Russia may make landing on the Moon by end of next decade

Russia’s Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has worked out the outer space exploration program that also includes exploration of the Moon, Roscosmos representative Yuri Makarov told a news conference at TASS on Friday.
“This year, together with the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kurchatov National Research Center, Rosatom (State Atomic Energy Corporation) we have prepared the outer space exploration program. It is ambitious not only in terms of funding, but also in terms of technical devices’ production,” he said. “The Moon is the program’s cornerstone,” the official added.

Director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences Lev Zeleny said for his part that Russian cosmonauts in the middle of the next decade would fly over the Moon and by the end of decade may land on it. Initially, the Moon exploration will be conducted by the Luna-26 and Luna-27 automatic landers.
Russia will need the European soft landing system for landing its Luna-Resurs probe on the Moon. The corresponding agreement between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) is currently being considered by the Russian government, Maksim Martynov, first deputy chief designer of the NPO Lavochkin Research and Production Association, said Friday.

Russia to revamp missile warning system with space-based EKS satellites

Russia will replace its existing missile-warning system with a space-based alternative to help protect the country from nuclear attack, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Thursday.

The so-called “united space system,” or EKS, will comprise a new generation of missile monitoring satellites and modernized command centers, Shoigu said, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

“The creation of the united space system is a key developmental direction for Russia’s nuclear deterrence forces,” Shoigu was quoted as saying.

The new system will be able to track ground and ocean launches, including of prototypes unfamiliar to Russian forces at the time of the launch, the minister said.

He did not say when the “unified space system,” which was first announced in 2011, would go into operation or how much it would cost.

New anti-missile radars to cover entire Russia territory

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to finish the construction of several new anti-missile radars within five years to cover the entire Russian territory, a senior defense official said Friday.

The Voronezh-DM radar in Siberia’s Irkutsk Region completed state trials on September 30.

“Within the next five years we plan to produce and put into service similar stations at other designated locations, covering the entire Russian territory with a continuous radar field,” Col. Oleg Stepanov said.

According to previous reports, new radar stations of the Voronezh class will be located in east Siberia’s Krasnoyarsk Territory, in south Siberia’s Altai Republic and in the Orenburg region in south Urals.

Radar stations are the key elements of the missile attack early warning system. In October 2012, Col. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko, who was the commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces at that time, said that the construction and renovation of the missile attack warning system is scheduled for completion before the appointed time – until 2020.

Sukhoi handed over batch of Su-35 and Su-30M2 aircraft to the Ministry of Defense

Today the Sukhoi Company handed over a batch of Su-35 and Su-30M2 fighter aircraft to the Ministry of Defense in the framework of the common day of acceptance of the military equipment delivered by the defense industry. The transfer ceremony which took place at the airport of the Sukhoi Company’s branch – Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation plant was watched in live video-conference mode by the Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, the military leadership.

The aircraft were produced in accordance with the State orders for the supply of combat aircraft to the Russian Air Force under the State Armament Program for the years 2011 – 2020. Their implementation will ensure a deep modernization of the Russian Air Force and provide for a high long-term work load for the Sukhoi Company and its partners.

The Su-35S is a deeply modernized super-maneuverable multirole fighter of the “4 + +” generation. The applied technologies of the 5th generation provide for the superiority of Su-35S aircraft over similar class fighters. The aircraft has a much better flight characteristics compared with standing analog fighters and more perfect on-board avionics. It outperforms similar aircraft in service with the foreign armies in many technical characteristics.

Russian firms looking to boost business with China

Key Points

• Russia’s aerospace industry is planning a major push at next month’s Air Show China in Zhuhai
• Russia’s pariah status in relation to its interventions in Ukraine is forcing Moscow to consider relinquishing its engine and radar secrets in an effort to secure export orders from China

In contrast to the tone of previous years’ events, Russia’s military aircraft industry intends to make a major push to expand its long-running export sales relationship with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at next month’s Air Show China.

At the biennial expo, which is held in Zhuhai in China’s southern Guangdong province, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) intends to showcase the Sukhoi Su-35S ‘Super Flanker’.

Over 20 Tor-M2U air defense systems will be delivered to Eastern Military District in 2014

Over 20 Tor-M2U air defense systems will be delivered to Eastern Military District in 2014, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the head of press-service of the Eastern Military District (EMD), Colonel Alexander Gordeev.
A number of air defense units of EMD have already put Tor systems into service. “By the year end motorized rifle units of EMD based at Primorski Krai will take delivery of over 20 Tor-M2U air defense systems”, — Gordeev said.

According to him, representatives of the EMD’s acceptance committee have already departed to the manufacturer’s site in order to finalize necessary documents and take delivery of new systems.

Tor-M2U is state-of-the-art short-range air defense system from Tor Family. It is designed to protect the most important military and civil objects from air strikes carried out using aircraft, helicopters, cruising missiles, guided missiles, aerial guided and non-guided bombs, UAVs, etc. under any lighting and weather conditions. Tor-M2U system is capable of detecting up to 40 targets simultaneously; sorting them by a degree of threat, tracking and attacking four targets using four missiles launched one after another. Surface-to-air guided missiles were designed to destroy small maneuverable targets, which is one of the system’s major advantages compared to its foreign analogues.

China will take delivery of the fourth Mi-26TS helicopter in 2015

Another heavy transport helicopter Mi-26TS will be delivered to China next year, Interfax-AVN reports with reference to a source close to the military-industrial sector.

“This is the fourth Mi-26 to be delivered to China. Three vehicles of the type have already been delivered to the customer. In future we may sign new contracts for delivery of Mi-26 helicopters to China and other countries”, – the source said.

He added that the helicopter was demonstrated to several foreign customers recently.

The source explained that civil version of Mi-26TS helicopter is being delivered to China. “This vehicle is no different from Mi-26T delivered to Russian airlines. Mi-26TS was certified (validated) by Chinese aviation authorities”, – the source said.

According to him, the Mi-26T helicopters delivered to airlines are fitted with weather radar series 4 with a color LCD display.

The 16-seat Rysachok aircraft to perform its maiden flight in the first quarter of 2015

The maiden flight of 16-seat light multi-role Rysachok aircraft is scheduled for the first quarter of 2015, Interfax reports with reference to a source close to the military-industrial sector.

“At present five Rysachok aircraft are under construction: three of them will feature a 16-seat configuration and the rest two ones – 10-seat configuration. The first 16-seat liner will perform its maiden flight in the first quarter of 2015”, – the source said.

According to him, at first the aircraft will undergo flight development tests and then the certification testing will be started. “Almost all the results of certification tests passed by the 10-seat version of the aircraft will be recognized for testing of 16-seat version as well”, – the source added.

Commenting the information that Russian Ministry of Defense issued a performance specification for the aircraft in spring, he said: “The Ministry did issue the performance specification and now it is being considered by the enterprise, because it will have to use own funds for development of this vehicle. The ministry is not going to finance the project”.