carrying on this tradition nowadays we take part in building the engines of family AI-222 together with SE “Ivchenko-Progress”. These engines can ensure the maximum thrust from 2500 to 3000 kgf, and to 5000 kgf with the afterburner installed.

Nowadays a mass production of the AI-222-25 engine has been already started; this engine features the thrust of 2500 kgf and is used in the Yak-130 combat trainer, which is already coming to pilots training centers of the Air Forces of Russia and Algeria.

The contract has been concluded for delivery of the Yak-130 trainers to the Republic of Belarus.

The AI-222K-25 (without afterburner) and AI-222K-25F (with afterburner) versions are designed for two-engine combat supersonic trainer manufactured by Chinese company Hongdu Aviation Industrial (Group) Corporation (HAIC) and named L-15.

The maiden flight of the L-15 trainer equipped with the AI-222K-25 engines was made on May 10, 2008.

The characteristics received in the course of testing the L-15 trainer equipped with the AI-222K-25 engine (without afterburner) and conducted marketing research have revealed that this version is of great interest for a number of potential buyers and thus has the right to be manufactured and supplied to aviation market as a subsonic trainer for basic and advanced training together with the version featuring the engines with afterburners.

On October, 20, 2010 the maiden flight of the L-15 LIFT aircraft version (Lead in fighter trainer) was made; A I R

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this trainer is designed for basic training of the pilots of such fighters as the Su-30 MKI (Russia), the J-10, J-11 and J-15 (China), as well as modern fighters of other countries. The Zaporozhye engines AI-222K-25F lifted this trainer into sky.

Nowadays the flight tests of the L-15 LIFT aircraft and the engine are successfully under way while the L-15AJT aircraft began to come to the Air Force of the People’s Republic of China.

In order to further improve the performance characteristics of helicopters and their efficiency for operating in the mountainous areas of hot-climate countries, in September, 2007 MOTOR SICH JSC finished the work aimed at building the helicopter engine

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V. The characteristics of this engine comply with up-to-date technical requirements; the engine features the Type Certificates issued by the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee and the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine in 2007. In 2009 the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine was accepted for service by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The total service life of the engine is 12000 hours/12000 cycles, the first overhaul period is 5000 hours/5000 cycles. The engine power conditions are optimally adapted for the operating conditions at different types of the helicopters. Its automatic control system makes it possible (when tested at the plant) to adjust

AI-450M MSB-2

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Propulsion

one of the following power values at the takeoff power – 2500, 2400, 2200 or 2000 h.p. and maintain it to the higher ambient air temperature and flight altitude as compared with the present versions of the TV3-117V family engines, including VK-2500 installed in the helicopters of “Mi” and “Ka” types.

To improve safety of the OEI flight the provision is made of 2.5-min. power conditions corresponding to 2800 h.p., and 60-min. power conditions corresponding to the takeoff power.

To improve performance characteristics of the helicopter the “continuous takeoff power” was introduced for providing (if required) the continuous use

of the takeoff power of both operative engines for more than 5 (to 30) minutes.

In 2007 the engine was tested at TBK TsIAM to determine the main technical data and altitude-speed performances as well as estimate the operating characteristics and serviceability of the engine systems. During this testing the engine revealed a stable starting to altitude of 6000 meters and a stable operation at altitude of 9000 meters within the total range of all possible operating ambient air temperatures.

In the course of testing conducted in 2010 at the Konotop aircraft repair plant “Aviakon” the Мi-8MTV helicopter equipped with engines TV3-117VMA-SBM1V reached the record-breaking altitude of 8100 meters.

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V SERIES 4E Mi-8MSB

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In 2011 the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine successfully passed the state bench tests in Russia and confirmed its compliance with the requirements of Requirements Specification of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. (State Bench Tests Report No.14/11102-007ВП).

Under the programs of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine the work is under way to upgrade the helicopters of type Mi-24 and Mi-8MTV. MOTOR SICH JSC retrofits the helicopter powerplant by replacing the standard engines with the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines.

Nowadays the Mi-24PU1 helicopter equipped with the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines is accepted for service by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

In 2012 the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines successfully passed the preliminary flight tests as a part of the Mi-8MTV-5-1 helicopter at “M.L.Mil Moskow Helicopter Plant” JSC and in April, 2013 the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation finished special joint flight tests of this helicopter.

To use new helicopters in the projects, new versions of the engine are under development – the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 1, featuring electronic and digital ACS of FADEC type and the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 2, featuring a new electronic governor.

The use of new ACS will result in further improvement of the characteristics of engines and helicopters.

The TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4 and 4E, engines (featuring air or electric starting systems) are actually the versions of the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine used for remotorization of previously manufactured helicopters of type Mi-8T to improve their performances, particularly for operation in hot-climate conditions and mountainous takeoff areas.

The engines inherited the best design solutions aimed at ensuring the higher parameters and time limits, which were proved by the basic engine TV3-117VMA-SBM1V. This made it

Propulsion

possible to establish the total service life of the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4 and 4E, engines of 15000 hours/cycles, introduce contingency power conditions of 2.5 and 30-min. power with one engine inoperative, i.e. the power conditions, which were missing in the TV2-117 engine, and install them in the Mi-8Т helicopters.

The maiden flight of the Мi-8Т helicopter equipped with new engines TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4Е, was made on November, 10, 2010 at the aerodrome of MOTOR SICH JSC. In 2011 MOTOR SICH JSC obtained the addition to the Type Certificate issued by the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee with regard to propulsion engines TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4 and 4E. In 2012 the flight and design tests of the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4E engine were conducted in the Мi-8MSB helicopter retrofitted at MOTOR SICH JSC. In September, 2012, at the International Air Show “AVIASVIT 2012” the Мi-8MSB helicopter climbed to 8250 meters and thus made a new world record in the class Е-1g (category FAI for helicopters with takeoff weight from 6000 to 10000 kg).

In June, 2013 the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4(4E) engine successfully passed the state bench tests held at MOTOR SICH JSC for the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

The Mi-8MSB multipurpose mediumrange transport and passenger helicopter retrofitted at MOTOR SICH JSC and equipped with the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4E engines is designed for making flights in passenger and cargo-andpassenger versions, trainers, search and rescue operations, solution of medical and fire-fighting problems.

The maximum weight of the cargo transported inside the cargo compartment of the Mi-8MSB helicopter is 4000 kg, and of the one transported externally – 3000 kg.

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The certification plant tests confirmed a significant improvement of performance characteristics of the helicopter equipped with the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4E engines. The helicopter with takeoff weight of 9000 kg reached altitude of 5000 meters for 11 minutes, the vertical climbing speed Vind is 7.6 m/s.

In July, 2013, in the state research and testing center of the Air Force of Ukraine (Teodosia) in the course of preparation for setting a new world record the Mi-8MSB helicopter quipped with the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V, Series 4Е, engine climbed to 9000 meters, i.e. the altitude that is more than the altitude of Mount Everest (8850 m).

Nowadays the small aircraft is of a great demand all over the world.

Due to this fact, MOTOR SICH JSC is fully engaged in the work performed

by SE “Ivchenko-Progress” to build small-sized turboshaft and turboprop engines of the AI-450 family featuring the takeoff power of 450-600 h.p.

By performance, economic and ecological characteristics these engines will be among the best engines of this class.

Since 2012 MOTOR SICH JSC mastered the overhaul procedure of helicopters Mi-2 of the standard configuration. If required, the overhauled helicopters may be upgraded by replacing avionics and reequipping the helicopter cabin.

MS-14 An-2-100

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Propulsion

Taking into account the fact that the main drawback of helicopters Mi-2 is low reliability and insufficient power of the engines, nowadays MOTOR SICH JSC develops and implements the program of overhauling and upgrading the Mi-2 helicopters into the MSB-2 helicopters with replacement of engines GTD-350 by modern and efficient engines AI-450M featuring the takeoff power of 465 h.p. The above upgrading will significantly improve the helicopter performances. Thus, it is expected that the MSB-2 helicopter (as compared with the Mi-2) will ensure: - economy of fuel flow rate by more than 30 %; - increase of static and dynamic ceiling; - improvement of efficiency of the helicopter operation in hot-climate and mountainous conditions.

At the same time the work is under way with respect to the AI-450S and AI-450S-2 turboprop versions featuring the takeoff power of 400 and 750 h.p. and used for general aviation aircraft and trainers.

At present the bench tests of the AI-450S engine have been started and three engines for flight tests are almost manufactured.

In April, 2013, at the International Special Air Show AERO Friedrichshafen (Germany) the AI-450S engine mockup was exhibited as a part of DA-50 TURBINE 5-seater single engine aircraft mockup made by world-famous Austrian company - DIAMOND AI. The AI-450S-2 engine is used for installing in the Czech twin-engine multipurpose aircraft EV-55.

Taking into account the changes in the world helicopter market, our Company performs the work aimed at building the family of turboshaft engines of a new generation – MS-500V for the takeoff power class of 600 to 1000 h.p. used for

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powering the helicopters of different application featuring the takeoff weight of 3.5 to 6 tons.

The experts estimate that due to its versatility the market sector of the helicopters of this class will be one of the most perspective in the coming years. The basic engine of this family is MS-500V-01 featuring the takeoff weight of 810 h.p.

It may be used as the basis for building other versions featuring the takeoff weight from 630 h.p. (engine MS-500V) to 950 h.p. (engine MS-500V-02).

The biggest helicopter engine manufactured by MOTOR SICH JSC is the D-136 engine ensuring the maximum takeoff power of 11400 h.p. (at tamb=15°С). It has no competitors with respect to this parameter and economical efficiency as well.

The D-136 engine is operated in the most weight-lifting helicopters Mi-26 and their versions. Fourteen world records were made with these helicopters. Several helicopters of this type are successfully operated in the People’s Republic of China.

The designers of SE “Ivchenko-Progress” developed the program of upgrading the D-136 engine, which will be implemented together with MOTOR SICH JSC. A new engine was named the D-136-2 engine and ensures the maximum takeoff power of 11500 h.p. maintained to tamb = 50 С.

The contingency power of 14500 h.p. was also introduced. The D-136-2 engine is used for operating in upgraded helicopter Mi-26T2.

Our new turboprop engine MS-14 is used for remotorizing the aviation veteran – the Аn-2 aircraft, and also may be installed in other aircraft of the similar class.

Nowadays the engine passed 150-hour plant tests and is presented to the commission of the Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation Committee.

The engine certification is at the final stage. SE “Antonov” started the flight and design tests of the An-2-100

equipped with engine MS-14.

Their first results clearly demonstrate that the new engine will significantly improve the performance and operating characteristics of the aircraft. It encourages that this remotorization project will be of great interest for many Operators of the Аn-2 aircraft, including the Chinese ones, because the People’s Republic of China operates several thousands of the aircraft manufactured under the license of the Аn-2 aircraft and named Y-5.

Nowadays the activity of MOTOR SICH JSC completely meets the criteria of the modern world market. The strategy of the Company activity is aimed at increasing the volumes of production and sales of products, mastering the mass production of new perspective articles, expanding the product sales markets, getting the maximum profit from all activities.

MOTOR SICH JSC 15, Motorostroiteley Av. Zaporozhye 69068 Ukraine Tel.: (+38061) 720-48-14 Fax: (+38061) 720-50-05 E-mail: eo.vtf@motorsich.com http//www.motorsich.com

Military-tecnical cooperation

RUSSIA’ LARGEST LESSOR AIMS HIGH Ilyushin Finance Company (IFC) has won the approval of its shareholders and governmental bodies for recently signed deals on 50 Irkut МС-21s, 32 Bombardier CSeries and 20 Sukhoi Superjet 100s.

“All three programs have been approved,” IFC general manager

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and co-owner Alexander Roubtsov told us. Touching on the financial package for the CSeries, he said that 85 percent of the required capital would come from Canada’s Development Bank (CDB) and the remainder from IFC’s own resources.

“CDB gives us 12-year credit on

good terms,” he said. “We will also be using our own and hired capital to fund the CSeries deal.” Deliveries will commence in the third quarter of 2015 and cover two to three aircraft by year-end, followed by an annual rate of nine to 10 units in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Military-tecnical cooperation

Roubtsov is happy about IFC’s experience with the Antonov An-158 hundred-seat jets placed at Cubana de Aviacion. The first airplane was delivered in May, the second is due about MAKS'2013 time (this airframe has flown already) and third in September this year. IFC ordered twenty An-158s from Antonov, with Cubana de Aviacion being the first airline to accept this type into revenue service.

The modern An-158, designed and built in the Ukraine, replaced the outdated Yakovlev-42D trijets on domestic services from Havana to Santiago-de-Cuba and Guantanamo. “The Cuban pilots are very happy and so are the passengers,” he said. “Fuel-burn average is 1.8 tons per hour, which is rather good for a hundred-seater. Although there were some technical issues, the airplane shows itself well. The customer is considering turning an option for three more aircraft into a firm order at MAKS'2013.” When the fleet reaches its full strength of six units, Cubana de Aviacion plans to place its An-158s in international service.

The Russian MoD contract for 15 An-148 68-seat regional jets placed earlier this summer will help VASO plant gear up production of this promising type. “This is indeed a big development. IFC hopes that we will also benefit from An-148 production ramp A I R

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up, as many Russian airlines want us to supply them with such airplanes”, Roubtsov said. With substantial MoD and commercial orders combined, VASO has a firm footing for establishing a cost-efficient production, turning this project into a profitable one, which is important for success on the commercial market. “Now they have sufficient orders to develop their manufacturing facilities on the way of mastering modern technologies and streamlining production”, the interviewee carried on. Although the MoD

order is now the top priority for VASO, IFC leader says that later this year the lessor will take a pair of An-148s destined for Angara airline, which already operates three such machines “before MoD starts to get their airplanes”. IFC holds a framework order for 34 An-148s, nine of which have already been delivered and placed with Rossiya and Angara airlines.

One more recent achievement for IFC has been the placing of two Tupolev Tu-204-100C freighters with Russia’s second largest airline Transaero. Both

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Military-tecnical cooperation

AS WE WENT TO PRESS As we were going to the printers, a news came. Concerned with a low solvent demand for Russian-made airliners, even among local carriers, the Russian government has made a new move. At the initiative of vice premier (deputy prime minister) Dmitry Rogozin, a special working group has been established with the task to initiate a dialogue between airlines, banks and manufacturers. The decision was made during a meeting on development prospects for the Russian aviation industry development. It was chaired by Rogozin. According to him, the Kremlin has set a goal to ramp up production of indigenous aircraft for the civil aviation market.

“Renewal of the civil aviation fleet and its numerical increase are becoming increasingly important”, he stated. Since 2008 the local carriers acquired about six hundred foreign-made airlines and only 59 indigenous. Local designs account for merely 7% of the national airliner fleet, and they contribution to the traffic generated is less than 4%. Rogozin is unhappy about these facts. The newly established working group shall look at ways of recovery for the local manufacturing and to coordinate efforts of various players involved in the process. Under Rogozin’s initiative, the group will be led by Alexander Roubtsov, general director at the Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC). The choice is explained by the fact that Roubtsov is a successful and prominent businessman, whereas “the vice-premier did not want to see a government official in that position”, according to those who attended the aforementioned meeting.

In an interview with the Russian media, Roubtsov said that he has set before the group members the task of working out proposals that would stimulate solvent demand from the side of the airlines to the product of the local manufacturers. A first step would be “to establish a dialogue between the financial institutions, carriers and manufacturers”, he said. Among the working group members there are representatives from Aeroflot, Transaero, UTair, Red Wings and other prominent local carriers, as well United Aircraft Corporation and a few banks.

Speaking to journalists after the event in the government, general director at UTair, Andrey Martirosov said that “what happened was a quality change; the government and the aircraft makers finally recognized the local carriers as clients, and not foes”. The most important thing for near future is to “restore mutual trust” between the makers and users of jetliners. Martirosov further stated that, by his reckoning, the industry should discontinue “some unrealistic projects” and instead focus on the Superjet and MC-21 which he attributed to potentially successful programs.

In an interview with the media, Roubtsov said the working group will soon be filing with the Russian government a list of measures that need to be done to stimulate solvent demand in Russian-made products – such that would find understanding and support from the side of the financial and airline communities. He made a point that both local and foreign airlines should be targeted, and these shall be offered attractive terms for fleet renewal programs. Another task is to put together a list of measures that would encourage aircraft makers to constantly improve their products for the sake of better competitiveness in the global marketplace. Roubtsov said that his team had already filed some proposals before the governmental meeting, which apparently found some understanding in the government.

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machines, long standing without a customer at the Aviastar plant in Ulianovsk, are now in operation. “The airline which used to be passenger only, is using these Tu-204-100Cs to make way into the cargo business, and early experience has been rather optimistic”, Roubtsov commented.

At the Paris air show IFC signed a pre-contract agreement with Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company which sets main parameters of the future contract to be concluded at MAKS2013. It calls for deliveries to start in the fourth quarter of 2015. Besides, Perm Engine Company and IFC have signed a contract for delivery of PS-90A1 engines for Il-96-400 quads.

On the theme of Le Bourget, Roubtsov adds: "We used the air show for promoting a wide range of our products, including the ones ordered lately.

First of all this refers to MC-21, Bombardier CSeries and Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft. We have also promoted our traditional products, the An-148 and the An-158. We have also held a number of important meetings with banks and other financial structures and reached some agreements in the area of financing for our aircraft acquisitions. This is to do with the Mc21, C Series, Sukhoi Superjet 100 and An-148/158 aircraft".

We asked the interviewee if he had an opportunity to inspect some interesting aircraft present at Le Bourget? He answered: "I had an opportunity to have a look at Sukhoi Superjet 100.

President of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Mikhail Pogosyan invited me. I gladly accepted this kind offer.

Pogosyan himself showed me the airplane, which happened to be the very first SSJ100 to be delivered to Interjet.

I liked the interior made by Pininfarina S.p.A. It is definitely a high-quality product. I think that the demonstration of the aircraft purchased by the Mexican carrier and outfitted with an Italian interior should give a strong boost to the Superjet sales campaign".

The An-158 in Antonov corporate

Military-tecnical cooperation

colors was parked few meters away from the Superjet. During the show Roubtsov paid many visits to this airplane. "We have demonstrated the jet to our potential customers". These included some people from Australia representing local carriers operating outdated western types. They consider the possibility of replacing those with a newer suitable design that would fit in well into their existing route network.

"The An-148/158 aircraft may be operated from unpaved runways; this is a very important advantage in the eye of Australian carriers", Roubtsov commented.

Sadly, he was already gone back home when the newest wide body jet made fly past over Le Bourget. This happened at the end of the show, during one of the public days. Touching on the A350 XWB, Roubtsov calls this airplane “a very interesting, very promising design with many new most advanced technologies implemented”.

He further says that: “I do not rule out a situation in which we will be taking such planes from Airbus. It is interesting to us as being very close by technological level to the MC-21 and CSeries A I R

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already in our order portfolio. All of these three new designs feature superb wing made of composite materials and engines with super-high bypass ratio for better fuel burn. When times comes to extending our order portfolio, we will consider this fabulous airplane”.

In the short term IFC team will be focusing on cost and time efficient materialization of the already finalized deals with Russian, Ukrainian and Canadian manufacturers. “We’ve signed for quite a large number of aircraft. The recent approval for 82 aircraft and the coming one for 20 Superjets is another milestone in growing our business”, Roubsov concluded.

During the show, Roubtsov was seen in the company of the CEO of Bombardier Inc., Pierre Beaudoin. The pair discussed the implementation of the contract for delivery of CSeries aircraft signed earlier and further development of mutually fruitful cooperation between Russian and Canadian enterprises. "I told Pierre Beaudoin that our shareholders and United Aircraft Corporations' executive board members gave their approval for the CSeries deal on 32 aircraft". Deliveries

shall commence in the third quarter of 2015. "We plan to take delivery of two or three airplanes in 2015 and then proceed with the rate of 9 to 10 units annually during the period of 2016 to 2018 inclusive", Roubtsov added.

He was also spotted talking to the leaders of S7 Airlines, one of the Russia’s largest carriers earlier known as Sibir or Siberia. "They always take an interest in the latest produces from the global aerospace industry, and visit every worthwhile exhibition to see the new wares and talk to their manufacturers", Roubtsov comments. The Filevs, Vladislav and Natalya, paid a visit to IFC chalet at Le Bourget. "We made presentation of the wares we have in portfolio with a hope to spark up their interest: the Superjet, MC-21 and An-158. They say they would compare our proposals with those from competing structures. Many companies are dreaming of having S7 Airlines among their customers. Vladislav and Natalya have always kept an eye on the latest technology and aircraft. They are interested in purchasing new efficient vehicles. We hope that they will cooperate with us in the future".

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Markets

LEAHY:

A350 SELLS ITSELF

During the show Airbus signed contracts and agreements for 68.7 billion US dollars covering 466 new jetliners. The figure breaks up into 88 A320ceo, 283 A320neo, 6 A330, 59 A350-900, 10 A350-1000 and 20 A380 aircraft. There were 241 firm orders worth 39.3 billion dollars and 225 commitments worth 29.4 billion dollars. The A350 XWB won 69 new orders from four buyers, worth 21.4 billion dollars. Among other

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factors fuelling sales, there was the impact of the successful start of the A350 XWB flight-test campaign.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the successful completion of A350 XWB maiden flight on 14 June 2013, John Leahy, Airbus chief operating officer - customers and chief commercial officer, said: “This airplane, in the last five years, has outsold its competitor - and we all know that the one is the 787 - like four to one”.

Answering a question whether it was hard to sell the A350 in these past five years, Leahy answered: “I do very much enjoy selling this airplane because this airplane sells itself, and so I have a very easy job”. He noted that the first flight event in Toulouse Blagnac airport attracted many people, with some top airline executives among them. “I did not have to do any sales campaign – the airplane has sold itself. More than six hundred

Markets

orders before the first flight!” Leahy expects many more new customers to be signing for the A350 after having seen the airplane in the air, performing well.

He carried on with saying: "What is important to me is that we flew the airplane before the air show [at Le Bourget]. Despite some of the naysayers out there in the industry we did it! And I was just taking to the pilot (Peter Chandler, the A350 XWB crew commander on the maiden flight]) a few minutes ago and he said it was beautiful as it went through the flight envelope, he was very happy about it."

Watching the A350 XWB's first flight from the outside, Leahy insisted on the following. "It was just about a perfect test flight of a brand new aircraft type. You saw the takeoff, but did you hear the takeoff? It was

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so quiet that you could not probably hear it. Some people even thought it was an all-electric airplane, because it was so quiet. It did a four-hour test-flight, not just around the barrier, four hours up in the air! Exploring the flight envelope, going to 80 percent of the speed of sound, going to slow flight. Prior to landing, the pilots did a slow past over the runway at a thousand feet and then came in and landed. This is a game-changing airplane. It is really what the market wants. It flies further than today’s airplanes. It has bigger seats, wider aisles, it has a brand new, highly-appealing flight entertainment system. It has a greater all-round efficiency. But it is also environmentally friendly."

Asked whether the A350 XWB could compete with the Boeing 777X now in development, Leahy said: "It is an all-new airplane and no longer a paper airplane. Just as we started out with [the original] A350, we said that we would use a proven fuselage of the A330. We said we’d carve out the inside by about four to five inches, we’d put a composite wing on it and a new engine. But what we left out was the folding wings [actually wingtips, a feature that Boeing patented in 1995 and may be included on the

777X]. But it did not work. Because a clean sheet of paper airplane like the 787 was able to beat it. That is exactly what the 777X is going to face. This a clean sheet of paper airplane. The 777X is a modification of an airplane that was designed and certified in 1995, and it will not be able to compete."

At the same time, Leahy believes the old-serving A330 still has much longevity in it, and is able to compete with the newer Boeing 787-10. “Boeing has to compete on price. Because you’ve got to look at the economics.

This is what we call the A330 challenge. It is about the capital cost. This airplane [A350] and the 787 are substantially more expensive than the A330s. And the A330 has more than 99% dispatch reliability… When you put the capital cost in, you will have a lower seat mile cost than the 787”.

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Interview

AIR BALTIC: CSERIES FITS IN WELL Q. Why did your airline select the Bombardier C Series for fleet renewal?

We have selected the CS300 because we had to find a replacement for our existing Boeing 737-500 Classics fleet.

The selection was between Boeing, Airbus and Bombardier designs. By far, the C Series is the most economic aircraft at the time available. We are talking about 2015 and 1016, and at that time this

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aircraft is the most efficient aircraft to replace our 737s. So, it is mainly the fuel efficiency that has driven our choice.

During the Bombardier press briefing at the Paris air show 2013 one of the invited airline CEOs spoke about a 30-million-dollar saving annually in the case the existing jet fleet would get replaced overnight by the C Series‌ It was me! During the Bombardier press briefing at the Paris air show

2013, I spoke and said the following.

If we could replace our existing fleet tomorrow, and put the C Series aircraft in, we could save about thirty million dollar per year. It is for the jet fleet, if we would take the C Series in, and take 737 Classics out. The higher fuel efficiency of the C Series would contribute much in the aforementioned cost reduction, that would be about thirty million dollar per year.

Interview

Q. In addition to the C Series selection, Air Baltic also operates Q series turboprops from Bombardier. Why so?

The Q Series is separate. The airplane here (Le Bourget 2013) on display in our livery is a brand new aircraft. All aircraft of the type that we have now – they are all new. This year we are getting another four. The one that sits outside is number 3; two we have already. Airplanes number 3 and 4 are joining in our fleet in August. And then we’ll have twelve aircraft, thus growing the Q400 NextGen fleet by 50% compared to what we had last summer. These airplanes are surely very fuel efficient because the Q400 is a turboprop aircraft. We are very happy with them, but they can go up to only 76 seats. We need something different to supplement these turboprops.

Especially for the routes to Moscow and St. Petersburg we need a higher capacity aircraft to operate these routes. The C Series fits in well.

Q. What can you say about the traffic between Riga and Russian destinations?

The traffic into Russia from Riga grows.

That’s for sure. This summer, we stepped up Riga- Moscow Domodedovo frequencies from seven to ten weekly, and we offer four daily frequencies out of Moscow Sheremetyevo together with our partners. Russian traffic is growing in general. More and more Russian carriers are serving Riga; their traffic figures have also been growing. Right now we serve only Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kaliningrad and do not fly to other destinations in Russia. I think we could do one more city. That is a subject of agreement between the two countries: whenever we open more routes, we have to invite other carriers to come. Generally speaking, we are interested in expanding our flights into Russia.

Q. Why do you fly to St. Petersburg?

Is it a worthwhile destination for Air Baltic?

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St. Petersburg for us is important from the viewpoint of history. For flights originating in Riga, both St. Petersburg and Moscow are very good hubs.

There is a lot of regular traffic [generated]. Both of these routes work out for us very well. Today, we use mainly the Boeing 737, models -300 and -500, on these services. We plan to put there the C Series aircraft, which is the most modern aircraft in the given size available in 2015.

Q. I was in Riga sometime ago, for conference arranged by Air Baltic. The point for discussion was how to make Riga a big hub in the Baltic. Has this idea materialized?

I think you were in Riga when my predecessor, and the previous management, were in place. Since I came there, we have been focused on restructuring the airline, bringing it into a proper condition. The airline is working very well now. As per the Riga hub: we still have 50% of our traffic being point to point. But 50% is transfer traffic. And we will develop so that every new route will be a 50%-plus point to point traffic.

So, this [idea] has been progressing well. And Riga as a hub in the Baltic works for us very well also.

Q. Do you feel competition coming from the trains?

We do not feel that competition. For sure some people are taking trains.

But flight time is shorter, at about 50 minutes for Riga to Moscow. You cannot beat this with trains. Admittedly, there are some people who take trains, especially if they carry more bags and other luggage items with them. But that does not produce an effect on us. You can see that not only Air Baltic, but also Aeroflot and other carriers have been increasing capacity year on year. So I feel that the traffic on the routes between Riga and Russian destinations will grow, grow and grow.

Q. Your airline is Air Baltic – and this presumes the airline is meant to serve all Baltic states. What is your plan for these states?

We want to maintain our position as being Number One carrier in the Baltic states. We want to give a very good feed to the Baltic states from all directions, not only Russia. Besides, we want to expand in future in all directions, and we’d love to expand into Russia, definitely. Naturally, we are looking for partnerships like the strong partnership we have with Aeroflot today on the Moscow route. We have it with Air France on Paris; and we service CIS and Scandinavia. This is something we want to build on.

Q. What is your longest route? Will you open longer routes following introduction of the C Series?

Our longest route is, I think, the service to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan.

With the C Series we can fly 2.5 thousand miles non-stop with a full payload, and hence with, we can fly any route in our network nonstop! We could even fly Riga – Dubai with this new airplane.

We can go to Tashkent also.

Q. Air Baltic is said to be a customer for higher-capacity variant of the CS300. Do you take its stretched version? Do you take the CS100 as well?

We only take the CS300, which is the bigger one in the aircraft family with passenger capacity up to 160 seats. There is also the CS100 with 125 seats, but we do not take that one.

The extended [stretched] version of the CS300 is not available yet. Normally, the CS300 has 148 seats [factory’s standard] and our contract is for the 148-seat version, but we can at any time change our mind and switch to 160 seats in that same aircraft, and this is something we keep an eye on.

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Airlines

ILFC: SOME AIRLINES WILL FAIL Interview with Henri Courpron, chief executive officer, ILFC, June 17, Paris air show 2013.

ILFC, a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group and one of the world’s largest aircraft lessors with about a thousand airplanes among its assets, preaches diversification in terms of aircraft and engine purchases, geographical distribution of its fleet and in the forms of leasing and financial programs it employs.

Its Airbus A320 orders, which number 769 following additions at the Paris air show 2013, reflect the company’s philosophy.

Q. Where are you going to place the newly acquired airplanes (50 A320neos taken on the top of 100 such airplanes ordered earlier)?

We have [some] two hundred customers in over eighty countries around the world.

So, the geographic location is something we control. We try to remain diversified because this is in our best interests not to place all of our assets with same airline customers. No doubt, we will place the newly acquired airplanes in Europe. We will also place them in China: we are the largest lessor in China today and so we

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expect that some of our newly ordered airplanes will find their way there. We are happy to have recently announced our deal with Spirit airline in the US. As I just told you, we are going to be spread and that's why geographic diversification is very important to us.

will be with Pratt&Whitney engines and the rest of forty with LEAP-X. We are yet to make an announcement on the engine selection for the additional 50 neos. Deliveries will take place starting in 2015 (EIS in October 2015), and the last of these aircraft will come in 2020.

John Leahy of Airbus adds. "We have three assembly lines for the A320 family: Toulouse and Hamburg in Europe, Tianjin in China. There will be fourth one in Alabama. Some of the aircraft on the ILFC contract will come out of the Alabama assembly line. First US-made Airbus is likely to go to ILFC. As an early customer for the A320neo, ILFC (which is also a largest lessor for the present time) has some early slots".

Q. You said ILFC is the largest lessor in China. But you are also the largest lessor in Russia...

Q. What can you say about engine choice and delivery schedule?

One good thing about the A320neo is that it has a choice of engines. When we placed our first order for 100 such aircraft, we announced that sixty of these airplanes

We have been very successful in Russia.

We enjoy a very good relationship with a lot of Russian carriers. Russia has been a very fast growing market for us, and we are very happy with it.

Q. May some of the newly procured A320neos end up in Russia?

I hope so. You know, these are very valuable delivery positions because we had placed our order early as the launch customer. So, we know that our delivery positions will be very attractive to airlines all over the world, including Russia.

Airlines

Q. ILFC takes early A320neos from Airbus. Sometimes we hear that early airplanes are not mature enough. Does not this worry you a bit?

Sometimes it happens. But please keep in mind that the A320neo is not an all-new airplane. We have been very happy with the A320 family aircraft. Thousands of the family airplanes have been flying all over the world. So we are very confident that the entry into service for the A320neo will be very smooth.

Q. Will there be a time in future when ILFC be considering Russian-made airplanes?

ers, and American customers so that there will be a broad marketplace where we can deploy our fleet. We cannot have a business to place a niche aircraft for a very specific market because this is not our business model. It can be very good aircraft but not good enough for leasing company like ours.

mercial aviation. We are willing to take that risk. But this risk needs to be mitigated by very responsive system behind it. When the airline fails, we can get our airplanes back and move them to a next customer.

In India, we have over 25 aircraft. At the moment we want to see how the Kingfisher case is going to be finished.

Q. Sometimes airlines order airplanes themselves and then have them transferred to leasing companies. Does ILFC use this practice?

BOX: A great week in Paris This interview was taken on the opening day of the show, before ILFC signed more deals there. Next day, 18 June) the lessor announced it had signed for CFM International Leap-1A engines to power a further 20 Airbus A320neo jetliners. The new order is valued at 510 million US dollars. This brought the total backlog to 60 shipsets. Later on, ILFC head and Pratt & Whitney president David Hess had two new order announcements. The first involved further IFLC orders for the A320neo. It added shipsets for 30 additional airliners (60 engines) for a total of 180 P&W PurePower PW1100G-JM engines on order.

The executives also announced a letter of intent that would have Pratt & Whitney supplying up to 200PW1900Gs for 100 Embraer E-Jets E2s. The lessor also revealed that Aerolineas Argentinas has agreed to lease four Airbus A330-200s from ILFC. Summarizing, Courpron said: “It’s been a great week. We have confirmed orders for 150 A320neos. We’re putting our money where our mouth is with Pratt & Whitney.” He added that the decision to sign the LOI with Embraer was influenced by the airframer’s decision to choose the PW1900G.

Why not? We are always keeping abreast of what the market offers. It is very important. We talk to the airlines all the time. So, we will order airplanes which we believe the customers want to fly and the airlines want to fly. I think we expect the new Russian airplanes to be sold and to be ordered by airlines before we order them ourselves.

It is called "sale and leaseback". We use this practice. We believe that the way in the future is a mix... between orders from Airbus like today's on the A320neos, when we do not know where the airplanes will go yet. This is part of our business when we place a speculative order, and also buy airplanes from airlines and provide financing to the airlines like we announced recently with American Airlines, for example: we have done a sale and leaseback deal on 737-800s. The balance between the two is important to us.

Q. What are your expectations and the main requirements to the airplanes from the new market players?

Q. What can you say about certain Indian airlines not respecting contracts with ILFC?

I think the main requirement for any manufacturer is that they demonstrate that they can sell and support the product - the airplanes - around the world. It is not enough to convince ILFC and not enough to give us a good deal. You need to be able to demonstrate that you will have Chinese customers, and European custom-

We want to have flexibility. First of all, we want to do business with those people who respect the contracts. As a business model, the aircraft lessors need to be able to take back their aircraft when something goes wrong. We understand that it is difficult for airlines to stay afloat and some airlines will fail. That's part of life in com-

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Vendors

WE CAN BRING DOWN EVERYTHING THAT FLIES

Speaking to the media at MAKS’2005, Alexander Lemansky, who at the time led development of the S-400 Triumph SAM (surface to air missile [system]), said: “We can bring down everything that flies here”. He indeed meant “everything”. But Lemansky’s colleagues hastily tried to downplay the importance of the statement so as limit it to the US Air Force aircraft present at the show, including B-1B and B-52 bombers, F-15 and F-16 tactical fighters.

The Soviet Union and Russia invested heavily into air defense technologies and equipment. They have made more launches of air defense missiles than all other countries combined. It shall make no surprise therefore, that Russia is today the preferable supplier of air defense means in the global market. Whenever

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a small nation starts thinking of new antiaircraft weapons, it turns attention to Russian-made systems. If not to buy them, then to compare with what it can buy from political and financial point of view.

Rosoboronexport is the only authorized supplier of Russian-made weapons to foreign customers. Share of air defense systems (excluding manned interceptor aircraft) in Rosoboronexport's deliveries (worth over US$14 billion in 2012) has been fluctuating between 10 and 20%. It sometimes peaked at 25%. Most OEMs, however, hold licenses for in-service support and upgrade of earlier delivered products; their income from that kind of services has been growing year-on-year.

Answering journalists' questions on most popular and promising products for foreseeable future, Rosoboronexport's

top managers say the number of requests for S400 long range SAM, if turned into firm orders, would help load the production line “through to 2021". The Pantsyr leads sales of short range systems. Interest in the medium-range Buk has grown after the M2E variant on the wheeled chassis became available. Successful completion of state acceptance trials on the M3 version shall support sales well into this century.

ALMAZ – ANTEY By establishing, in 2002, the Jointstock Company “Concern “Almaz – Antey” as a 100% government-owned structure, Vladimir Putin put an end of the post-Soviet practice of "unhealthy competition" between dozens of independent OEMs specialized in air defense systems

Vendors

and their components. With nearly fifty enterprises on the list, the merger has workforce of nearly hundred thousand and yearly revenues Rouble 130 billion (over US$4billion) in 2010 and 2011.

Backlog and exact financial figures are not made public on secrecy grounds.

General director Vladislav Menshikov said in 2006 that the foreign orders accounted for 70% of the concern's income (and that their backlog was about US$6billion), state defense order 20% and civil production 10%. Most recently the local orders have increased considerably and by some estimates outgrew export. Almaz – Antey annual report 2011 says the state defense order was 4.6 times more than in 2010.

Almaz – Antey says its systems are in service with 55 countries round the world.

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Half of them have contract relations with the OEM. The annual report 2011 mentions ongoing construction of new plants in Nizhny Novgorod and Kirov for production of new missile systems now in development and testing (our guess is that, at least partly, the decision to expand manufacturing capacity is to meet the big solvent demand for S400).

The document also says that "technical design of the 5th gen SAM" [read S500] was finalized. State acceptance trials proceeded on 40N6 [a long-range missile for the S400]. Besides, the report touches on tests and development nearing completion in frame of a modernization program on the Land Force's SAM [probably relating to the Buk M3]. The document also mentions follow-on contracts for S400 deliveries and work on implementa-

tion of earlier placed orders for S300V4, about manufacture of 9M96D initial batch for trials [S300V4-related items], ongoing state acceptance trials on the 9K317M [missile for Shtil 1.1], initial trials on 9K331M (9M338K) [short range missiles], ongoing work on the 50N6A (50R6) and 55R6 [believed to be components of the S400 and S500 systems].

It is interesting to note that, despite its name and mission, Almaz – Antey is not completely focusing on the air defense.

It also produces airborne and warship radars as well as cruise missiles including the Club system developed by the concern's member Novator. On the other hand, air defense systems are produced by companies outside of Almaz – Antey corporate structure. Kolomna-based KBP is responsible for the Pantsyr, Tunguska

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leader in air defense technologies and equipment.

One of the outcomes has been the following. If we take all bombs dropped during the jet era, we may discover that most of them were dropped by aircraft made in the US and Western Europe. At the same time, if we image all the air defense missiles fired against those bombers, we may find that the lion share of them originated in the Soviet Union and Russia.

and Igla short range antiaircraft systems; Nudelman's design house is a specialist in short-range antiaircraft missiles. On the global market some competition (chiefly on support and modernization of inservice SAMs) is provided by companies from Ukraine, Belarus, Israel, Poland, Kazakhstan etc.

A HISTORY TOUR A tour into history may help the reader better understand why the Russian air defense solutions are so effective and popular. It can also provide some guidance to the product line of Almaz – Antey and other Russian OEMs. Wars of the past have largely determined attitude of various nations to the matters of national defense. Naturally, these matters are understood differently round the globe. For some countries, those are primarily about having a strong navy able to go long distances and fight the enemy far from the homeland's coastline, or about sending airplanes to bomb the hostile forces wherever those are found.

The Russian thinking is different.

Throughout the past century the Russians often found themselves protecting (or preparing to protect) their army, lands, cities, towns, villages and bases from air

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raids of intruding aircraft. This attitude is rooted in WW1, when Germany enjoyed numerical and technological advantage in the warplanes; and more so in 19411943, when Luftwaffe hold air superiority over the VVS (Russia’s air force) and delivered numerous devastating strikes.

The Cold War saw the US forces and these of its allies having encircled the Soviet Union with their forward air bases and carrier-led naval task groups. Since 1960 even China was unfriendly either.

Hence with, there was a constant threat of aerial strikers from almost all directions.

This further motivated the Russian military and engineers to continue searching for more efficient means of protection of their large homeland from hostile airplanes, missiles and drones.

Wars in Vietnam, Middle East and Africa put to tests the Soviet air defense solutions and helped improve them further.

More recently, the Russian-made antiaircraft systems have been used in anger in a number of local wars, just to mention those in Iraq, Yugoslavia and Libya. The huge experience the Russians have had with use of their antiaircraft means against intruding airplanes in the skies over their home country and allies, and the big investments into national defense made through a century makes Russia world's

PVO PVO, Russian acronym for Antiaircraft defense, appeared in 1914 with the issue of "Instruction for ski-floating in the area of the Sixth Army� in which the higher command demanded to unite efforts of pilots and troops (including a battery of three-inch-caliber naval cannons put ashore and prepared to fire at would-be air intruders) in defense of St. Petersburg.

The Soviet Union entered WW2 with 182-thousand-strong PVO troops and ten radars. Most heavily protected cities were Moscow, St. Petersburg and Baku. The capital city's PVO had 600 interceptor aircraft, thousand cannons, 336 machine guns, 600 light projectors, 124 barrage balloons and 700 air alert pots.

Tested in 1939-1940, the indigenously developed experimental radars Redut-40 and RUS-1 provided base for RUS-2 Redut and RUS-2S Pegmatit. These went into numerical production: 463 sets were produced before WW2 ended (and up to a thousand, counting in radio-raging devices). Airborne Gneis-2 appeared in 1942 on the Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers converted into night interceptors during the battle of Stalingrad. Their preys joined 7313 Axis aircraft downed by the PVO troops in that war.

The Cold War started in a time when air forces were reequipping with subsonic, and then supersonic jets able to fly at higher altitudes, up to some 20km. At the same time, rapidly developing rocket and automatic control technologies led to the advent of the guided missile. Its antiaircraft variant was soon recognized as the best means to intercept hostile bombers and reconnaissance airplanes.

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PVO began mastering guided missiles in 1952. The S25 Berkut was accepted into service in 1955, followed by S75 Dvina in 1957 and S125 Neva in 1961.

Since then SAMs have been the major threat for USAF. May 1960 shoot-down of the Lockheed U-2 spy plane by a V750 missile of the S75 system grabbed much public attention. Pilot Francis Gary Powers was captured, brought to court and sentenced for violation of Soviet airspace and espionage. Since then Powers belongings and remains of his U-2 wreckage has been on public display in the Central Soviet Army museum in the center of Moscow.

The war in Vietnam (1964-1972) saw massive use of Russian-made SAMs against USAF jets; losses per a thousand sorties rose from 9 in WW2 to 27.

Vietnamese air defenses were modeled on the Soviet PVO. According to Russian sources, in 1967 SAMs downed 397 aerial targets over North Vietnam, and 376 in 1972.

A large-scale conflict between roughly matching opposing forces equipped with jet fighters and SAM broke out in the October 1973. Arabian forces downed 200 enemy aircraft (Israel acknowledges 102 losses) in return for 27 SAM complexes damaged beyond repair. Syria

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had 11 S75 (Volga and Dvina versions), 12 S125 Pechora and 15 Kvadrat battalions, which demonstrated the following effectiveness: one downed airplane averaged for 3.4 missiles fired by S75, 4.1

by Pechora, 1.5 by Kvadrat. Egypt had 42 S75, 32 S75MK, 64 S125 and 10 Kvadrat battalions. Egypt's figures were respectively 4/11 by Dvina/Desna and 8/2.8 by Pechora and Kvadrat.

For dozens of years the PVO was a separate service of the Soviet Armed Forces, operating thousands of interceptor aircraft, SAMs and radars. In 1997 PVO lost its independence and became a part of the Russian Air Force. In 2006, however, the Kremlin thinkers came up with the idea of VKO, abbreviation for Air Space Defense.

projects in that area dated back to the early 1960s. That time an intermediate range R-12 ballistic missile was considered in antimissile role, fitted with a nuclear or a fragmentation warhead.

The work on Moscow’s first missile defense system began in earnest in the middle of the 1960s. The TsNPO Vympel of the MRP [Ministry of Radio Industry] developed the A-35M that came on combat duty in 1979. The system provided a capability to intercept a single ballistic missile from some directions and up to six Pershing 2 type intermediate-range missiles. The follow-on system, called the A-135, was to provide protection from a strike of 1-2 modern and prospective ICBMs and up to 35 Pershing 2s. The A-135 system includes a new acquisition and tracking radar, Don-2N (near MOSCOW MISSILE DEFENSE Pushkino-Sofrino).

It must be noted that, in addition to PVO, In accordance with the Decision of the Soviet Union also had an antimissile the Central Committee and the Council component in the Space Forces. The latter of Ministers of 15 July 1985, the work was tasked with interception of ballistic commenced on a more advanced version, missiles approaching Moscow. This threat the A-235. It was able to intercept 8-12 was very much real in a case of war with complex ballistic targets and up to 40 the United States. It was estimated that Pershing 2s. The system was subjected in 1968 the US war plan assigned 66 to tests in 1995. Most of the work on the warheads to suppression of the Russian A-135 was complete on time, but the tests antimissile defense system, not yet fully of the system conducted from March to combat ready at the time. One of the first October 1987, showed that it needed some serious improvements. The Ministry of Defense did not accept the system for service and returned it to the industry.

Tests resumed in 1989. The A-135 went on combat duty in the middle of 1990s.

The idea of an upgrade of the in-service

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us closer to the idea�. Confirming that the A135 was on duty, Mikhailov said that this space interceptor system could interact with the S400 as an integrated complex. Next step is development of the S500 mobile multichannel versatile longrange system capable of intercepting ballistic targets at high altitudes.

A-135 has been around for quite awhile, with intent to boost the capability of the Moscow missiles defense. There is some information in the western media that Russia has recently taken off the shelf some Soviet-time projects. For instance, the A-235 is intended to provide defense of Moscow and surrounding industrial area.

According to the Izvestia newspaper, testing of the A-235 Samolyot-M missile defense system is expected to start this year. Unlike the current A-135 that relies on nuclear intercept, the A-235 will have an interceptor with a hit-to-kill capability.

Another interesting report says about a short-range interceptor (53T6) going to tests in 2011.

In addition to the bigger antimissiles, the Russians also worked on short-range intercept systems, including the S-550 and Sambo. There were intended for protection of single highly valuable objects. According to western media, the S-550 was a terminal defense system with a traditional fast interceptor. It would protect key command and control facilities as well as Moscow city. This system was associated with the Flat Twin (5K17) radar. It is likely that the S-550 project was frozen after breakup of the Soviet

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Union. The Sambo was mentioned in the media as “an active defense of missile silos and command facilities." It was based on the idea of shooting metal rods at the incoming warhead causing it to detonate prematurely. This system is also likely to have been cancelled. There is a couple more silo protection system mentioned in the western media, the Mozyr and Aktiv.

Very little is known about them.

By the middle of the first decade of the new century, it became apparent that the national antimissile defense system needs some modernization. The Kremlin has taken measures accordingly. It is believed that the first phase of work is confined to improvement of the existing assets through technology insertions. Firing tests being done is a testimony of the fact that such work goes on. There were reports about modernization of the Don-2N radar associated with the antimissile defense systems.

In 2007 the Kremlin instructed the local industry to start working on a unitary air and space defense system of the next generation that would protect the country from air and space threats. Then-VVS commander Gen. Mikhailov told journalists that the time had come to start thinking about VKO. In his view, the S400 “gets

LONG RANGE There are two families of long range SAM available today: the S300P/S400 developed by Almaz and the S300V by NIEMI. Often this kind of systems employ command guidance. If the SAM itself can track the target, it measures and processes the parameters of the target's motion and sends them to the control post though radio data link. The coordinates of the SAM itself are measured by a groundbased tracking radar. After comparing coordinates of the missile and the target, the control post sends guidance commands to the SAM. In the systems of that kind the guidance accuracy does not depend on range. However, the onboard equipment is highly sophisticated. Long range systems such as the S-300 normally employ this type of command guidance in mid-course.

Also in use is beam radar guidance. It is somewhat similar to command guidance along the line of sight between the target and the tracking radar, expect that the missile guidance system is designed to seek and follow the center of guidance beam automatically, without specific instructions from the launching platform.

The guidance beam is provided by the a

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ground-based target tracking radar, and it highlights the direction to the target.

Like command guidance systems, beamrider SAM systems are not limited to daylight and good weather conditions. Using two radars, one for target tracking and a second for missile tracking and guidance, helps solve the high-speed tight-turns issues by providing a more efficient lead trajectory. Beam-rider guidance is usually more accurate and faster-reacting than command guidance systems.

The Almaz created the S200A Angara and S200V Vega with advertized firing range of 255km. They received export clearance in the 1980s and went to Warsaw Pact countries as well as Syria (where saw action), North Korea, Libya and Iran (1991). Number of serviceable examples is confined to few copies that underwent lifetime extension work earlier this century. During October 2001 exercises, a Ukrainian S200V was meant to destroy a Reis drone, but its operators inadvertently illuminated another airborne object. It happened to be a Tu-154M operated by S7 Airlines. The seven-ton 5V28V missile covered the distance of 225km in a matter of minutes and destroyed the jetliner, killing 78 people on board.

Next Almaz design was the S300P employing 5V55 command link missiles. Its mobile variant S300PS became operational in 1983. Among innovations there were microchip-based multiprocessor computing and high level of automation stretching from detection to firing and kill probability analysis. The multifunctional engagement radar had passive electroni-

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cally-scanned phased array (PESA). Missiles run on solid-fuel instead of liquid on previous generation systems and stored in sealed canisters. Vertical launch, cold start technology improved performance against aerodynamic targets as well as short-range ballistic missiles.

Following breakup of the Soviet Union some systems appeared in the possession of newly-independent CIS republics and went on sale. Kazakhstan, Belarus and Azerbaijan purchased some from Russian stocks this century. The Ukrainian armed services exhibited the S300PS transporter elector launcher (TEL) and the 19Zh6 search and acquisition radar at AviaSwit expo with the following vital data: maximum firing range and altitude 75km and 27km respectively, target speed up to 1200m/sec in forward and 500 in rear hemisphere.

Short of hard currency, in 1993 the Kremlin cleared S300PMU-1 for export.

It featured two then-new PESA radars: 64N6E for surveillance and 30N6E1 for guidance of 48N6E missile with semiactive radar head and firing range of 150km. The system employs inertial guidance in mid-course with commands from the 30N6E1, shifting to track-via-missile nearer target.

The S-300PMU-1 employs inertial guidance in mid-course with commands from the engagement radar and in the terminal phase semi-active track-via-missile mode. The radar illuminates the target and the missile's onboard passive radar seeker receives a reflected signal. The SAM then relays this signal through an ECM-resistant data link to the control post

computer. Teh control post then transmits control commands to the missile. Such a method allows one to fit the 48N6E missile with compact and comparatively cheap onboard equipment, and at the same time to use high-performance signal processing data facilities.

Vietnam acquired two S300PMU-1 battalions in 2003-2005. Cyprus ordered the system in 1997 together with Osa-AKM and Thor-M1. This outraged Turkey, and after a series of diplomatic moves, these systems ended up fielded on the island of Crete belonging to Greece. China bought 12 S300PMU-1 battalions under main contract in 1994 and a follow-on order in 2001. Three years later Beijing purchased eight battalions of the S-300PMU-2 Favorite, effectively becoming launch customer for this much improved system. Algeria bought eight battalions in 2006. Last sale was to Azerbaijan.

The Favorite completed acceptance trials in 2007. It is a deep modernization of the S300PMU-1 using some technologies developed for the next-generation S400.

Typically, a Favorite battalion includes a 54K6E2 control post, 64N6E2 surveillance radar, up to six combat units comprising a 30N6E2 engagement radar and up to 12 5P85SE2/TE2 TELs each loaded with four 48N6E2 missile containers. Operators' workplaces are furnished with color LCDs instead of cathode ray tubes. The 48N6E2 firing range is 200km. The Favorite is advertized as anti-ballistic missile system able to intercept tactical rockets with range up to 1,000km. Survivability is higher thanks

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to interaction with the 96L6E early warning and acquisition radar which became operational in 2005. The S300PMU-2 is deeply integrated with PVO's command and control structure and can closely

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interact with other modern SAM systems.

In the fall of 2008 China subjected the Favorite to customer acceptance trials to check for the system's advertized performance and correctness of 48N6E2's

algorithms of homing onto various types of targets. Also checked was the interoperability with the 96L6E surveillance radar. During testing a pair of missiles was launched against a ballistic target approaching at speed of 1000m/sec.

Hits were scored at distance of 34km and 30.7km. Firing at a compact tactical ballistic missile culminated in two hits. A highflying drone was destroyed at a distance of 185km and a low-flying one at 4.6km.

Missiles were launched into rear hemisphere of a subsonic aerodynamic target for a kill at a distance of 68km.

The S400 Triumph is attributed to the fourth generation of Almaz SAMs. When one regiment rearmed with the Triumph in 2006 and the system passed state acceptance trials in April 2007, highranking sources in the Russian MoD declared their intent to procure 23 battalions by 2015. Then VVS commander Gen. Mikhailov said he did not see the need to "reequip all of the 35 SAM regiments" with this new system, and would rather proceed with rearmament rate of one-two regiments a year. "There is no need to accelerate S400 procurements, since many regiments have recently had upgrades done on their systems rendering them far more capable", Mikhailov stated in 2006.

The S400 has been designed to engage such difficult aerodynamic targets as stealth aircraft, PGMs, UAVs etc. Typically, one set of the system includes a 91N6E surveillance radar, up to six 98Zh6E units each of 92N6E engagement radar and up to 12 launchers. Compared to the respective Favorite elements, the 91N6E and 92N6E are of higher power and provide longer ranges against stealthy targets. The 30K6E Control post can control a mixed grouping of the S400 and S300PMU-1/2, and, through a Ranzhir-M control vehicle, Thor, Pantsyr and Tunguska systems. Target data can be fed from external sources such as 91N6E, 96L6E, Protivnik-GE or Gamma-DE radars. Foreign systems can be integrated on request. Interaction with upper level command post Baikal-E is provided.

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The TEL is an evolved design; it can carry either four canisters of 48N6E3 missiles with 250-km firing range or have any one of those replaced by a punch of four canisters with more compact 9M96E/ E2. In addition to these missiles and earlier missile types, the Triumph can also employ "a long range missile" [40N6] with firing range up to 400km. In-service missiles can be employed to shoot at ballistic missiles with incoming speed up to 2,800m/sec, while those being tested shall be capable of hitting targets approaching at 4,800 m/sec. Even exportable version is advertized as capable of intercepting ballistic targets and cruise missiles.

Missile developer Fakel states new missile types are being tested with a wide use of advanced methods of computer modeling applicable to both ground and flight tests. Against tactical ballistic missiles and PGMs the 9M96E/E2 demonstrated a 70% direct hit probability. In other cases, circular error falls within A I R

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several meters, and their 24-kg charge guarantee disintegration of warheads on engaged targets.

Speaking to Russian TV, Almaz CEO Igor Arshubeili stated the potential of the S400 complexes recently delivered to the RusAF is only 25% of the system's nominal capability [probably due to number of TELs not matching that of radars and control posts]. This leaves much room for enhancement of S400 battalions' combat strength "through to 2030". Arshubeili confirmed that the development of more capable S500 next-generation SAM is ongoing and likely to be completed within the next five years. This system is intended for use against "weapons not yet in service"

[the speaker probably related to ballistic missiles with range between 2 and 6 thousand km].

Developed by NIEMI design house, the S300V (9K81) employing 9M82/83 missiles became operational in 1988.

The system has the 9S15 Obzor mobile acquisition and the 9S32 high-power agile-beam engagement radar both with a PESA antenna. The 9S52M PolyanaD4M automated command and control system is designed to provide automated control for a mixed grouping of S300V, Buk, Tor and Tunguska. The system also has vehicles with equipment to provide interface with 1L13, 9S18M1, 9S15M and 39N6S radars and to process data fed by those.

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Following collapse of the Soviet Union, the S300V developers and manufacturers found themselves competing against their colleagues responsible for Almazled S300P series. Although the S300V had better performance against ballistic targets through employment of bigger missiles, it was more expensive and complex. The early gap in ABM performance has been closing as Almaz subsequently introduced improved designs developed on money largely earned on foreign sales.

NIEMI had less funding, largely confined to Russian MoD contracts. In 2003 the primary customer ordered "cost-effective modernization" of the 9M82/83 missiles so as to give them "new qualities" through insertion of "proven technologies and modules" from other systems.

When Almaz – Antey was being founded, it was widely suggested that "unhealthy competition" between Almaz and NIEMI would soon be over on the account of the latter (In 2009 NIEMI was ordered to because part of Almaz; merging is not yet complete). But in 2009 the S300V went back on offer. Venezuela is in the process of taking delivery of two S300V battalions i.e. has emerged as first foreign buyer for the system.

There are some media reports about the Antey-2500 (an exportable V300VM variant). It is capable of intercepting

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aerodynamic targets with the 6,158-kg 9M82M2E missile at maximum range of 200-250km and ballistic missiles with ranges up to 4,500km. However, there is some ground to believe that in reality a less advanced variant with modest ABM performance is actually being supplied.

In 2010-2012 the Russian MoD contracted NIEMI to develop the S300V4 Vityaz, and Almaz – Antey to delivery over 30 battalions. Information on this system remains scarce. It is not even known whether it is a rebuilt of in-service equipment or newly manufactured hardware. It might be suggested that the overloading of the S400 production line (current backlog loads the manufacturing line by 2021) caused the resurrection of the S300V. This improves Rosoboronexport's sales prospects in near and medium term, as it can now offer impatient foreign customers an easier available alternative to the overbooked S400.

MEDIUM RANGE The Kub and Buk are medium-range SAMs developed by Tikhomirov's NIIP. At the age of 40+, the former has saw seven major modernizations and is still in service. “Contracts for lifetime extension and upgrade keep coming to us”, NIIP general director Yuri Belyi said in an 2008 interview.

The system was developed to protect Red Army's armored divisions against air strikes. It was the world's first SAM to be totally mobile. It employs 20-tonne tracked vehicles: a missile launcher and 1S91 machine with a surveillance and a target-illuminator radars mounted on it. Specification called for the ability to engage low-flying attack aircraft and helicopters in the conditions of ground clutter, and tactical jets at their typical flight altitudes.

The Kub is an example of a system with combined guidance. The system employs radio command guidance on the initial part of the missile trajectory and homing when closing in on target. This provides high accuracy at long range.

Development took time and the system appeared in 1967, seven years later the US nearest analogue Hawk. But it had time-from-march-to-fire of 5 minutes instead of 30. The Kub can engage targets flying at speeds up to 600m/sec and altitude between 100 and 7000 meters, at a distance up to 20km.

Improved M1 and M3 versions appeared in 1973 and 1976. Production run terminated in 1983 with some 600 systems (half exported) and tens of thousands missiles, of which 4000 were launched in combat, tests or drills. The Kub and its export version Kvadrat went to thirty countries. First overseas employment occurred in 1971, with five batteries fielded in Egypt to protect the Nile dumb construction at Asuan. According to NIIP, during the Yom Kippur war in October 1973, the Kvadrat downed 64 Israeli aircraft with 95 missiles. Iraqi batteries downed 21 Iranian aircraft and Serbians

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added several NATO bombers to the list.

Modernization of the surviving systems in Egypt entails insertion of digital modules and LCDs. The 9K37 Buk succeed Kub in 1980, with speed of engaged targets rising to 830m/sec. The Novator 3M38 missile weighing 685kg can engage targets at distance up to 32km and altitude between 25 and 20,000 meters. This weapon has a single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor, semi-active radar seeker, radar proximity fuse and a 70-kg warhead. The SAM normally flies at Mach 3.

Capable of intercepting Tomahawk missiles and Cobra helicopters, the M1 version entered production in 1985.

Finland and India were first export buyers.

Georgia received some from Ukraine, with which downed several Russian air force aircraft during the August 2008 conflict in South Osetia.

Since 1998 newly made and reworked systems have been compliant to the Buk M1-2 standard able to use both the legacy missile and 9M317, the later with firing range of 45km. The 5.55-meter 715-kg weapon is capable of homing on Lance ballistic missiles, sea-going (destroyer at 25km) and contrast ground targets (15km). Egypt and Cyprus are among M1-2 operators.

Successfully tested in 1988-1990, the Buk M2E did not go into numerical production until earlier this century.

Exportable version made appearance at MAKS'2007, boasting a number of improvements over the original design including new software, modern Baget processors and the ability to interact with the shorter-range Thor. That time Belyi told journalists: “we now have a serious contract which allows production to start at the Ulianovsk mechanical plant". Buyers are Syria and Venezuela, the latter having selected wheeled chassis instead of tracked.

At last year's parade Iran demonstrated as though locally developed "Ra'ad SAM with Ta'er 2 missiles" along with the Kasta-2E2, a modern Russian radar able to interact with the Buk. The system A I R

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can also take data from the metric-wavelength 1L119 Nebo-SVU radar Iran has been operating since 2010.

The 9S18M1-3E target detection station equipped with a passive phased array radar enables an M2E battalion of six launchers simultaneously shoot at 24 targets instead of six for M1-2. For higher effectiveness against low-flying targets, the battery can have a [additional] target illumination radar topping a 21-meter telescopic mast mounted on a tracked chassis. The 9A317E self-propelled launcher differs from M1's in having the flat-shaped 9S36E target illumination and guidance radar in place of bulkier initial model.

Money from export orders enables NIIP proceed with development of "a more advanced version". It employs a reworked missile with active (instead of semi-active) radar homing head of the 9B-1103M series from Agat. The new missile is likely to be unified with the 9M317ME employed by the Shtil 1.1 vertical-launch containerized system that equips the Indian navy frigates of Improved Talwar class.

The M3 is likely to employ "means of passive location" (thermal imagers, lowlevel TV) so as to evade antiradar missiles.

It can also be predicted that the future Buk will use active phased arrays: NIIP has been selected to supply AESA radar to the Sukhoi fifth-generation fighter and is now testing experimental examples on PAKFA prototypes. The M2/M3 versions of the Buk are expected to sell well. They meet some competition from the Chinese clones HQ-16 and LY80 (PLAN operates warships equipped with the Russianmade Shtil 1 employing Buk's 9M317 missile).

LEGACY SYSTEMS There is some ground to suspect that the trade of used SAMs (notably S- series) is rather active: aged systems withdrawn from service in one country (but still serviceable) go to another one without much publicity. Mass production, wide export and longevity of the Soviet antiaircraft products have resulted in many aged missiles still in service with more than thirty

countries. The S75 alone was exported to 24 countries; six missile types were developed for it, and produced for over thirty years. A total of 523 S125 sets went to customers worldwide.

At the turn of the century the Defense Systems undertook the Pechora 2M project. Egypt was the first customer. The effort had a group of companies from Russia and Belarus develop documentation on installation of missile launcher and radars on a modern wheeled chassis for higher mobility. Lifetime extension work saw replacement of some old analogue electronic blocks with digital ones. Operator workplaces are now furnished with color LCDs. Revised target detection and tracking equipment, higher protection from jamming and a new optoelectronics set improved kill probability. Missiles received new boosters, warheads and fuses. Initial contract called for the rework of over 40 systems. Syria and Venezuela also went for Pechora-2M. Almaz came up with alternative solution for the S125 upgrade. The OEM's Pechora 2A project was advertized as less expensive, and resulting in a higher lethality through upgrade to the missile (5V27D) and its guidance system for higher resistance to jamming. Similar upgrades are understood to have been developed for the S75. Besides, a number of companies outside Russia developed upgrade and modernization packages for S75, S125 and other legacy systems involving use of thermal imagers and optoelectronics. Users' interest to those was high after the invasion of Iraq and the bombing of Yugoslavia. Outfitting old SAMs with modern thermal imagers has been a popular solution after thus reworked Serbian S125 downed a USAF F-117A stealth fighter in March 1999.

In most instances upgrades go without publicity.

SHORT RANGE There is a myriad of short-range antiaircraft missile systems and their variations.

Overlapping and unhealthy competition are two most polite descriptors of the situation in this market sector.

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Command guidance is when during the SAM's flight the positions of both the target and the missile are monitored from the ground or by the missile's onboard equipment. If a SAM is guided by the ground facilities, the latter are responsible for detecting the target, measuring its coordinates and those of the SAM. After processing the coordinates the control post forms encoded guidance instructions and transmits them to the missile by radio data link, which is susceptible to jamming.

After decoding by the missile's onboard equipment, the commands are sent to the autopilot. This type of command guidance is employed in a number of missile systems including the Thor and the Osa series.

Most of point-defense systems employ the most effective type of guidance against evasive aerial targets known as homing. The missile guidance system receives information about the target and produces control commands on its own.

Thus, control posts do not guide the SAM. For active homing the SAM illuminates the target and receives the signals reflected off the target. In the case of semiactive homing, the source of illumination (in most instance in the form of tracking radar) is located at the control post, and the SAM receives signals reflected from the target. Passive home systems use heat or light energy emitted by the target to estimate the parameters of the target's motion.

From viewpoint of recent sales, the Pantsyr S1 from KBP comes first. By performance and design solutions this system is in the class of its own. Although lightweight (76kg), the 57E6 missile has advertized maximum firing range of 20km - twice more than competing designs of the given size! Flying high does not eliminate the threat; the small weapon can reach altitudes up to 1015km. This is due to the superb kinetics: after launch the weapon accelerates to 1300 m/sec.

The system has two radars with phased array antennas: one for missile guidance (receiving signals from missile's beeper), and second for target acquisition and

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tracking, with range up to 40km. The 1RL123-E features AESA with solid-state tranceiver modules, whereas other Russian SAMs use either passive e-scan or mechanical ray steering. The Pantsyr can simultaneously track twenty targets and fire at three when stationary or in motion.

In covert mode, the system uses electro optical and infrared channels. The multichannel nature and digital data processing makes Pantsyr effective against compact targets such as UAVs and PGMs. Missiles are directed onto target by radio-commands, and tracked either by radar or electro optical system working in conjunction with missiles' optical beeper.

Pantsyr's combat vehicle carries twelve missiles instead of eight by the Thor. It must be noted that a number of outwardly different Pantyr combat vehicles have been depicted on different occasions. In addition to different chassis, they also differ in radar models.

The Pantsyr is a logical development of earlier Tunguska, from which it inherits the secondary armament of two 30-mm twin-barrel 2A38 rapid-fire cannons.

These are effective even against the armored USAF A10A attack aircraft.

Tunguska uses 9M311 missile. Weighing 45kg, the weapon has a two stage design, with the booster detaching upon accelerating the upper stage to 900m/ sec. The upper stage does not have a motor, but its sleek aerodynamic shape insures slow energy bleed when maneuvering. Missiles are directed onto target by radio-commands and tracked either by radar or by optical system. Accepted in 1982 and modernized in 2003, the Tunguska has the 1RL912M acquisition radar with 18km detection and 16km tracking ranges and a [smaller] fire control radar. The 34-tonne tracked armored vehicle 2S6M1 has good cross country capability.

The Thor (Torus) developed by NIEMI combines radars and missiles on a "tank-alike" turret with a 360-degree rotation. The system was designed to protect high-value targets from cruise missiles and aircraft attacking with PGM. This mobile SAM system was designed in

the late 1980s. The Thor can destroy fixand rotary-wing aircraft, cruise missiles, guided bombs and pilotless air vehicles.

The unified rocket mount carries eight missiles on vertical launchers, a high-performance computer, a surveillance radar and a phased-array engagement radar, which has a effective range of 25km and can simultaneously detect 48 targets and track ten targets. There is also a fire control radar which can simultaneously guide two missiles. A small dome-type antenna on the top left of the engagement radar may gather the missile as it is launched and hand it over to the engagement radar. The system has a reaction time of merely 5-8 seconds.

The latest version M2 unveiled at MAKS'2009 has a wheeled chassis, unlike all preceding variants (since 1991) that had tracks. Other changes include new radar antennas, modern means of data processing and the addition of optoelectronics targeting channel. Thor M2 can fire at four targets simultaneously in a wide body angle thanks to e-scan phased array radars: one for engagement and second for 360-degree surveillance (used to be mechanically scanned).

Digital processing for precise targeting of vertically-launched radio-command 9M330 167-kg legacy missiles ensures the system's ability to intercept airplanes, helicopters, cruise missiles and PGMs. Thor is service with Cyprus, Greece, Iran, China, Belarus (deliveries of M2 are in progress), Venezuela etc.

The Osa-AK/AKM with 9M33M3 missiles is another legacy platform that saw several major upgrades. The latest version was displayed at MAKS’2005.

This system was brought to life by request of the land forces as means of close in protection of armored vehicles on the front line from tactical fighters, attack aircraft and helicopters armed with laser, TV and optical target designators.

Typically, these command engagement distances of 3-5km, or 8km at maximum.

Radar-equipped Osa with firing radius of 10km and most effective at distance of 5-6 km was able to open fire at the attacking aircraft before their pilots could

Vendors

see their targets in crosshairs. The Osa was popular with Soviet client states, and also went to Greece and Cyprus in the 1990s.

The Strela 10 was developed by Nudelman's Precision machinery design house in the 1970s as a low-cost SAM to cover troops. It was exported in large numbers to more than twenty countries.

The system is mounted on an amphibious armored tracked chassis and includes four ready-to-launch 9M333 missiles in containers on a rotary launcher. The radar operates in common with the missile seeker which employs double-channel homing by photo contrast and infrared target emission. The system also has an IFF interrogator and a passive radio direction finder intended for detecting and finding precise directions to airborne targets flying with enabled onboard radio equipment. The 9M333 missile is fitted with a four-kilogram warhead and a single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor, which allows it to travel at an average speed of 1800km/h. The SAM can destroy airborne targets at ranges of 50 to 5000 meters and at altitudes of 25 to 3500 meters.

Despite drawing positive combat experience, the system is now considered outdated. High sticker prices of the far more capable Thor, Tunguska and Pantsyr prohibit Strela 10 replacement.

Besides, combat machines of the three newer systems are considerably larger and heavier.

The OEM is offering the Sosna air defense missile system on the legacy chassis or BTR80 8x8 APC platform. It features multichannel high precision “practically all-weather and round-the-clock" automatic optronics fire control system. Emitting no radio waves, the system is immune to ECM. The combat vehicle is loaded with 12 Sosna-R laser-guided missiles.

Weighing 10km, the 30kg weapon accelerates to 910m/sec. It can engage aerodynamic targets flying at speeds up to 500m/sec at maximum distance of 8km. Relatively simple and cheap, the missile can also be used against lightly armed combat vehicles. At MAKS’2009 A I R

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a more advanced version of the Sosna was on display, featuring the 1L1222E radar. The sensor is a longer-range (80-km) derivative of the 1L122-1E in production since 2007.

Finally, Russia has a very successful family of man-portable missiles started with the Strela series that fought well in Vietnam and the Middle East. The current Igla-S (9M342 missile) was developed

by Kolomna KBM in 2002 on the base of earlier Igla (9M39) originating in 1983. In addition to the main shoulderlaunched version, the Igla can be fired from Strelets, Dzhigit and Komar launchers, as well as from rails mounted onto road vehicles, APC, IFV etc. The missile has a firing range up to 8km and an optical homing head (alternatively, it can be radio-command guided with tracking by thermal imager).

The Russian portable antiaircraft systems found many buyers, including RoK, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Brazil, Mexico and Peru. The Igla series shall soon be superseded by the third generation of shoulder-launched SAM from Kolomna. The company says development is complete and awaiting MoD's approval. The Russian military will start receiving the new Morfey short-range air defense system in 2015. This mobile air defense system with an effective range of five kilometers has been in development since 2007.

SUMMARY Foreign customers have queued up for Russian antiaircraft systems because those prove time and again their lethality in real wars. Soviet PVO began mastering guided missiles in 1952. The S25 was accepted into service in 1955, followed by S75 in 1957 and S125 in 1961. Since then SAMs have been the major threat for USAF. May 1960 shoot-down of the Lockheed U-2 spy plane by a V750 missile of the S75 system grabbed much public attention. The war in Vietnam (1964-1972) saw massive use of Russian-made SAMs against USAF jets. As a result, losses per a thousand sorties rose from 9 in WW2 to 27. North Vietnamese air defenses were modeled on the Soviet PVO; according to Russian sources, 397 aerial targets fell to SAMs in 1967 and 376 in 1972.

As mentioned in the beginning, today’s Russia is no.1 supplier of antiaircraft weapons to the global market. Solvent demand for most capable systems is comparable to that of the best commercial airliners: waiting time for the S400 is eight years, similar or exceeding that for Boeing 737 or 787 passenger jets.

Combat tested and continuously evolving assets of the PVO inventory time and again make prove the unofficial slogan of the Russian air defense system: the higher they fly, the harder they fall.

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Enterprise

PULKOVO-3 OPENS A brand-new FBO in St. Petersburg city airport, Pulkovo-3, started to provide all advertized services for business jets on June1, 2013. The FBO occupies a 24-acre land lot within the fence of Pulkovo airport, between the Pulkovo-1 domestic passenger complex and the Main Cargo Warehouse. Described as “the first Center for Business Aviation in the North West region” of Russia, Pulkovo-3 is said to have “all necessary facilities” for serving business aviation, as it offers “a full spectrum of services at the Center and outside including long term parking”. The

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central part in the FBO infrastructure is a 43,000-sq-ft, two-storey business aviation terminal complete with Apron number 6 with more than 30 parking spots. When we inspected the place, there were a Learjet, a couple of Challengers, a mid-sized Falcon and a big Gulfstream sitting there. Next phase of FBO completion shall complete in April 2014. It shall include construction of hangars large enough to accommodate three BBJ or eighteen Hawker-700s. It shall also include a roofed and heated park for aerodrome vehicles and towed equipment needed to serve various

aircraft types. Estimated costs for the whole project come to over Rouble 3 billion, completely on the money of private investors. This huge investment is not going to pay off in months, but rather would require a dozen of years to break even. JetPort SPb general manager Sergei Pugin insists that this, among other things, gives a clear signal to the world’s aviation community that his company takes business aviation seriously and that it intends to stay in this business for a long time. All JetPort SPb employees – a total of more than 150 – are residents of St. Petersburg and nearby

Enterprise

dwelling points, and many are graduates from the city’s Civil Aviation Academy, the main source of cadre for the Russian civil aviation industry.

Their moto is “comfort in the skies and on the ground”. JetPort SPb holds all necessary certificates from the local aviation authorities for ground handling and passenger services. The company was founded in May 2009 and began operations in October 2009 using hired space in Pulkovo-2 international flights terminal. It offers “a complete set of services” which, in addition to those related to flight planning and ground handling, also include transportation, entertainment and accommodation for business jet travellers. The prices are somewhat below the Moscow FBO levels, Pugin insisted, adding that they are set by the market conditions and the customers themselves with a rider that many A I R

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of those are ready to pay extra for a better service.

The central piece of Pulkovo-3 is the bizav terminal, arguably the best in the whole of Russia. It was designed and built after all Moscow FBOs and so took account of their early experience. Nominal capacity is a thousand-and-a-half passengers daily. Outwardly, Pulkovo-3 bears some resemblance to Vnukovo-3, Moscow’s largest FBO. At a closer look, the former is a two-storey building, not three-; and its main entrance is placed right in the middle, while the latter has it moved to the left.

The main difference between FBOs in Russia and most European countries is that the Russian ones allocate a lot more space for passengers rather than crews and operators’ personnel. There is a reason for this. The Russian law requires both international and domestic passengers (where number including business jet travelers) to pass formalities on departure and arrival in a passenger terminal.

Unlike the main Vnukovo-3 building, which is an international flights terminal (there is a separate terminal for domestic flights nearby), the Pulkovo-3 combines the following sectors: international passengers – arriving and departing, domestic passengers – also arriving and departing,

crews flying international flights and crews flying domestic services. In accordance to the Russian law and practices, these have to be completely isolated (to which Pulkovo-3 is compliant).

Travelers taking flights go through a metal detector (and their baggage through a scanning machine) immediately after entering the building. Then they proceed to a reception desk in the middle of the hall to check for status of their flight. If the time is aplenty, they can relax a bit – there is ample space to the left and to the right, with comfortable sofas and chairs in large numbers. Also, there is a smart-looking bar on the right.

Those who need to proceed immediately, take either the left lane (international flights sector with passport control and customs) or the right lane (domestic). After passing all checks and formalities, the international passengers can enjoy a comfortable departure zone, a bar and a duty free shop; the domestic passengers have everything except duty-free. All travelers are offered Wi-Fi, Russian and foreign magazines and newspapers, digital TV etc. There are separate arrival zones for incoming flights. Meeting rooms are also available in the terminal. The second floor is home for JetPort SPb staff, and

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4.2013 (101)

Enterprise

Director General ValeriyStolnikov Marketing Director SergueyMatveev Deputy Marketing Director Oleg Mescheriakov Chief Editors Vladimir Karnozov Redactors Alexander Bukharov DmiriySergueev Kirill Yablochkin EvgueniyLisanov Press-corrector Anna Korovkina Designers Ekaterina Lapteva Maria Marakulina TimofeyBabkin

representatives of partner companies, including business jet operators. Flight crews enter the building at a separate entrance in the right corner and [if the situation is so] can enjoy a comfortable crew rest area.

A tour round the terminal in the company of deputy general manager Vladimir Tsutskarev gave me a strong view of it being modern, comfortable and well though-out in every way. It was all more impressive to learn that the building was actually erected on the place previously occupied by a lake with wild birds nesting there. But this shall not be a surprise. When Peter the Great laid down the city named after himself, he had little choice and opted for the mouth of the Neva river with mushy ground all around.

But the Russian tsar was, nonetheless, happy to have this entrance to the Baltic Sea, “the window into Europe” as he himself put it, in the face of the then-strong Swedish army opposing that of his own.

Except for Moscow with modern

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FBOs in Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetievo airports, the rest of Russia is nearly void of business aviation infrastructure. But country’s second largest city certainly deserves a first-class FBO of its own.

The city has always attracted travelers by its beauty and large cultural heritage – this creates a firm foundation for JetPort SPb’s business in the first place. In addition to that, the company has well-founded hopes for more traffic and customers in future, arising from the fact of St. Petersburg’s industrial revival is now on. Eight automotive factories in the city and around it have recently been built by the global players. The city’s dockyards are loaded to capacity with local and foreign orders. Some heavy industry plants, temporarily closed in the 1990s, are back in operation, just to mention the Izhorsky Plant. This encourages more investors and entrepreneurs from all over the world to come and see the city with their own eyes.

Press Photographer Anton Patsovskiy Marketing Manager Olessia Lazareva Cover photo Vladimir Karnozov Photos in this issue Vladimir Karnozov, open sources and courtesy of advertizing companies

Circulation: 10000 The magazine is registered in the Committee for Press of the Russian Federation. Certificate № 016692 as of 20.10.1997. Certificate № 77-15450 as of 19.05.2003. © AIR FLEET, 2013 ADDRESS P.O. Box 77, Moscow, 125057, Russia Tel.: + 7 495 459 9072 Fax.: + 7 495 459 6042 E-mail: market@a4press.ru