Sanctions imposed against Russia have not affected the deliveries of Sukhoi Superjet to Mexico yet

Sanctions imposed against Russia by USA and EU have not affected the deliveries of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft to Interjet (Mexico), ITAR-TASS reports with reference to the head of the airline.

CEO of the airline, Jose Luis Garsa, expressed hope that “political situation will not affect the implementation of the previously signed contract” for delivery of 20 airliners.

“At present Interjet is operating 9 Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft and few liners of the type should be delivered to the carrier soon”, – Garsa noted. According to him, “two jets of the type will be delivered to our company in two weeks; the number of SSJ 100 liners operated by Interjet will reach 15 ones by year end”.

“The rest 5 liners of the type will be delivered next year”, – Garsa added. According to him, the contract will be implemented by July 2015.

“We hope that decisions made by diplomats and government officials will not affect the deliveries”, – the source noted. Garsa stressed that “there were no signals that the deliveries may be delayed”. He also expressed hope that the political situation will change.

“We are doing business, however, political decisions taken by the leaders of different countries affect our activities”, – Garsa said.

UWCA and Diamond to develop an aircraft for the Russian Ministry of Defense

Specialists of the joint venture between Diamond Aircraft and Ural Works of Civil Aviation (UWCA, Sverdlovsk Region) will complete the conceptual design of DA-42T aircraft intended for Russian Ministry of Defense, i-Mash reports.

According to the information policy department of the governor of Sverdlovsk Region, “UWCA won the tender for development of a new aircraft for the Ministry of Defense. Other governmental agencies have also expressed interest in the aircraft, so the state procurement may be expanded in future”, – the governor of Sverdlovsk Region, Evgeny Kuivashev, explained.

Cooperation between the companies will create about 500 new jobs. Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft, said: “I have visited Sverdlovsk Region and UWCA enterprise many times and I think that this region offers ideal conditions for development of production”.

The joint venture between Diamond Aircraft and UWCA was established almost two years ago. At present its backlog stands at 3 billion rubles. In June 2013 UWCA was chosen as the only manufacturer of Diamond aircraft in Russia and CIS Region.

The armed forces of Thailand purchased two Mi-17V-5 helicopters worth $40 million

The armed forces of Thailand signed contract for delivery of the second batch of Russian-produced helicopters, including two Mi-17V-5s, RIA Novosti reports with reference to an official; representative of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT).

In February 2011 Thailand purchased three Mi-17V-5 helicopters – the first order for Russian-produced helicopters placed by the country.

“Terms and conditions of the contract have been discussed since October 2013. The contract for delivery of two helicopters to the Thai army was signed in Moscow this year”, — the representative of CAWAT said.

Rosoboronexport declined to comment on the situation.

In October 2013 government of Thailand approved the purchase of eight additional multi-role helicopters intended for the Thai army (Mi-17V-5 and UH-72A Lakota made by Eurocopter North America).

The program included purchase of 6 UH-72As worth $55,4 million and two Mi-17V-5s worth $39,9 million. The government stated that the purchase will be funded from defense budgets for the 2013-2015 period.

Engineering Holding Company opens paint hangar in Mineralnye Vody

Engineering – The Aviation Maintenance Holding opens a paint hangar for narrow-body aircraft at its Mineralnye Vody branch, the company’s press-service reports.

“The company’s Mineralnye Vody branch is within two hours’ flight of the Russian capital and it is ready to service customers from Russia, Europe and Middle East. In addition to painting services, Mineralnye Vody branch offers MRO services. This service demonstrates high growth rates with 14 heavy maintenance checks completed in 2012 and 20 checks completed in 2013”, – the press-service noted.

Total investments in this project amounted to $6 million. The project was financed through loans and it should pay off in 7 years or less, excluding synergy effects from combinations of painting services and maintenance in adjacent facilities of Engineering Holding Company. The paint hangar is based at the Civil Aviation Plant No. 411.

Engineering Holding Company uses state-of-the-art technologies to ensure the highest quality and the optimal timing of orders. The hangar’s infrastructure allows completing one work cycle in 7 days; thus, the hangar can service up to four aircraft per month. 25 new specialists were hired and trained to manage the hangar. All employees have successfully passed their training courses under the guidance of experts from MAAS B.V., CEE-BEE, Akzo Nobel, Graco. As part of the training courses, the employees completed the painting of three Airbus A320 aircraft using Akzo Nobel and PPG systems and Base Coat/Clear Coat technologies. The demonstrated quality and efficiency matched the standards of the industry’s leading companies.

Main landfill of the international exhibition Russia Arms EXPO in Nizhny Tagil met its anniversary with shot from howitzer of 1910/30 year model

Today the main ground of the International exhibition of arms Russia Arms EXPO in Nizhny Tagil met its 75th anniversary with a shot from a howitzer sample of 1910/30 year.

“In the history of the landfill almost 5 million shots are produced from all types of Soviet weapons. If we imagine that there was a shot every minute, the cannonade would last nearly nine years,” the Head of the Public Relations of Nizhny Tagil Metals Testing Institute Denis Koksharov said, adding that 122-mm howitzer is a symbol of the Institute.

“The history of the Ural artillery range began on October 1, 1939 with the first shot from the same gun,” he said. During the Great Patriotic War production of 182 Soviet military factory was tested at the site and ammunition assembly was carried for the front.

In 1960s the landfill received scientific status, flight-testing facilities and special design bureau of instrumentation were established.

Denis Manturov: imports of electronic products will be reduced by 2 times until 2020

Ministry of Industry and Trade (Ministry of Industry) has set a goal to almost halve the share of imports of electronic components in the Russian market from 82% to 44% until 2020. The priority areas of import substitution will be special and professional segments that are most relevant to the country’s defense. This was discussed at a meeting of the Russian Government under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on the state and prospects of development of the domestic microelectronics. This was reported by the press service of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.

“For the successful implementation of the Strategy of electronic industry it is necessary, first of all, to boost production at the expense of a focused development of priority segments until 2030. Among them are professional and special avionics, which are essential for the economic potential and the country’s defense, and that will be targeted state support, “said the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

Iraq received first Russian air defense systems

Contemporary air defense systems delivered by Russia to Iraq will improve national security and protection of vital sites, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said.

“System operators have been trained in the manufacturing country,” says a ministry report. “Only a handful of states possess such advanced air defense systems,” it emphasized.

The video clips and photographs provided by the Iraqi Defense Ministry demonstrate the Pantsir-S1 air defense missile and artillery systems and Dzhigit man-portable air defense missile launchers. It was reported earlier that Baghdad had asked Moscow for weapons in the midst of an offensive by the radical organization, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and the related escalation of tensions in Iraq.

Reportedly, contracts with a value exceeding $1 billion were signed during Iraqi Defense Minister Sadun Farhan al-Dulaymi’s Moscow visit this July for the delivery of a large batch of artillery armaments and ammunition.

Sea trials of landing craft Lieutenant Rimsky-Korsakov completed

Sea and mooring trials of landing craft Lieutenant Rimsky-Korsakov (Project 21820) built by Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant for Russia’s Baltic Fleet are successfully completed, press center of Baltic Fleet informed.

Seafarers of the Baltic Fleet’s assault shipping naval unit in conjunction with the manufacturers checked the quality of assembling and functioning of all systems and mechanisms responsible for the boat’s operational readiness and crew life support. Besides, maneuver and speed trials were held, military equipment was checked and landing of wheel/track vehicles was performed.

Landing crafts of the project 21820 are intended for high-speed transfer by sea and landing on an unequipped coast of human contingents, wheeled and tracked vehicles. High speed of the boat is ensured by the presence of the air cavity on the bottom, powerful diesel engines М507А-2D and ventilated water jet propellers.