Page 19 - AirForces Monthly - Issue 381 (December 2019)

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Russian Tu-160s visit South Africa

Serial RF-94112/‘04 Red’, named ‘Ivan Yarygin’, was the first of the two Tu-160s to arrive at AFB Waterkloof on October 23. v1 images/Jono Druion
A PAIR of Vozdushno- near Pretoria, escorted signed by the respective airspace of seven African Waterkloof after an official
Kosmicheskiye Sily by three South African Air defence ministries in 1995 countries and involved send-off, landing at O R
Rossiyskoy Federatsii (VKS, Force Hawk Mk120s and – the visit was timed to aerial refuelling over the Tambo International Airport
Russian Aerospace Forces) a pair of Gripens flying coincide with the first Caspian Sea. The bombers near Johannesburg several
Tu-160 strategic bombers from AFB Makhado. Russia-Africa summit in the were supported by VKS hours later. The Blackjacks
have visited South Africa for The bombers within the Black Sea city of Sochi. Il-62 RA-86498 and An-124 then performed a flight over
the first time. The Blackjacks VKS ‘air group’ arrived in Lasting over 12 hours, RF-82034 which arrived at the Indian Ocean before
– RF-94112/‘04 Red’ and South Africa on October the flight from Engels air Waterkloof on the 22nd. refuelling at O R Tambo IAP
RF-94102/‘02 Red’ – landed 23 under a bilateral military base to Waterkloof took On October 26, the and heading back to Russia
at Air Force Base Waterkloof co-operation agreement the Tu-160s across the two bombers departed the following morning.
Il-76MD-90A programme

makes progress

RUSSIA’S UNITED join the 235 Voyenno- initial phase of factory flight
Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Transportnyy Aviatsionnyy tests. Programme director
announced on October Polk (235 VTAP, 235th at Aviastar, Valery Tokarev,
23 that the Ulyanovsk Military Transport Aviation said some equipment and
Aircraft Manufacturing Regiment), based at systems on the aircraft
Enterprise JSC Aviastar- Ulyanovsk. As previously underwent significant
SP, a subsidiary of the UAC reported, the sixth aircraft, changes, although he did
Transport Aviation Division, RF-78657 (c/n 0202), was not provide more details. Above: The fourth Il-76MD-90A from 2019 production in the
has completed manufacture handed over to the VKS at It was also brought up factory at Ulyanovsk, where it was completed and rolled out on
of the next Il-76MD-90A Ulyanovsk on August 30 to the latest tactical and October 23. UAC Below: The first prototype Il-76MD-90A, 78650
for the VKS at Ulyanovsk. – see Sixth Il-76-MD90A technical requirements (c/n 0102), being towed out of the Aviastar plant at Ulyanovsk
The heavy transport has delivered, November, p20. of the customer. on October 18 after completion of a series of additional
been transferred to the Separately, UAC announced The aircraft has now modifications and upgrades. UAC
flight-testing station to on October 18 that a series been passed to the
undergo fuel system tests of improvements has been flight-test station where
prior to its first flight. applied to the first prototype it will resume trials.
The aircraft was the fourth Il-76MD-90A, 78650 After performing factory
example built under the 2019 (c/n 0102) by Aviastar at flight tests, it will be flown
production programme as Ulyanovsk and it will shortly from Ulyanovsk-Vostochny
part of a contract with the resume joint flight tests. International Airport to the
Russian defence ministry These modifications followed Ilyushin facility at Zhukovsky,
and is the seventh Il-76MD- analysis of both the first for the second stage of state
90A overall. It will shortly stage of state tests and the joint tests. Dave Allport
Russia may move Su-34 production from Novosibirsk

RUSSIA IS considering ending 14-16 aircraft annually, but main production site at (temporarily at Buturlinovka), UCAVs. Although work on the
military aircraft production work is nearing completion. KnAAZ, which is currently 277 SAP at Khurba, 559th previously out-of-production
at Novosibirsk. The proposal There are just four more manufacturing the Su-35S Bomber Aviation Regiment Tu-160 has been limited, a
would see closure of the to be delivered, which will and preparing for series at Morozovsk and the January 2018 contract for ten
Su-34 production line there, bring total NAPO Su-34 production of the Su-57. 968th Research Instructor new-production Tu-160M2s
with the aircraft instead production to 134. The next NAPO has delivered Su-34s Composite Aviation is bringing further work
being manufactured at order, expected to be signed to five VKS regiments; most Regiment at Lipetsk. to Novosibirsk. This was
the Komsomolsk-on-Amur in early 2020, will be for recently, three jets were There would almost certainly confirmed on October 28,
Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ). The 48 examples. However, the delivered to Chelyabinsk- be opposition to closure of the when the United Aircraft
proposal was revealed in the low volume of production Shagol on October 2, NAPO factory, and it is likely Corporation announced
Russian press on October 8. – only six aircraft per year – bringing the total there to that, should Su-34 production that NAPO had completed
A 100bn rouble contract means keeping the NAPO 24 and completing the full be moved, alternative work manufacture of the first two-
signed in 2012 for 92 production line open won’t complement of the resident would be found for the engine bay compartment
Su-34s for the VKS has kept be financially viable. 21st Composite Aviation plant. The factory already for the initial aircraft on the
the Novosibirsk Aircraft A defence ministry source Division’s 2nd Composite manufactures various new Tu-160M2 production
Production Association told the media that it will Aviation Regiment (2 structural components for the line at Tupolev’s Kazan
(NAPO) ‘V P Chkalov’ be more cost effective to SAP). The type is also in Sukhoi SuperJet and Tu-160 Aviation Plant ‘S P Gorbunov’ ,
plant busy for the last few produce Su-34s for the service with the 47 SAP bomber, while in the future to where it has now been
years, with an output of new order at Sukhoi’s at Voronezh-Baltimor it may assemble Okhotnik delivered. Dave Allport

www.Key.Aero #381 December 2019 // 19

19 RussiaNews AFM Dec2019.indd 19 11/11/2019 10:48:24