Tuesday 31 July 2018

Russia may resume the production of An-124 with new PD-35 engines

Russia Air Force An-124 - ZurichAirportSpotter


Russia may resume production of ‘digitalized’ Ruslan heavy-lift cargo planes


Ruslan is a Soviet and later a Ukrainian heavy long-range turbojet transport plane with a maximum lifting capacity of 120 tonnes

MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. Russia may resume the production of super-heavy Antonov An-124 cargo planes. They will be digitalized and will carry new PD-35 engines, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said on Monday.

"The resumption of the production of An-124 planes will be linked with the possibilities of PD-35 engines that are made in the United Engine-Building Corporation. But there will be nothing new. We will simply digitalize the An-124 with new engines," Borisov said.

The An-124 can be operated until 2050, if the aircraft’s cabin is modernized, the onboard radio-electronic equipment is replaced and the problem with the D-18 engine is solved, the vice-premier said.

The An-124 was 80% produced in Russia while its engines were manufactured in Ukraine. In view of this, it was necessary to solve the problem of the import substitution of the plane’s engines, the vice-premier said.

Ruslan plane

The An-124 Ruslan is a Soviet and later a Ukrainian heavy long-range turbojet transport plane with a maximum lifting capacity of 120 tonnes. It develops a maximum speed of 865 km/h and has a flight range of 4,800 km at full load. According to open sources, the Russian Aerospace Force currently operates nine An-124 planes and 10 more Ruslan aircraft are used in Russia’s Volga-Dnepr airline.

In September 2015, Ukraine’s Antonov State Company withdrew from the United Aircraft Corporation - Antonov Russian-Ukrainian joint venture, which created serious difficulties for the Volga-Dnepr airline with the extension of the cargo plane’s service life and its maintenance.

As was reported earlier, the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP enterprise has launched preliminary work related to restarting the production of An-124 Ruslan planes in Russia.

Source: tass.com

PD-35 Heavy Engine Development

sohu.com

The development of the PD-35 is expected to be completed by 2025, says UEC. Its technology demonstrator prototype will be assembled and tested in 2023. It should reach 35 tons thrust at takeoff mode during bench tests. 

UEC specifies that the PD-35 program will require the development of several key technologies, such as composite fan blades and large-size engine nacelles, a new efficient high-pressure compressor and a low-emission combustion chamber. The Russian manufacturer insists that PD-35 parameters meet CR929 requirements.

The CR929 development and certification could take up to 10 years. The aircraft’s basic variant will be able to carry up to 280 passengers at a range of 12,000 km (7,500 mi.). UAC and COMAC forecast a worldwide demand for 7,000 widebody airliners valued at about US$1.5 trillion in 2023-45.

The CR929 clearly looks like a major goal for the PD-35, as Russia currently has no domestic platforms for such a powerplant. But UEC says this engine can also be installed on future heavy transport aircraft. One of the development goals calls for the use of PD-35 technologies for development of future engines with 25- to 50-tons-thrust range. Source: aviationweek.com

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Severnoye Design Bureau to Start Developing Project 22350M Frigates in 2018

Morinformsistema-Agat Concern


31 July 2018 0:58 

Drafting of the frigate with larger displacement than the Project 22350 lead ship, Admiral Gorshkov, will begin no later than in 2018. The Navy plans to obtain the first Project 22350M ship by 2026, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Vice Admiral Viktor Bursuk recently told Mil.Press Today.

He added that the project would be developed by the Severnoye Design Bureu. 

The upgraded Project 22350M frigates are expected to displace about 8,000 tons. Severnaya Verf shipyard will be able to build them, if completes the updating of production facilities in time. 

As was earlier reported, the Russian Navy needs somewhat 10 Project 22350M ships that are supposed to fill the gap between the frigates of traditional displacement of 4,500-5,000 tons and destroyers. Their construction was announced back in 2014 by Viktor Chirkov, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. 

According to official reports of July 2017, only initial development of appearance of the Project 22350M frigate was in progress at that time. The Russian Defense Ministry had not approved the ship’s design at that point.

Source: mil.today

bastion-karpenko.ru

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Admiral Gorshkov Class Frigate: Details

Monday 30 July 2018

Construction of a new aircraft carrier in Russia no sooner than 2030

"Storm" Project 23000


Russia to build new aircraft carrier no sooner than 2030 — expert


No less than a decade will be required to build it, given favorable conditions, the expert said

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. The construction of a new aircraft carrier in Russia will take at least a decade and this warship is likely to appear no sooner than 2030-2035, Scientific Head of the Krylov State Research Center Valery Polovinkin told TASS on Thursday.

"The Russian factories’ technological potential allows solving any assigned task. But from my viewpoint, a new aircraft carrier won’t be built sooner than 2030-2035," Polovinkin said, adding that "no less than a decade will be required to build it, given favorable conditions."

However, "it is inadmissible" for the Russian Navy to have a small aircraft carrier because in this case it would be able to accomplish partial missions only, lacking reconnaissance, radar surveillance and target acquisition planes, attack and air support aircraft, the expert said.

"At the same time, I don’t support the viewpoint that Russian aircraft carriers should necessarily have their displacement similar to the displacement of US warships: 100,000 tonnes and more. The UK aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth in its gas turbine version has a displacement of about 60,000 tonnes and all the required aircraft," Polovinkin said.

The comparatively small displacement of future Russian aircraft carriers "can be offset through radical changes in their hull’s shape," the scientist added.

According to forecasts of Russia’s Economic Development Ministry, the construction of promising blue-water surface ships, including aircraft carriers, may be postponed until 2035 under the conservative scenario of the Russian economy’s development and a shortage of funds.

Source: tass.com

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Aircraft carrier 23000 “Storm”: Details

Russia may export Project 22800 corvettes Karakurt to Vietnam, China, India and other countries of the Asia-Pacific Region

Project 22800 567 'Uragan' - Минобороны России YouTube


Russia may export Project 22800 corvettes to Vietnam, India, China


These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kaliber is the most important thing, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said

MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. Russia may supply Project 22800 corvettes codenamed Karakurt, armed with the Kaliber missiles, to Vietnam, China, India and other countries of the Asia-Pacific Region, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told reporters on Monday.

"These ships are very successful: they have a big tonnage, good armament, and Kaliber is the most important thing. The corvette has an acceptable price, it is small, compact and fast. I believe that it has a good export potential for a number of countries, especially from the Asia-Pacific Region - Vietnam, China, India and others," Borisov said.

Currently, the units of Russia’s Navy, namely the Baltic, the Northern, the Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian flotilla are equipped with the Karakurt-class corvettes, he said. "Now the construction of the first three vessels of this class has been launched at the Eastern shipyard. I think the new models’ production will heighten interest in them."

The Project 22800 corvettes (Karakurt) are a series of Russian multirole artillery missile vessels of the near maritime zone developed by the Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau. The Russian Navy is due to receive a total of 18 small-sized Project 22800 ships, including the first two in 2018. The vessels are armed with high-precision missiles, modern artillery systems and Russian-made power plants.

Source: tass.com

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IDF Reveals Details on Merkava Mk 4 Barak

Merkava IV - astutenews.com


The new “smart tank” will include an innovative sensor system as well as AI and VR capabilities. “The new tank brings the Armored Corps a step forward in the operational arena, and constitutes an innovative weapon that will change the face of the combat on the ground”

In order to improve the Armored Corps’ operational capabilities on the modern battlefield, the corps developed the Merkava Mark 4 Barak. The tank’s new elements include artificial intelligence, updated sensors, and VR capabilities.

“Israel has an Adir [F-35] in the sky and a Merkava-4 Barak on land,” Brig. Gen. Guy Hasson, Chief IDF Armored Corps Officer, said of the new tank, expected to be ready for trial runs in 2020.

The new tank is designed as a “smart tank” with dozens of sensors and a task computer that will present all information to both the crew inside the tank as well as the other tanks and vehicles present in the field. The advanced AI capability will reduce the team members’ workload and help them more accurately locate and strike targets.

“The advanced defense capabilities and the use of electronic means will prepare the combat soldiers to carry out missions according to the level of urgency,” said a senior official from the Armored Corps. “Along with all this, additional logistical improvements will also be introduced that will enable the tank to carry out missions that are up to 30% longer than current ones.”

The tank’s sensors, along with a 360-degree camera fitted outside the tank, will allow troops to remain in the tank at all times and a new smart helmet (Elbit Systems’ Iron Vision) will allow the commander of the tank to see exactly what happens outside the tank.

“The helmet will allow the combat soldiers to see the outside environment from inside the combat vehicle,” added the senior official. “The sensors will allow the combat soldiers to operate the tank in a simple and advanced way, and will contribute to its defense – both physically and technologically.”

The simplification and sharing of intelligence and information via C4I and the interoperability of all vehicles is crucial in order to identify the enemy and provide more precise and rapid fire closure, which allows the tank to eliminate the target before it disappears.

“The Armored Corps concludes a significant period of operational successes in various regions, which proves the relevance of the corps in protecting the security of the State of Israel and its civilians,” continued the senior official. “The new tank brings the Armored Corps a step forward in the operational arena, and constitutes an innovative weapon that will change the face of the combat on the ground.”


Merkava 4: Details


Philippine Navy (PN) will receive its first two anti-submarine helicopters in March 2019



PH Navy: Delivery of 2 anti-sub helicopters set in March 2019


By Priam Nepomuceno, Philippine News Agency on July 24, 2018

MANILA — The Philippine Navy (PN) will receive its first two anti-submarine helicopters, AgustaWestland AW159 “Wildcat”, in March next year.

“Siguro sa March ang delivery (The delivery is probably in March 2019),” PN flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said when asked about the delivery dates for the two aircraft, during an interview with reporters Monday.

The AW159s, to be sourced from the Anglo-Italian aircraft manufacturer AgustaWestland, will help the two missile-armed frigates being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries for PHP18 billion, against submarine attacks.

“Itong anti-submarine warfare will (help the frigates against submarine attacks) kasi yun submarine ang magpapalubog ng mga barko(These anti-submarine helicopters will help the frigates against submarine attacks because submarines sink ships). So this will help in the defense of the frigates,” Empedrad added.

The contract for the two anti-submarine helicopters is worth PHP5.4 billion and includes munition, mission essential equipment, and integrated logistic support. The AW159, previously called the Future Lynx and Lynx Wildcat, is an improved version of the Westland Super Lynx military helicopter.

The helicopter, which has been ordered for the Royal Navy and British Army, is capable of speeds of 291 km/h, has a range of 777 km., a ferry range of 963 km., and an endurance of one-and-a-half hours (four hours and 30 minutes if fitted with auxiliary fuel).

The AW159 can be fitted with forward firing CRV7 rockets and machine guns, pintle-mounted machine gun, Sea Skua missiles, and Sting-Ray torpedoes and depth charges.


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AW159 Wildcat: Details

Sunday 29 July 2018

Royal Navy’s Jones on Road to HMS Queen Elizabeth-Led Carrier Strike Group, Future Maritime Combat

Royal Navy 


BY JENNIFER-LEIGH OPRIHORY FIA 2018, VIDEOS



Adm. Sir Philip Jones, RN, First Sea Lord and chief of naval staff of the Royal Navy, says the service is planning “a full carrier-strike operational work-up in UK waters in 2020” that will include “a full air wing” in preparation for its deployment of an HMS Queen Elizabeth-led carrier strike group in 2021, and discusses the future of maritime combat, US-UK naval collaboration, the Elizabeth’s upcoming US deployment and much more in a wide-ranging, July 2018 interview with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian at the 2018 Farnborough International Airshow outside London. Our coverage was sponsored by Farnborough International and Leonardo DRS.

Turkey, Ukraine advance An-188 co-production talks

The An-188 aircraft is produced by Antonov, which is part of the Ukrainian aerospace holding group Ukroboronprom. (Courtesy of Antonov)


By: Burak Ege Bekdil

ANKARA — Turkish and Ukrainian aerospace and procurement officials made “notable progress” in negotiations for the co-production of the Antonov An-188 military cargo aircraft, an advanced version of Ukraine’s An-178, Turkish officials said.

“This is a complex program for which both sides are keen,” said one Turkish aerospace official. “We are positively discussing several aspects of an optimal modality for co-production.”

Parties involved in negotiations include Turkey’s defense procurement office, SSB in its new acronym, Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Antonov and Ukraine’s umbrella defense entity Ukroboronprom.

Turkish and Ukrainian officials have agreed that the next step of the talks will involve a visit by Turkish delegation to Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, to inspect the Antonov production line.

Antonov, maker of the An-188 and part of Ukroboronprom, showcased the short take-off and landing aircraft for the first time at the EurAsia Show 2018 aerospace exhibition in Antalya, Turkey, Apr. 25-28.

For any co-production deal to go ahead the aircraft must be brought to full compliance with NATO standards, Turkish officials said.

A TAI official said that discussions focused on what each country’s industries would take up, work share, technology transfer and know-how, licensing and exports to third countries.

The An-188-100 will be equipped with four D-436-148FM three-shaft high by-pass turbofan engines developed by the Ukrainian company Ivchenko-Progress. The variant with four AI-28 new-generation engines also developed by the Ivchenko-Progress will be called the An-188-110. An-188-120 will be equipped with four LEAP high-bypass turbofan aircraft engines made by CFM International (CFMI).

All new aircraft of the An-188 family would be capable of basing on different airfields, including air strips, and landing on short runways of only 600-800 m in length.

The aircraft will have an advanced glass cockpit with the newest flight navigation and communication equipment. The An-188 features a flight distance of up to 7,700 km, a cruising altitude of up to 12,100 m, and a speed of up to 800 km/h depending on aircraft and engine type and variant.

Source: defensenews.com

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Flying Laboratories IL-76 ll for flight tests of prospective engines-DD-14 (for Airliners MC-21) and TV 7-117 (for IL-114-300 and IL-112 B)

United Aircraft Corp


Flying Laboratories IL-76 ll for the implementation of flight tests of prospective engines-DD-14 (for Airliners MC-21) and TV 7-117 St with Screw ab-112 (for IL-114-300 and IL-112 B) on the territory of Leah. M.M. Gromov (Zhukovsky). Source: United Aircraft Corp



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Saturday 28 July 2018

Italian Army has signed a €159 million contract for 10 Centauro II wheeled tanks

RID Rivista Italiana Difesa YouTube


Italy buys new tank — and it’s got much more going for it than its predecessor


By: Tom Kington  

ROME — The Italian Army has signed a €159 million (U.S. $186 million) contract to acquire 10 Centauro II wheeled tanks, the first tranche of a planned 136-vehicle order.

Manufactured by a consortium grouping Italian firms Leonardo and Iveco, the Centauro II is faster, more powerful and better protected than the Centauro tank already in service with the Italian Army, which it will replace.

The new 30-ton Centauro features a 120mm cannon, digital communications and a 720-horsepower engine, and is seen by planners as a lightweight tank able to complement the Freccia armored troop carrier on which the Army is basing its new medium brigades.

The new tank’s enhanced digitalization means it will work better with the digital capabilities of the Freccia, and it provides 24 horsepower per ton compared to 19 for the old Centauro.

Generals see the new Centauro as lighter and more flexible than a traditional tank, but with the same destructive power.

The eight wheels of the new Centauro, which make it better suited for peacekeeping operations than a tracked vehicle, extend farther out from the hull of the vehicle than its predecessor to give it greater stability. The new design also means that any mines triggered by the pressure of the tire will detonate further from the hull.

The Iveco-Oto Melara Consortium, or CIO, was established in 1985 on a 50-50 basis between Iveco and Oto Melara, which is now part of Leonardo.

Leonardo said it was responsible for the vehicles’ turret, including observation, targeting and communications systems, and was responsible for a €92 million share of the €159 million contract.

Source: defensenews.com

Centauro II Wheeled Armoured Vehicle: Details

China receives first batch of Russian S-400 missile systems



China receives first batch of Russian S-400 missile systems — source


Russia’s S-400 Triumf is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and surface targets

MOSCOW, July 26. /TASS/. China has received the first batch of Russian-made S-400 Triumf missile systems, a military diplomatic source told TASS on Thursday.

"Last week, an acceptance certificate was signed for the first batch of S-400 systems that was delivered from Russia by sea in May 2018. The systems passed over to China’s ownership once the documents was signed," the source said.

Russia’s Federal Service for Military Technical Cooperation refrained from comment on this information.

Reports on Russia signing a contract for sales of S-400 systems to China came in November 2014. In November 2015, Russian president’s adviser on military technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin confirmed these reports. China became the first foreign buyer of these systems and will receive two batches.

Russia’s S-400 Triumf (NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler) is the latest long-range antiaircraft missile system that went into service in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and surface targets. The system can hit aerodynamic targets at a range of up to 400 kilometers (249 miles) and tactical ballistic targets flying at a speed of 4.8 km/s (3 mi/s) at a distance of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles). Such targets include cruise missiles, tactical and strategic aircraft and ballistic missile warheads.

The system’s radars detect aerial targets at a distance of up to 600 kilometers (373 miles). The system’s 48N6E3 surface-to-air missiles can hit aerodynamic targets at altitudes of 10,000-27,000 meters and ballistic threats at altitudes of 2,000-25,000 meters.

Source: tass.com

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UK halted plans for procuring Type 31e general purpose frigate for the Royal Navy

BAE “Cutlass frigate”


UK halts plans for a budget frigate


By: Andrew Chuter  

LONDON — The British Ministry of Defence confirmed Tuesday that it has halted plans for procuring its proposed low-cost Type 31e general purpose frigate for the Royal Navy on the grounds there were insufficient compliant bids.

The MoD chose the day Parliament went into its summer recess to reveal that a competition to build five frigates at a price capped at a relatively low £1.25 billion (U.S. $1.65 billion) had been put on ice while the procurement process was rethought.

A spokesman for the MoD said the current competition was being restarted due to insufficient compliant bids being lodged for an effective and robust competition but that the move does not change the timing or scope of the program.

“There have been no changes in our plans to procure a first batch of five new Type 31e frigates to grow our Royal Navy,” the spokesman said. “We still want the first ship delivered by 2023 and are confident that industry will meet the challenge of providing them for the price tag we’ve set.”

A new procurement plan is in the works, MoD officials said.

Industry executives in Britain said the decision to delay the program, intended to replace the Type 23 fleet, means it is doubtful the Royal Navy will be able to meet what was an already a tight 2023 deadline.

The MoD had committed to announcing the two winners of a competitive design phase no later than the end of June. A winning contractor was expected to be selected by the end of March 2019.

“This is an early contract in a wider procurement process, and we will incorporate the lessons learned and begin again as soon as possible so the program can continue at pace,” the MoD spokesman said.

The competitive design phase was to have been funded by the MoD — the first time the government would have committed any meaningful cash to the program.

Procurement of the warships is at the heart of a new national shipbuilding strategy rolled out by the Conservative government in 2017.

With BAE Systems set to build eight Type 26 anti-submarine warfare frigates for the Royal Navy, the government was looking for a general purpose warship capable of supporting naval shipbuilding capabilities elsewhere in the U.K.

A Babcock-led team, which also included naval designers, sensor suppliers and other shipbuilders, was pitching against a Cammell Laird-led partnership with BAE.

Babcock is offering the Arrowhead 140, a modified version of the Royal Danish Navy’s Iver Huitfeld-class warship designed by OMT, while the opposition is offering its Leander design.

As recently as July 13, Babcock was notifying potential suppliers of an industry day briefing on their Type 31e bid. (The "e" in the title stands for export, as the British are hoping to pitch the design and cost to make it attractive to overseas customers.)

The MoD had hoped for more international interest in the program, but industry executives in Britain said the requirement for so much of the work to be done in the U.K. had deterred companies that initially had shown interest.

One of the other issues that had undermined foreign interest was the exceptional degree of risk the MoD wanted industry to take on the program, one executive said.

Source: defensenews.com

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Marsun launches five M21 boats for Royal Thai Navy

The launch ceremony of five M21-class patrol boats, 270-274, at Samutprakan, Thailand on 24 July 2018. (Marsun)


Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - Jane's Navy International

27 July 2018
   
Key Points

  • Marsun has launched another five M21-class patrol boats for the Royal Thai Navy
  • The service is now anticipating delivery of 10 vessels in the class

The launch ceremony of five M21-class patrol boats, 270-274, at Samutprakan, Thailand on 24 July 2018. (Marsun)

Thai shipbuilder Marsun Company Limited has launched another five M21-class patrol boats for the Royal Thai Navy (RTN).

The vessels, which bear pennant numbers from 270 through to 274 respectively, were launched on 24 July at Marsun’s facilities in the country’s Samut Prakan province, said the RTN in an announcement the following day.

The service is now anticipating the delivery of 10 M21 patrol vessels. An earlier batch of five boats in the class was launched by Marsun in February 2018.

The M21 class has an overall length of 21.4 m, an overall beam of 5.56 m, and a hull draught of 1.05 m. It is powered by two MAN diesel engines driving two fixed pitch propellers, and can attain top speeds of more than 30 kt and a range of more than 350 n miles (648 km) at economical speed.

The vessel has carrying capacity for up to 4,000 litres of fuel, 1,200 litres of water, and can accommodate a crew of nine. It can operate up to Sea State 2.

Images of the launch ceremony released by the RTN confirm that each of the five vessels launched on 24 July have been equipped with a 20 mm cannon in the primary position. The class is also armed with one 12.7 mm machine gun with a co-axial 81 mm grenade launcher in the aft section.

The M21 class has also been equipped with one crane-launched rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) at stern, and one inflatable life raft canister on the port side at aft.

Once delivered, all five vessels are expected to be deployed with the RTN’s coastguard squadron and take on duties such as VIP escorts, fishery resources protection, and other maritime constabulary duties in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Source: janes.com

Marsun Shipyard Thailand
Published on Jul 20, 2017
M21 Patrol Boat built by Marsun Shipyard Thailand


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