CIVIL AVIATION
• Il-96-400T certificated

SuperJet takes wing
19 May witnessed a long-awaited event: a prototype of the future Sukhoi SuperJet 100 regional airliner took off from the airfield of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO) for its maiden flight that it completed with success. Counter to sceptics’ expectations, the designers proved that the SuperJet programme, being run by a large team of Russian, US and West European companies, has been making steady progress and will – despite unavoidable slips behind schedule – meet its target – Russia building a sophisticated airliner competitive on the global market. However, the developers have to do a lot before their target has been met. They are to conduct 600 test flights under the certification programme, its approval by foreign aviation authorities, productionising the aircraft, setting up an aftersale support system and snagging new orders. Nonetheless, it is a safe bet to say even now that the aircraft has established itself, with its smooth maiden flight being another striking demonstration of that. Andrey Fomin reviews the  recent events in Sukhoi SuperJet 100 programme

Russian prospects of An-148
First Russian-made An-148 unveiled in Voronezh
Several agreements relevant to production and sales of Russian-Ukrainian regional airliner Antonov An-148 built by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) were signed on 27 June during the 1st Voronezh Investment Forum. The worth of the deals clinched exceeded 40 billion rubles (about $1.7 billion). In addition, representatives of the carriers – future An-148 operators – and reporters invited to Voronezh were shown the first production An-148-100 being built in VASO’s assembly hall and earmarked to start its trials before year-end. The manufacturing plan for the coming five years provides for VASO making as many as 96 aircraft of the type. Andrey Fomin attended the event in Voronezh

INDUSTRY
• Second Il-76TD-90 built for Azerbaijan
• UAC – Civil Aircraft management company established
• Phazotron launches third stage of AESA radar trials
• New Ka-52 has flown
• MiG-AT powered by RD-1700 starts trials
• MC-21 gears up for second ‘gate’

Sukhoi bolsters its leadership
Sukhoi is recognised as the major Russian aircraft  manufacturer based on its 2007 performance
In mid-June, Russian independent analytical organisation Centre for Analysis of Strategy and Technology (CAST), a specialist in assessing the state and providing estimates of arms exports, published its annual rating of Russia’s major companies based on the arms output in 2007. The Sukhoi holding company was rated by CAST as the first among Russian aircraft manufacturers with its income having more than doubled last year. Sukhoi’s revenue in 2007 was 47.7 billion rubles (over $1.9 billion) – a 2.6-fold increase over 2006 and almost half of the gross aircraft sales of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which unites all major Russian military and commercial aircraft makers, and more than 20 per cent of the gross revenue from the whole Russian aircraft industry. Sukhoi’s net income surged by almost 12 times, totalling 4 billion rubles (over $160 million), which makes up almost a quarter of the profits of all of UAC’s subsidiaries. Sukhoi made such a good production and commercial progress owing to its export success last year in the first place (about 50 Su-30MK aircraft were delivered last year) and the growing volume of work the company carried out under the State Defence Procurement Programme. Andrey Fomin analyses Sukhoi’s 2007 results

New weapons for new fighters
Tactical Missiles Corp. kicks off advertising campaign to promote cutting-edge guided weapons
In early June, the Tactical Missiles Corp. launched a campaign to promote a number of latest air-launched guided missiles on the market. The weapons promoted include the new-generation Kh-38ME modular air-to-surface missile and several heavy upgrades, including the Kh-58UShKE antiradiation missile equipped with a wideband passive radar homer, Kh-59MK2 air-launched missile with a self-contained target area recognition capability and KAB-1500LG-F-E laser beam-riding smart bomb. The corporation’s Web site features detailed enough description of these new weapons designed to fit the upgraded Generation 4++ Su-35 and MiG-35 fighters, which are undergoing trials, and a future fifth-generation fighter. Over time, they might make their way to the weapons suites of the advanced Su-34 tactical strike aircraft and its export derivative Su-32 and latest derivatives of the global market’s bestseller, the Su-30MK family, as well. Yevgeny Yerokhin reviews new Tactical Missiles Corp. weapons

HELIRUSSIA 2008
• Oboronprom and AgustaWestland agreed to cooperate
• Farther and faster: Kamov unveils Ka-92 programme
• Ka-90: even faster
• Mi-X1: concept in detail
• Mi-8 awaiting upgrade
• Agreement on Mi-38’s engine signed
• First Ka-62 to be built in 2009
• Ka-226 gets new engine
• Refining the Ansat
• Mi-34 production to resume

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES
Upgraded MiG-29s
In service with Slovak Air Force
On the last day of this winter, 29 February, Slovak air base Sliac hosted the ceremony of accepting the 12 MiG-29AS/UBS fighters into the Slovak Air Force’s inventory. The fighters had been upgraded by Russian aircraft corporation MiG in Slovakia in cooperation with a local aircraft repair plant and several Western companies. During the ceremony, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska gave the chief of the Slovak General Staff, Gen. Lubomir Bulik, a symbolic key to the renovated fighters. Following that, the upgraded MiG-29s accomplished a group demonstration flight to entertain those present, with as many as 10 fighters taking to the skies over Sliac. Our correspondents Michal Stolar and Miroslav Gyurosi attended the ceremony

MILITARY AVIATION
Sukhois over the Mediterranean
A naval task force of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, completed a successful cruise through the Atlantic and Mediterranean early in February this year. The cruise kicked off on 5 December 2007 and was completed two months later. The Russian Navy had conducted no such large scale exercises for over a decade. The aircraft carrier battle group cruising under command of the Vice Admiral Nikolay Maximov, CINC, Northern Fleet, was given a task of showing the Russian Navy’s flag in key areas of the ocean. During the cruise, the Admiral Kuznetsov’s carrier air group, comprising nine Su-33 fighters, two Su-25UTG trainers and several Ka-27PS and Ka-29 helicopters, logged 20 flying shifts, i.e. about 400 sorties, of which more than a hundred were flown by the fighters. Throughout the cruise, Take-off’s stringer Sergey Vassilyev was on board the Admiral Kuznetsov, providing his report for our readers

COSMONAUTICS
• Another Rockot blasts off
• Russian-Kazakh space cooperation getting new impetus