UAC Expects Revenue Growth

State-owned United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is forecasting revenue growing to $26.6 billion by 2025, chief executive Mikhail Pogosyan told a forum on innovation.

“UAC is now showing 18 percent annual revenue growth,” he said, predicting income of $11.5 billion in 2015 and $26.6 billion by 2025. Further growth for the corporation required a modified industrial model that would help increase labour capacity more than sevenfold and cut costs by 25 percent, he added.

Pogosyan said the company was now producing aircraft in three segments, namely civil, transport and military, and would adopt a division model by 2018 which meant 50, 20 and 25 percent for each type respectively. Special purpose aircraft would take the other five percent.

The new model would be based on multi-programme competence centres and specialisation centres, Pogosyan added. Innovative technologies developed in these centres would not be applied in one design bureau and on one programme but would be available for all corporation activities.

Putin Discussed Military-Technical Cooperation with Chinese Delegation

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met vice-chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, Colonel-General Xu Qiliang to discuss military-technical cooperation between the two countries.

The talks also involved Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Alexander Fomin.

China’s delegation included chief of the General Armament Department Zhang Youxia, Minister of Industry and Information Technology Miao Wei and deputy chief of the General Staff Wang Guanzhong.

Restyled Lada Priora for Ukraine

Delivery of a restyled Lada Priora to Ukraine has begun. The first batch, sent in October, included nine upgraded Priora vehicles.

The starting price for the restyled Lada on the Ukrainian market remains unknown. The updated car has new front and rear bumpers. Designers also upgraded the interior with a new dashboard and upholstery.

The car’s sidelights were combined with daytime running lights, and the radio player was replaced with a multimedia system.

A vehicle stability system, climate control, and an engine preheater were also added.

A new Priora sedan has a retail price of 444,800 rubles for fabric seats and 447,300 rubles for imitation leather seats.

Two Russian Tu-160 Bombers Arrived in Venezuela

Two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers performed flight from Engels air base to Venezuela, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD).

 The bombers flew over the Caribbean and eastern part of Pacific Ocean, along the south-west coast of North America, and landed at Maiquetia airfield in Venezuela.

 In addition, two Tu-95MS bombers provided communications between the control points involved in the mission and located in remote areas.

 According to the MoD, the bombers covered a distance of more than 10,000 kilometers. The duration of flight was about 13 hours. Two F-16 fighters took off from Bodo air base and escorted the bombers during flight in the Norwegian airspace.

Joint Military Exercise of Russia and Belarus to be Held in 2015

Russia and Belarus will hold joint military exercises titled 2015-Union Shield, following the success of the recent Zapad-2013 drills conducted recently by the two nations, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.

“We have evaluated the results of the Zapad-2013 joint strategic exercise,” he said. “The results of the maneuvers were rated positively.”

The experience gained “will be taken into account in preparing the joint Union Shield-2015 exercise,” Shoigu said following a meeting of the Russian and Belarusian defense officials on Tuesday.

This year’s exercise involved about 12,000 Russian and 200 Belarusian servicemen, 180 combat vehicles, including 10 tanks, as well as 10 ships from Russia’s Baltic Fleet and 40 aircraft.

Russian Helicopters in SEOUL ADEX 2013

The holding company Russian Helicopters is participating in SEOUL ADEX 2013, the international exhibition of aerospace and defense technologies, which runs from October 29 to November 3 in Seoul (Republic of South Korea).

The holding company will present the unique, medium-size, multipurpose Ka-32A11BC helicopter, which is used in more than 30 countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, the EU, Canada, Russia, and others. Experts recognize the Ka-32A11BC as one of the best search-and-rescue and firefighting helicopters in the world. It is indispensable in responding to natural and man-made fires and other disasters, as well in eliminating their effects.

In 2009 the Ka-32A11BC was certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and in February 2013 by Australia’s aviation regulator. The helicopter is also compliant with FAR29 and AP-29 standards.

Eastern Military District Air Base in Transbaikal to Take Delivery of Su-30SM

The air base of Eastern Military District (EMD) located in Transbaikal will take delivery of Su-30SM fighters in 2013, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the head of the EMD’s press-service, Lieutenant Colonel, Alexander Gordeev.

 “The advanced “4++”-generation Su-30SM fighters will be delivered to the airbase located in Transbaikal by the end of this year. I am talking about full-scale arming of our aviation units,” Gordeev said.

 According to him, most of the airbase’s pilots have already passed retraining for piloting the new jets in special training centers of the air forces. “In the near-term they will carry out acceptance procedure at the manufacturer’s site and then the pilots will ferry the jets to their home base,” Gordeev explained.

Uzbekistan Intends to Resume the Assembly of Il-114

Uzbekistan plans to resume the assembly of Il-114 aircraft at Tashkent Aviation Production Association named after V.P. Chkalov (TAPOiCh), RIA Novosti reports with reference to a representative of the enterprise.

 According to the source, the external management procedure will be completed on November 1st. After that the enterprise’s bankruptcy proceeding will be cancelled and it will be renamed as Tashkent Mechanical Plant on January 1st 2014. The plant will keep its major specialization profile – assembly and repair of aircraft.

 “During the external management procedure we have paid off our debts and converted our production capacities in order to focus on assembly of Il-114 instead of Il-76”, – the source said.

 He noted that “Russian party is interested” in resuming the assembly of Il-114 aircraft in Tashkent. “It is hard to promote this vehicle, because there are some rivals (in particular, An-140), but we also have some plans”, – he said declining to unveil these plans.

Russia and Belarus Defense Ministries Proposed Program to Improve Military Infrastructure Facilities

The Defense Ministries of Russia and Belarus are developing a program for the improvement of the facilities of the military infrastructure, Russian Defense Minister General of Army Sergei Shoigu said after a meeting of the joint collegium of the Defense Ministries of the countries here on Tuesday.

“We have summarized the results of work for the development of a new program of the Union State (Russia, Belarus) to improve the facilities of the military infrastructure for the joint use in order to provide for the regional grouping of troops,” he said. “In 2014 we will put it up for approval by the Council of Ministers of the Union State,” he noted.

The participants in the meeting “considered and approved some progress in fulfilling the plan of joint events of the defense ministries for 2013-2015,” the minister said. “Within next two years the defense ministries will focus on the improvement of the legal base of bilateral cooperation, the planning of the use of the regional armed group, development of joint systems, primarily control systems, intelligence, air defense, communications and radioelectronic warfare,” Shoigu said.

Russia to Deliver 4 S-300 Air Defense Units to Belarus

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia will hand over to Belarus four S-300 air defense units to help the republic build up its air defense capability.

“At a meeting with Belarusian Defense Minister Yuri Zhadobin, we discussed pressing issues of military cooperation between Russia and Belarus,” Shoigu told reporters on Tuesday, following a session of the joint board of the two ministries.

“We’re taking actions to develop and increase the combat potential of the unified regional air defense system; to this end we are building up the Belarusian air defense capability,” the Russian defense minister said. “We’re planning to hand over four S-300 units to Belarus.”