Antonov An-70 airlifter prototype, which has been undergoing tests in Kiev since last autumn after a two-year upgrade, is to be unveiled at the current jubilee air show in Le Bourget.

Antonov commenced the upgrade of the An-70’s avionics suite and powerplant in line with the specifications requirement approved by the Russian and Ukrainian defence ministries in August 2010. The last, 625th, flight of the only An-70 prototype (UR-NTK, c/n 01-02) prior to the upgrade had taken place on 28 July 2010.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet was the most productive programme in Russia in 2012 in terms of new passenger aircraft production. During the year, the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company made 12 SSJ100-95B jets, including five for Aeroflot, two for Yakutia airline and five for foreign customers. Yakutia launched scheduled Superjet operations in January this year, with Indonesian air company Sky Aviation and Laotian carrier Lao Central following suit with passenger services on SSJ100s in late March. The ceremony of the acceptance of its first Superjet by Mexican airline Interjet – the first western hemisphere air company to start using the advanced Russian regional airliner – is planned for June. It is worth mentioning that another Russian carrier, Moskovia, is about to begin to operate SSJ100s in the near future. In May, Aeroflot started replacing its first Superjets in so-called light specification with the modified full specification ones. In all, upwards of 20 production-standard Superjets are planned for production this year.

At noon on 17 April 2013, the first of the two Russian Emergencies Ministry-ordered Antonov An-148-100EM multirole convertible passenger/medevac aircraft designed for passenger carriage, rapid deployment of the rescuer teams, and medical evacuation/assistance arrived at the airfield of the Gromov Flight Research Institute in the town of Zhukovsky, Moscow Region (Ramenskoye airport). The aircraft was made by Voronezh-based VASO JSC (a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation), passed its trials, got its IAC Aircraft Registry-issued supplement type certificate and was delivered to the customer in Voronezh on 10 April. On its arrival at Ramenskoye airport, the plane was assigned to the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Central Airmobile Detachment (Russian acronym – Centrospas). Centrospas anticipates the other convertible flying hospital as soon as this summer.

The debutant of the current air show in Farnborough is advanced Russian combat trainer Yak-130 unveiled by the Irkut corporation producing and promoting it. 2011 was a milestone to the Yak-130 programme. In June, the manufacturer delivered the first batch of 12 production-standard aircraft to the Russian Air Force, with 10 of the combat trainers fielded with the Borisoglebsk Air Force Academy. Early in December, the government awarded a new order for 55 aircraft of the type, which are to be delivered to the Russian Defence Ministry by 2015. In addition, the Irkut corporation commenced export deliveries of Yak-130s to the foreign launch customer in late November, and all 16 aircraft had been delivered to Algeria by the New Year’s Day.

The Mil Mi-28N combat helicopter entered service with the Russian Army Aviation under the presidential executive order dated 15 October 2009. Aircraft of the type are operated by the Army Aviation Combat Training and Conversion Centre in the town of Torzhok and by two air bases in the Southern Military District – one in Budyonnovsk and the other in Korenovsk. Another air base – in the Western Military District – is poised to start taking delivery of such machines in the near future.