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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 1637.PDF
MILITARY AIRCRAFT DIRECTORY gets simultaneously. But development of the system is thought to have been halted, and the 1.44 does not appear to have a real radome. MIG-AT RSK IS competing with Yakovlev for the Rus sian air force's requirement to replace Aero L-39 trainers. Its MiG-AT is a two-seat, twin turbofan, advanced trainer. The prototype rolled out in May 1995 and flew in March 1997. France is heavily involved in the programme, with Snecma/Turbomeca providing the Larzac engine and Sextant the avionics. The aircraft is fly-by-wire and has a light strike capability. RSK has outlined plans for dedicated combat trainer and single seat light attack versions. RSK plans to install Soyuz RD-1700 engines in the MiG-AT advanced trainer by early next year, as the Russian engines cost about half the price of their French equivalents. LFI RSK HAS begun work on a lightweight fighter, the LFI, to supersede the MiG-29. Single- and twin-engined designs are being considered for an aircraft on the 20t class. In April 2000, Maj Gen Sergey Kolyadin, the chairman of the Russian Air Forces Scientific Engineering Committee, said Russia is to introduce such a fighter by 2010. • 111 i I I I^^M Saab Aircraft, Linkoping, SE-58188, Sweden, Tel:+4613 18 00 00; fax: + 46131818 02; www.saab.se JAS39 GRIPEN THE GRIPEN has won its first export cus tomer, having been selected by South Africa late last year. The aircraft achieved initial operating capacity with the Swedish air force in September 1997. Sweden has ordered 190 sin gle-seat JAS39As and 28 JAS39Bs two-seaters, the first of which was delivered last year. Saab and BAE are working collaboratively on a Gripen export variant, selected by South Africa and offered to Chile and several East European countries. Sweden is also looking at future upgrades to the Gripen including thrust- vectoring, an active-array radar and an IR search and track sensor. SEPECAT Sepecat, Zone Aeronautique Louis Breguet, PO Box 12, Velizy, Villacoublay, F-78140, France; tel: +33 (4 )741 7921 JAGUAR HINDUSTAN Aeronautics continues to deliv er licence-built Jaguars to the Indian air force. The RAF, meanwhile, continues progressive upgrades of its Jaguars, which are expected to remain in service until at least 2008. RAF improvements include upgraded en gines, TERPROM terrain reference naviga tion, new secure radios, TLALD targeting pod, a helmet mounted sight, and ASRAAMs. Oman has a similar upgrade programme under way. SHENYANG Shenyang Aircraft, No.l Lingbei Street, Huanggu District, Shenyang 110034, Uaoning, China Tel:+86 24 689 6680; fax: +86 24 689 6689; www.air.sy.cei.go.cn J-8/F-8 FINBACK THEJ-8/F-8 FINBACKis the focusof a major upgrade programme, with Russian radar house Phazotron and missile supplier Vympel involved in the F-8IIM project. A prototype first flew in 1996. Changes include a Russian Zhuk-8II radar, new cockpit with HOTAS controls, INS/GPS navigation, and MFDs and more powerful WP-13AIII turbojets. Weapons include Chinese and Russian AAMs and the Kh-31 anti-ship missile. The J-8II remains in production for the Chinese air force, replacing the J-8I in front line units, as the J-8D, which, almost uniquely for China, has an inflight refuelling capability. The F-8IUVI was originally intended primar ily for export, although the Chinese air force may also purchase the aircraft. Sukhoi, Sukhoi Design Bureau, 23A Polikarpov Street, Moscow 125284, Russia; tel: +7 (095) 945 65 25; fax: +7 (095) 200 42 43 SU-25/SU-39 FROGFOOT THE LATEST version of the Su-2 5, the Su-25TM (Su-39) now under development, is an all-weather version of the Su-2 5T. Several prototype Su-25TMs have been completed. These are believed to be modified Su-25Ts, 12 of which were built. One Su-25TM is being used for Kopyo-25 radar trials at the Ahktubinsk test centre and later aircraft will carry the radar in a modified nose as the Su-25SM. The cockpit has been updated with MFDs, while FLIR and ECM pods will improve the aircraft's operational capabilities. This year UUAPO of Ulan-Ude will pro duce two Sukhoi Su-25TMs while six opera tional Su-25s will be upgraded to Su-25TM standard by Russian air force. SU-27 FLANKER THE SU-27 remains the mainstay of the Russian aircraft industry and has been exported to China among others. Two batches amount ing to 50 Su-2 7s have been delivered and licence production has started as the SAC J-11. The Russian navy's carrier air capability arm is equipped with Su-27Ks (Su-33/T-lOKs), with movable foreplanes, folding wingand tailplane, strengthened landing gear and an arrestor hook. These aircraft provide the Kuznetsov aircraft carrier with air defence, although, without radar modifications, they cannot be used in the mar itime-strike role. Su-27SK/SMK export deriv atives have an air-to-ground capability. Su-27Us are tandem trainers. SU-27M (SU-35/SU-37) SUKHOI'S Su-27M programme was intended as a mid-life update of the basic Flanker. The most recent prototype to be shown publicly, air craft 711, is fitted with thrust-vectoring nozzles and referred to as the Su-37. The Russian air force has failed so far to order the Su-27M and the pace of development has been leisurely. At least two pre-production models are locat ed at the Russian air force's Ahktubinsk test cen tre. The Su-27M is intended to be fitted with an NIIP phased-array radar and colour MFDs. The Su-35 is Sukhoi's offering in competi tions against the F-15E, Rafale and Typhoon. SU-30/SU-30MK THE SU-30 PROJECT was initiated to devel op a two-seat fighter-controller aircraft capable of handing off targets to Su-27 interceptors via a datalink. The Su-30 was designed for the Soviet air-defence forces, and a handful of air craft have been delivered. Eight Su-30s have been delivered to India in the first stage of the country's four-phase Su-30MKI programme which will eventually be based around a western avionics package. The full MKI specification, with thrust-vector ing and a phased- array radar, is more akin to the thrust-vectoringvariantof the Su-27M than the basic Su-30. China has ordered a similar air craft, albeit with developed versions of the Russian avionics, as the Su-30MKK. SU-27IB (SU-34/SU-32FN/SU-33KUB) THE SUKHOI Su-27IB, the two-seat, side- by-side, strike variant of the Flanker intercep tor, was first exhibited at Minsk in February 1992. At least six aircraft are being flown, with more under construction. The airframe is also A small number of Russian air force Su-25s are to be upgraded to Su-25TM standard 62 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 23 - 29 May 2000
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