The Russian Military Merged Thread- Air Force

[jollyjacktar]

That would have been a long day for the crews. 

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Cruise missile implications for NORAD?

Mark
Ottawa

If you mean as in something new, then no. NORAD has been well aware of the ALCM threat to North America for quite some time.

 

[MarkOttawa]

Retired AF Guy:

If you mean as in something new, then no. NORAD has been well aware of the ALCM threat to North America for quite some time.

As I pointed out some time ago elsewhere:
https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/mark-collins-ho-hum-rcaf-intercepting-bears-part-2-but-much-improving-weapons-system/

And from 2012:

A knowledgeable friend observes:

... Russia is accordingly spending a lot on its strategic bombers and a new generation of cruise missiles. They are emulating the US in seeking conventional, precision, stealthy weapons on their bombers. The new KH-101/102 air-launched cruise missiles have nuclear and conventional variants; they are stealthy, have a very long range and are reputed to be very precise. The Russians have recently announced that these new missiles are entering service...
http://www.cdfai.org.previewmysite.com/the3dsblog/?p=1184#comment-2244

My point was first operational use of Kh-101 (102 nuked), in fairly fancy way--article here from 2013:
http://defense-update.com/20130706_russian_cruise_missiles.html#.Vk_Im79ITIU

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Retired AF Guy:

As I pointed out some time ago elsewhere:
https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/mark-collins-ho-hum-rcaf-intercepting-bears-part-2-but-much-improving-weapons-system/

And from 2012:

My point was first operational use of Kh-101 (102 nuked), in fairly fancy way--article here from 2013:
http://defense-update.com/20130706_russian_cruise_missiles.html#.Vk_Im79ITIU

Mark
Ottawa

The Kh-101 gives Russians the same capability that the US and UK have enjoyed for years with their conventionally armed Tomahawk.

In the NORAD context, I could see a scenario where the Russians and Americans are peeved off enough at each other that they might fire off a few Kh-101s/Tomahawks at each other just to prove a point, but it would be pretty risky.

 

[MarkOttawa]

The Tomahawk (Raytheon) is USN
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/tomahawk/

and not an ALCM--USAF uses the AGM-86 (Boeing):
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104612/agm-86bcd-missiles.aspx

The RAF has no US-made ALCMs (RN has Tomahawks).  The NORAD worry could be the nuclear Kh-102--see (to repeat):

NORAD and Russian Cruise Nukes: “de-escalation”?
https://cgai3ds.wordpress.com/2015/01/22/mark-collins-norad-and-russian-cruise-nukes-de-escalation/

More on nuclear-tipped ALCMs:
http://warontherocks.com/2015/10/why-we-still-need-a-nuclear-armed-cruise-missile/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[CougarKing]

It's not standard procedure for Su24s and Su34s to carry AAMs anyway?

Aviationist

Russian bombers now flying with air-to-air missiles for self-protection over Syria
Dec 02 2015 -
By Jacek Siminski
Following the downing of the Su-24 Fencer on Nov. 24, Russian attack planes fly with air-to-air missiles for self-protection.

The Russian Air Force has decided to arm the Su-34 Fullback attack planes based at Latakia, in Syria, with air-to-air missiles to enhance the defensive capabilities of the aircraft conducting air strikes against terrorists across the country.

This is one of the measures Moscow put in place after a Su-24 Fencer was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 near the Syria-Turkey border on Nov. 24.

A video posted by the Russian MoD, shows the first Su-34 Fullbacks departing from Latakia on Nov. 30 carrying the R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) and R-73 (AA-11 Archer) missiles along with guided (KAB-500KR) and unguided (OFAB-500) bombs

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[CougarKing]

A new platform in Russian service:

Aviationist

Let’s have a look at the Russian Air Force Il-80 Maxdome, Putin’s “doomsday plane”
Dec 04 2015 -
By David Cenciotti
The next generation Il-80 airborne command post is about to enter active service with the Russian Air Force.

The Russian Air Force will soon operate an upgraded Il-80 Maxdome airborne command post.

In fat, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, a “new” version of the Russian “doomsday plane” has recently successfully completed the testing campaign and is ready to enter into active service by the end of the year.


The aircraft is one of the four Il-80 aircraft, heavily modified Il-86 airliners, used as airborne command center in a role similar to that of the U.S. Boeing E-4B since the mid-1980s.

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[CougarKing]

Another Eastern European alternative to the Czech L39?

Aviationist

New Russian forward-swept wing jet trainer has made its first flight. And here’s the video.
Jan 02 2016 -
By David Cenciotti
Developed by a private Russian design bureau, the SR-10 (CP-10) is a single engine, all-composite jet trainer with a (moderate) forward-swept wing.

The footage below shows the first flight of SR-10, a Russian subsonic, single engine, all-composite dual-pilot jet trainer aircraft developed by KB SAT.

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[CougarKing]

A joint Indian Russian program in peril:

Diplomat

India and Russia Fail to Resolve Dispute Over Fifth Generation Fighter Jet

Is the Indo-Russian fifth generation fighter jet program on the verge of collapse?

By Franz-Stefan Gady
January 06, 2016


During the annual India-Russia summit, which took place in late December 2015 in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to resolve an ongoing disagreement between the two countries over the future of a joint fifth generation fighter program.

India and Russia in early 2007 signed an intergovernmental agreement to co-develop a fifth generation fighter–the Sukhol/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) or as it known in India, the Perspective Multi-role Fighter (PMF). The aircraft will be a multi-role, single seat, twin-engine air superiority/deep air support fighter with stealth capabilities and is based on the Sukhoi PAK FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) T-50 prototype, currently undergoing flight tests in Russia.

Ever since 2007, however, the  weapons program has experienced various setbacks.

Delays were caused by New Delhi and Moscow disagreeing over many fundamental aspects of the joint development project including work and cost share, aircraft technology, as well as the number of aircraft to be ordered. After evaluating the first PAK FA T-50 prototype, the Indian Air Force (IAF) wanted more than 40 changes addressing, among other things, perceived weaknesses in the plane’s engine, stealth and weapon-carrying capabilities.

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[CougarKing]

An update on the PAK-DA stealth bomber project, plus the grounding of all MiG31's after last week's crash:

National Interest

How Soon Can Russia Finish Its New Stealth Bomber?
Dave Majumdar

January 25, 2016


The first flight of Moscow’s new Tupolev PAK-DA stealth bomber has been delayed by about three years.

According to Russian officials, the new bomber is now not likely to fly before 2021. The aircraft was previously expected to take flight in 2019. “Work on the PAK DA is coming along and the pace is suiting us,” Russian Air Force chief Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev told the state-owned Sputnik news service this week. “The challenge remains to raise the prototype into air by 2021, but if all continues at the current pace, it will take off even earlier.”

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Other sources say their entire MiG31 fleet was grounded after this crash:

Macleans

 

  Russian fighter jet crashes in Siberia, pilots survive
Defence Ministry says MiG-31 went down in the forest 40 kilometres northwest of the city of Kansk

    The Associated Press

    January 25, 2016


    MOSCOW — The Russian military says one of its fighter jets have crashed on a training mission in Siberia, and the two crew members have bailed out successfully.

    The Defence Ministry says the MiG-31 went down Monday in the forest 40 kilometres (25 miles) northwest of the city of Kansk in the Krasnoyarsk region in eastern Siberia. It said the crew ejected to safety and got in touch with the base.

    The Soviet-built MiG-31 is a twin-engine, two-seat heavy interceptor designed to patrol Russia’s far-flung borders. The military has been modernizing its MiG-31 fleet built during the 1980s, fitting them with modern electronics and weapons control systems.

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[CougarKing]

More Bears on the prowl:

Diplomat

Why Did Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Circumnavigate Japan?

Continued Russian bomber flybys near Japanese airspace suggest that the bilateral relationship remains cool.

By Ankit Panda
January 27, 2016

On Tuesday, January 26, Japan’s Ministry of Defense revealed that the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force had scrambled jets in response to two Russian Tu-95MS “Bear” strategic bombers near its air space. According to a map released by the Japanese government, the two Russian bombers approached Japanese airspace from Russia’s Primorsky province, flying over the Sea of Japan, and eventually flew along the perimeter of Japan’s territorial airspace, encompassing the four main Japanese islands of Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Hokkaido, before returning to Russia.
clipular

The incident isn’t the first incident involving Russian strategic bombers near Japanese airspace by any means. Moscow regularly conducts such activities and Japan scrambles fighters to ensure that its territorial airspace isn’t violated.

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[CougarKing]

Here we go again:

Aviationist

A RUSSIAN SU-34 FULLBACK BOMBER HAS VIOLATED THE TURKISH AIRSPACE YESTERDAY
Jan 30 2016

By David Cenciotti
IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN….
Turkey has summoned the Russian envoy after a Russian Air Force Su-34 Fullback bomber allegedly violated the Turkish airspace during a mission from Hmeymim airbase, near Latakia, in northwestern Syria.

The incident, took place on Friday Jan. 29, and according to Ankara, several warnings in Russian and in English were radioed to aircraft: in other words, something similar to what happened little more than 2 month ago, on Nov. 24, 2015, when a Su-24 Fencer was shot down by a Turkish Air Force F-16 near the border with Syria.

However, unlike the last violation, that eventually led to the downing of the Fencer (and the death of one of the two crew members) this time, the Russian Su-34 was not shot down (even though we don’t really know if the Turkish Air Force attempted to…)

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “We are making a clear call to the Russian Federation not to violate Turkish airspace, which is also NATO airspace.”

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[CougarKing]

More aggressive Russian moves:

Aviationist

Russian Su-27 buzzes U.S. RC-135U spyplane. Once again.
Jan 29 2016 -
By Dario Leone

On Jan. 25, 2016 a U.S. Air Force RC-135U electronic intelligence gathering aircraft was intercepted by a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet while performing a routine sortie in international airspace over Black Sea.

As reported by Freebeacon.com, during the interception, the Su-27 made an aggressive turn that disturbed the controllability of the RC-135.

Navy Capt. Daniel Hernandez, chief spokesman for the U.S. European Command explained that the interception was conducted in an unsafe and unprofessional manner and that the U.S. are looking into this issue.

According to some defense officials, the RC-135 was flying 30 miles from the coast (well within international airspace and far way from any Russian territory) when the Su-27 flanked the intelligence gathering jet and then performed an aggressive turn to break-away from it.

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[CougarKing]

The latest in the "War of Words" between Ankara and Moscow over airspace use:

Aviationist

Turkey has denied a Russian Open Skies observation flight over its territory because it was near the Syrian border
Feb 10 2016 -
By Dario Leone

Turkey has barred a Russian Antonov An-30B spyplane, that was supposed to operate out of Eskisehir airfield, Turkey, on Feb. 1 to 5, from performing an Open Skies Treaty flight over its territory.

As told to Tass.ru by Sergey Ryzhkov, chief of the Russian Defense Ministry’s department for control of implementation of treaties, the Turkish military refused to allow the flight to take place after the flight route was discovered to include observation areas adjacent to the Syrian border and airfields where NATO aircraft are concentrated.

Ryzhkov added that, in this way “A dangerous precedent was created of an uncotrolled military activity of an Open Skies Treaty member state. We are not going to leave without proper attention and relevant reaction violations of the Open Skies Treaty on the part of the Turkish republic.”

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[CougarKing]

Russian ELINT plane over Syria:

Aviationist

Russia has just deployed its most modern spyplane to Syria
Feb 15 2016 -
By David Cenciotti
A Russian Air Force Tu-214R is about to land at Latakia, Syria.

The Tu-214R is a Russian ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft. In other words, a quite advanced spyplane.

As we have already explained here in the past, it is a special mission aircraft equipped with all-weather radar systems and electro optical sensors that produce photo-like imagery of a large parts of the ground: these images are then used to identify and map the position of the enemy forces, even if these are camouflaged or hidden.

The aircraft is known to carry sensor packages to perform ELINT (Electronic Intelligence) and SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) missions: the antennae of the Tu-214R can intercept the signals emitted by the enemy systems (radars, aircraft, radios, combat vehicles, mobile phones etc) so as it can build the EOB (Electronic Order of Battle) of the enemy forces: where the enemy forces are operating, what kind of equipment they are using and, by eavesdropping into their radio/phone communications, what they are doing and what will be their next move.

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[CougarKing]

Putin's pilots letting the Bundeswaffe know they're watching:

Aviationist

Russian fighters often shadow German Tornados over Syria but “they do it professionally” Luftwaffe says
Feb 17 2016 -
By Dario Leone
Close encounters in the skies over Syria between Russian and German fighters.

As reported by several media outlets on Feb. 16, Russian Air Force (RuAF) fighter jets often shadow German Air Force (GAF) Tornados performing reconnaissance missions in Syrian airspace.

But as explained by RT.com, both sides act professionally and prevent incidents.

A claim that was also confirmed by Lt. Gen. Joachim Wundrak, a Luftwaffe official recently returned from anti-ISIS coordination center in Qatar, who told to Rheinische Post daily that RuAF pilots take no aggressive actions against their German colleagues and that no incidents have been registered because “those encounters go on professionally.”

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[CougarKing]

I assume such a Russian over flight would partially cross Canadian airspace:

Canadian Press

Russia wants to fly over US with advanced digital camera
[The Canadian Press]
Deb Riechmann, The Associated Press

February 22, 2016


WASHINGTON - Russia will ask permission on Monday to start flying surveillance planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras amid warnings from U.S. intelligence and military officials that such overflights help Moscow collect intelligence on the United States.

Russia and the United States are signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which allows unarmed observation flights over the entire territory of all 34 member nations to foster transparency about military activity and help monitor arms control and other agreements. Senior intelligence and military officials, however, worry that Russia is taking advantage of technological advances to violate the spirit of the treaty.

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[CougarKing]

Probably not the last we'll see of this aircraft over Syria?

Aviationnist

Job done! Russia’s most advanced spyplane is returning home after deployment in Syria
Feb 29 2016 - 0 Comments
By David Cenciotti
The Tu-214R is currently returning to Russia after a 14-day deployment to Syria.

The Russian Air Force Tu-214R ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft that was deployed to Syria on Feb. 15 is seemingly returning home.

The aircraft could be tracked online on Flightradar24 thanks to the signals of its ADS-B transponder as it flew from Hmeymim airbase, near Latakia, over the southern Syrian airspace, then into Iraq: the aircraft is likely following the eastern corridor that overflies Iran and the Caspian Sea, and it is possibly returning to Kazan, where KAPO (Kazan Aircraft Production Association), the Russian company that builds the plane.

So, the aircraft has eventually completed its first tour of duty in Syria using its wide array of radar systems and electro optical sensors to map the position of the enemy forces or intercept the signals emitted by the enemy systems (radars, aircraft, radios, combat vehicles, mobile phones etc).

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[The Bread Guy]

I assume such a Russian over flight would partially cross Canadian airspace:

Canadian Press

Maybe, but there are Russian flights to spy on Canada to meet the terms of the Treaty on Open Skies, too.

 

[tomahawk6]

While this truck is still a concept vehicle,I do like the look and hope it enters production.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-zil-builds-a-futuristic-armored-assault-wagon-1666346817

Although it looks like a low-end sci-fi movie prop, this could be Russia's version of the armored Humvee of the future. With drastically angled armor plating and a huge grill, Zil claims that this yet-to-be-named armored car has been commissioned by the Russian Army and will likely enter production soon. Yes, it looks like an agricultural tool from 2059, but that's exactly the kind of stuff Zil makes.