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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 3246.PDF
of Rafael NT-D anti-tank missiles and rocket systems, The air force wants theaircraft by 2002 and will keep them until around 2015. Romania also wants to add 96 1AR AH - 1RO Draculas to its inventory. A version of the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter, its programme has been stalled by funding difficulties. Bell Helicopter has taken a 70% stake in IAR as part of the deal, while Flbit has been selected to provide the avionics and sensor package. One upgrade which has secured funding is an improvement to 241AR-99 Soim trainers, which will receive Israeli avionics in a package similar to the MiG-21 Lancer including multi function displays, MUD, display and sight helmet, defensive aids suite and improved navigation equipment. The type has been in service as an armed trainer since 1988. Omer"'new* equipment includes fourex-USAFC-130B 1 lercules delivered in late 1996. The air force requires tankers and an AEW platform and lias been linked to relevant ver sions of the C-130 in both instances. The chain of command is split into two air force and air defence corps which split the country along a south west-north east line. Number 1 corps at Ploesti controls the airbases at Borcea-Fetesti, Constanta, lanaca, Bacau,Tuzla,TccuciandTitu. The first fourbasesare equipped widi Squadrons of 11-5 Beagles, IAR-99 and L-39 armed trainers, Mi(i-29s and ,\li( i-21 s of various types. The remainder operate helicopter squadrons with licence-built 31 36 45 20 100 74 24/2 3 trng trng trng trng utility/SAR trans trans VIP L-39ZA Albatros IAR-823 L-29 Delfin Yak-52 IAR316 Alouette III IAR330H/L Puma Mi-8/17 Hip SA365N Dauphin **more required NAVAL AIR ARM The small Romanian naval air is based at'Fuz.la close to die Black sea coast. It is equipped with six \li-14PL I laze anti submarine helicopters and six licence- built Pumas, also equipped for anti-submarine warfare, five IAR316 Alouette Ills are used for light transport and embark aboard die navy's destroyer and frig-ate fleets. AIR FORCE The decline in Russian aviation continues. Effectiveness is sapped by ageing aircraft, lack of maintenance, low flying hours because ol lack of fuel and almost no new aircraft being delivered. There has been some reform of the air force, but its impact has been relatively small. The service remains plagued Russia's Su-24 Fencers should be replaced by strike-optimised Su-27 variants, but build rate is slow Pumas and Alouette Ills. Number 2 corps at Timisoara con trols the Squadrons based at Giannata, Craiova, Campia Turzii, Caracal-Deveselu, Sibiu, and Caransebes. The first four airbases are equipped with .YliG-21 s, Oraos and MiG- 23s, while the two others operate Pumas and Alouette Ills. The air force academy is at Brasov and is equipped with vari ous unarmed trainers. An assault/air cavalry unit is based at Alexeni with Mi-8/17s, Pumas and Alouette Ills, while a VIP and transport unit is based at Bucharest. Type No Rola MiG-29A/UB Fulcrum MiG-23MF/UM Flogger MiG-21 Fishbed/Lancer Mig-21U Mongol/Lancer IAR93B/PRS1/2/DC Orao H-5SC/DC (11-28) Beagle An-2 Colt An-24 Coke An-26 Curl An-30 Clank C-130B Hercules IAR-99 Soim 15/3 34/6 183 33 60/14 10/2 17 6 11 3 4 15" int/trng int/trng int/attack trng attack/trng recon/attack/EW trans trans trans trans/surv trans trng by a loss of experienced manpower and procurement pro grammes in tatters. Almost all combat aircraft programmes are at a standstill. Russia is struggling to maintain the expertise and ability to produce modern combat aircraft and weapons when the economy can provide funding for it; at present this prospect is remote. I he MF1 (mnogofunktsionalny instrebytel) programme for a multirole fighter is still thought to exist, but there appears to have been no meaningful progress. The Sukhoi S3 7 Berkut forward-swept wing technology demonstrator flew in September 1997, but the project has stalled after a short test programme. Similarly, the MiG 1.42 prototype multirole fighter prototype remains in a hangar at the LII Flight Test centre at Zhukovsky and will probably never fly. The air force's most realistic hope for a new tactical aircraft is the LFI (Logkiy Frontovoi Istrebityel - light frontal fight er) which Russian designers compare to the Joint Strike Fighter project. So far the project remains at die concept stage with Sukhoi and MiG designs rumoured to exist. Another critical air force requirement is for tactical and long range strike aircraft. The Sukhoi Su-271 B (also known as Su-34) is on order to replace the Su-24 Fencer, but procure ment Solaris limited toa handful ot aire raft with no major pur- chase in the offing. The multirole Su-30 is also in service in minute numbers, with India and China taking new airframes. Further purchases for the Russian air force are likely to be greatly reliant on production runs from foreign customers. TheMiG-29S.\rr/lBT is probably the only new combat aircraft likely to enter service in the following year, with a handful in production. The air force intends to convert around 200-300 of its early model MiG-29s to the new stan dard to provide a tactical air-to-ground capability supple menting the Sukhoi Su-25. The defence force (PVO) merged with the air force 1 March 1998, bringing the fleet of MiG-31 and Su-27 inter ceptors and surface to air missiles under a single command. I he merged force has shed 45% of its combined manpower, a loss of 122,000 men. All force strength figures are approximate. Actual avail ability of aircraft to units is probably much lower due to unser- viceability and lack of fuel. LONG RANGE AVIATION/DALNAYA AVIATSIYA The ageing Tu-95MS armed with AS-15 cruise missiles remains the primary long-range strategic bomber asset, with a token force of five Tu-160 Blackjack bombers based at Fngels near Saratov ope rational. Talks on acquiring Ukraine's mothballed Tu-160 fleet reached an impasse last year and have been abandoned. The air force has a declared requirement lor a Tu-95 replacement; designs are reported to be at the concept stage, but funding is unlikely to be forthcoming until well into the next decade, if ever. The Tu-22.V13 may be upgraded to enable it to remain a credible interim substratcgic platform. Total force strength is thought to be around 100 Tu-22Ms and 80 Tu-95s. Tinker support is provided by about 2011-78 Alidas aircraft. FRONTAL AVIATION/FRONTOVAYA AVIATSIYA Frontal Aviation, which is responsible for supporting the ground forces, has been drastically reduced by defence cuts and die retirement of the MiG -23 and MiG-27, Sukhoi Su- 17, Su-22, and some MiG-25s. The force is a priority for modernisation, possibly widi multirole ,VliG-29SMTs. Principal types in service are die Su-24 and Su-25. The Su-24MR is the main reconnaissance asset, with high altitude reconnaissance remaining the preserve of the ,YliG-25R/RB (around 40-50 aircraft). Similar numbers of MiG-25BMs serve in the defence suppression role with the Kli-58 anti- radar missile. The Su-271B and Su-30are also candidates to replace the Su-24, but production of both continues at very slow rates and neither type is likely to be in service in unitstrength until 2005 at least. About 450 Su-24s and 180 Su-25s are thought to be in service. AIR DEFENCE AVIATION The new force is a combination ol the former PVO (air defence service) and fighter elements of the air force; it includes fighter, interceptor and airborne early warning and command aircraft. The service also has about 2,000 air defence missile systems. The force is believed to operate around 300 YliG-3 Is, 200 Su-27s, 16 Bcricv A-50 AEW aircraft and small numbers of MiG-25 interceptors, probably now in storage. Suggestions of a modernisation package tor the MiG-3 1, either in the shape of the MiG-31M interceptor or a multirole Foxhound derivative, are probably destined to remain a man ufacturer's pipe dream. 84 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 December 1998
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