Lyneham Lad
24th Aug 2016, 15:23
An interesting article (https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/analysis-russian-military-aviation-battles-back-428486/)on Flight Global looking at Russia’s military-industrial complex and its aircraft-making industry.
An extract from the article:-
Adjustments go along the lines of the policy of import substitution proclaimed by the Kremlin and the motion to follow less technically risky programmes, promising quicker results and benefits. Besides, the economic slump makes Russian strategists look for “asymmetric” solutions, so as to cut costs while ensuring a desirable effect.
It should also be noted that, despite big investments made into civilian projects – the Sukhoi Superjet 100 and Irkut MC-21 jetliners – United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) largely remains a manufacturer of combat aircraft. Most of the merged company’s workforce of nearly 100,000 employees continues to be tasked with making bombers, fighters and airlifters for domestic and overseas customers.
Perhaps the best point to illustrate the argument that Moscow has begun ditching long-term aviation projects in favour of less technically risky ones with shorter cycles is the recent twist in the fate of a formerly high-priority programme to develop a new stealth bomber.
PAK DA – a Russian acronym for Prospective Aviation Complex of Long Range Aviation – is meant to be a new strategic bomber with a gross weight in excess of 100,000kg (220,000lb). In terms of technical sophistication and its future role in the armed forces, the PAK DA project is similar to the US Air Force’s future Northrop Grumman B-21 long-range strike bomber.
The Tupolev design bureau began development of the PAK DA in 2009, and its conceptual design was approved three years later. The aircraft is understood to be a subsonic stealth design employing a flying-wing aerodynamic shape. First flight was planned for 2019, with entry into service six years later.
The PAK DA programme looked strong until April 2015, when defence minister Sergei Shoigu demanded that industry restart production of the Tu-160, a non-stealthy supersonic bomber which first flew in 1981.
“The Tu-160 is a unique machine, which when it first appeared was decades ahead of its time. Even now, the capabilities embedded in her design are not yet fully exploited. Nobody else has invented a better supersonic bomber design,” Shoigu said. In his view, a production restart – even though “a major challenge” for UAC – looked feasible, provided the corporation managed “to consolidate [its resources] on reconstruction and renovation of manufacturing facilities”.
An extract from the article:-
Adjustments go along the lines of the policy of import substitution proclaimed by the Kremlin and the motion to follow less technically risky programmes, promising quicker results and benefits. Besides, the economic slump makes Russian strategists look for “asymmetric” solutions, so as to cut costs while ensuring a desirable effect.
It should also be noted that, despite big investments made into civilian projects – the Sukhoi Superjet 100 and Irkut MC-21 jetliners – United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) largely remains a manufacturer of combat aircraft. Most of the merged company’s workforce of nearly 100,000 employees continues to be tasked with making bombers, fighters and airlifters for domestic and overseas customers.
Perhaps the best point to illustrate the argument that Moscow has begun ditching long-term aviation projects in favour of less technically risky ones with shorter cycles is the recent twist in the fate of a formerly high-priority programme to develop a new stealth bomber.
PAK DA – a Russian acronym for Prospective Aviation Complex of Long Range Aviation – is meant to be a new strategic bomber with a gross weight in excess of 100,000kg (220,000lb). In terms of technical sophistication and its future role in the armed forces, the PAK DA project is similar to the US Air Force’s future Northrop Grumman B-21 long-range strike bomber.
The Tupolev design bureau began development of the PAK DA in 2009, and its conceptual design was approved three years later. The aircraft is understood to be a subsonic stealth design employing a flying-wing aerodynamic shape. First flight was planned for 2019, with entry into service six years later.
The PAK DA programme looked strong until April 2015, when defence minister Sergei Shoigu demanded that industry restart production of the Tu-160, a non-stealthy supersonic bomber which first flew in 1981.
“The Tu-160 is a unique machine, which when it first appeared was decades ahead of its time. Even now, the capabilities embedded in her design are not yet fully exploited. Nobody else has invented a better supersonic bomber design,” Shoigu said. In his view, a production restart – even though “a major challenge” for UAC – looked feasible, provided the corporation managed “to consolidate [its resources] on reconstruction and renovation of manufacturing facilities”.