In mid-April 2011, Russian Air Force Commander-n-Chief Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin signed the report on completion of the official test programme by the Sukhoi Su-34 multirole tactical bomber. The tests themselves were fulfilled successfully in January this year. In this connection, the Interfax-AVN news agency reported: “The near future will see the signing of the Phase two official tests report expected to pave the way for the Su-34 tactical bomber to the Russian Air Force’s inventory”. The Russian government will issue a special resolution to authorise the plane’s service entry in line with the current practice.

The tests of Indian turbofan engine Kaveri on Russian flying testbed Il-76LL (serial 76492), which began at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky on 3 November 2010, were stepped up in April. Only four sorties had been flown by early March, at the first stage of the tests. The pace of the trials was hindered by problems experienced by the engine. During a March press conference, the Gromov Flight Research Institute Director, Honoured Test Pilot and Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov, said the tests were to resume after the customer had provided new examples of the Kaveri. Finally, in mid-April 2011, the Russian flying testbed began to fly in earnest, logging several sorties a week.

Another production-standard Mil Mi-28N combat helicopter made on order from the Russian Defence Ministry completed its first flight from the airfield of Rostvertol JSC in Rostov-on-Don on 8 April 2011. It is the 40th aircraft of the type manufactured by Rostvertol, including the second prototype and seven preproduction Mi-28Ns built by Rostvertol during 2004 through 2007 and subjected to official trials. The Mi-28N entered service under the Presidential decree dated 15 October 2009.

Five advanced Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainers arrived at the Air Force Training Centre in the town of Borisoglebsk, Voronezh Region, from the Sokol aircraft plant in the Nizhny Novgorod Region in early April 2011. The Borisoglebsk training centre provides basic and advanced flying training to cadets of the Krasnodar Air Force Academy (now an affiliate of the Prof. Zhukovsky & Gagarin Air Force Command and Staff Academy), who then are posted to attack and tactical bomber units of the Russian Air Force.

The Rostvertol joint stock company has shipped two new Mil Mi-35P attack helicopters to Peru early April 2011. According to a Rosoboronexport spokesperson, the contract for two brand-new Mi-35Ps and six Mi-171Sh multipurpose medium troop carriers from Ulan-Ude plant was signed in Lima on 22 July 2010. “This helicopter contract was lightning-fast indeed”, Rosoboronexport Director General Anatoly Isaikin commented on the deal at the time.