News Story: Russia Pitches MiG-35 to India as FGFA Project Falters

MiG-35 (Image: Wiki Commons)

by Neelam Mathews

As the contest to supply a new fighter aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) heats up, the MiG-35 has emerged as a viable candidate. India is supposedly seeking about 220 single-engine fighters to replace 11 squadrons of MiG-21/27s that entered service in the 1990s.

Rosoboronexport is believed to have offered a licensed production deal for the twin-engine MiG-35 that would compensate for the IAF’s reluctance to proceed with the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project.

At the MAKS 2017 airshow in July, Ilya Tarasenko, director general of Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, said: “We are actively working with the IAF in order to win the tender.” Russia has committed to a 40-year maintenance and upgrade contract to preclude the support issues that have arisen in the past with Russian aircraft in service with the IAF. Meanwhile, also at MAKS, Sergei Chemezov, CEO of the Rostec State Corporation, told reporters that a decision on the design and development of the FGFA would be made in the “nearest future.” He did not provide a timeline for the project, a version of Russia’s Sukhoi T-50, which has been under discussion between the two countries for the past decade.

According to an Indian defense official, “The MiG-35 is 25 percent cheaper [than rival candidates for the IAF requirement]; has an AESA radar; has commonality with the fleet; and being in the light to medium category enables it to land in the same airfields that the [indigenous] Light Combat Aircraft does. If the FGFA does not go through, Russia will have to be compensated, and this is the only contract left at the moment.” 

Read the full story at AINonline

News Report: India Yet to Decide on Buying French Jets, Signing FGFA Deal With Russia

Russian PAK FA, design base for India's FGFA

Indian authorities currently considering the purchase of French Dassault Rafale fighter jets and the development of the joint Russia-India fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) project have not yet decided on going ahead with either of the options, a source in the Indian Ministry of Defense told the Times of India newspaper Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Media reported on Thursday that the Indian Air Force was planning a new purchase of 36 French Rafale fighters on top of last year's deal on an identical number of aircraft.

"No final decision as yet has been taken on either the 36 more Rafales or the FGFA project," the source said.

The Indian Defense Ministry reportedly maintains that the purchase of French aircraft would be cheaper than the development of the FGFA project with Russia. The possible new purchase of Rafale jets is estimated by Indian specialists at around 60% of the first purchase amounting to $9.39 billion.

News Story: Sukhois for palm oil - Russia and Indonesia announce new barter arrangement

A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker Fighter

By: Matt Bodner

MOSCOW — After three painstaking years of negotiation, Russia and Indonesia have finally agreed to sign a major aerospace deal later this year: 11 top-of-the-line Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets in exchange for Indonesian palm oil, coffee, and other goods.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Moscow on Friday. A final contract may be signed by the end of the year, Russia’s business daily Vedomosti reported on Aug. 6, citing an unidentified Rostec source.

The barter arrangement will be facilitated by Rostec and Indonesia’s state-owned trading company PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia. The exact terms of the deal have yet to be made public, but the Su-35s will be financed by Indonesian exports to Russia.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: Indonesia's purchase on Su-35 fighter jets conducted with counter trade scheme - minister

A Russian Air Force Su-35 Flanker Fighter

JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The purchase on 11 Sukhoi 35 fighter jets from Russia was conducted on counter trade scheme, obliging the Russian side to buy Indonesian commodities and defense components, an Indonesian minister said.

"The creation of counter trade was under the supervision of respective governments, implemented in the trade of 11 Sukhoi 35 with Indonesian export commodities among others comprised of coffee, tea, palm oil and defense industry products," Indonesia Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said in a statement released on Friday.

The counter trade scheme was mentioned in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) document of the plane purchase, signed by related officials from Indonesia's state-run trade firm of PPI and Russian state agency of Rostec, the minister said.

The minister expected similar scheme with Russia can be further applied in wider sector, not only in defense sector.

Delivery of Sukhoi 35 planes to Indonesia would commence next year.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Russia, Indonesia Finalize Contract on Su-35 Fighter Deliveries

Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker Fighter

Rostec Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy Department Victor Kladov said that the contract between Rostec and Indonesia on the delivery of Su-35 fighters is agreed on.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia's Rostec state corporation has finalized a contract with Indonesia on the delivery of Su-35 fighters, Rostec Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy Department Victor Kladov said Tuesday.

"The contract is agreed on," Kladov told reporters.

Russia and Indonesia launched negotiations over the draft Su-35 contract in March, a senior Russia's Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) told Sputnik at the time.

The Su-35 fighter was developed by Russia's Sukhoi Company aircraft manufacturer between 2003 and 2008. It was first introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show as a "4++ generation" heavily-upgraded derivative of the Su-27 multirole fighter.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Report: India, Russia Set Up Joint Venture to Make Kamov Multi-Role Helicopters for IAF

India and Russia have incorporated a joint venture company, named India-Russia Helicopters Limited, to manufacture and assemble the much-needed 160 multi-role helicopters for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India's Ministry of Corporate Affairs incorporated the India-Russia Helicopters Limited Company on Tuesday.

"This marks the formal creation of the Joint Venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited of India and Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport of Russia and is a key milestone in the production of Ka-226T helicopters in India with Russian collaboration," a press release from the Indian embassy in Russia said.

Russia's Rostec Corp will own 49.5 percent stake while India's HAL will own the remaining 50.5 percent in the joint venture. Under the deal for 200 Kamov Ka-226Ts, 60 helicopters will be received in fly-away condition from Russia while another 40 will be assembled in India and the remaining 100 will be fully built in India.

Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley had said recently that New Delhi and Moscow have been involved in a discussion to set up another manufacturing plant in India but had not said what the product would be.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: India, Russia make progress toward Ka-226T helicopter production

Kamov Ka-226T (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi

NEW DELHI — India and Russia have drawn the road map for the joint production of Kamov Ka-226T light utility helicopters in the South Asian country, kick-starting the $1 billion program. 

"With the road map now in place, the production of Kamov 226T helicopters has formally taken off," said a top executive of the state enterprise Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which was the production agency nominated by the two nations. 

Gopal Sutar, the chief of media communications at HAL, said: "The helicopters are to be produced through a joint venture company as per the intergovernment agreement between the two countries in October 2016, and the road map for the acquisition is finalized." 

The joint production of the helicopters in India now awaits formal approval by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which will lead to the new production entity Indo-Russian Helicopters Private Limited. 

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Philippines 'Not Afraid to Show Interest' in Russian Weapons

Victor Kladov, director of international cooperation and regional policy at Rostec State Corporation, spoke with Sputnik in an interview saying that Russia is gaining popularity among the countries that it has never cooperated with before but are now “literally knocking on [their] door.” One such country is the Philippines.

After the completion of the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace exhibition [LIMA-2017], which took place from March 21 to 25 on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, the interest in Russian weapons and aviation has further increased especially in Southeast Asia.

According to Kladov, the Philippines had shown interest in Russian aviation, naval equipment and in small arms earlier also, but had retained its weapons dependence on the United States.

However, now the situation has changed and the Philippines has openly expressed interest in Russian technologies.

News Report: Russian Helicopters to Demonstrate Mi-17 Repair Process to Indian Specialists

Indian Mi-17 Helicopter

According to the company’s press service, Russian Helicopters will familiarize Indian aviation specialists with the Mil Mi-17-1V helicopters repair techniques at Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russian Helicopters will familiarize Indian aviation specialists with the Mil Mi-17-1V helicopters repair techniques at Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant (NARP), the company’s press service said in a statement Thursday.

"The delegation of Indian aviation specialists came to Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant, part of Russian Helicopters, in the end of February 2017. The aim of their visit is the inspection of repair process of Mil Mi-17-1V helicopters, which is carried out on NARP," the statement said.

News Story: Russia’s fifth-gen fighter blitz

MiG-29 (Image: Wiki Commons)

By: Matthew Bodner

MOSCOW — Russia is moving aggressively on another traditional patron of U.S. arms exports: the United Arab Emirates. Rather than cheap small arms and land-based platforms, Russian companies appear to have identified a market opportunity: relatively cost-effective alternatives to Western fifth-generation fighters.  

The head of Russia’s largest defense conglomerate Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, told reporters at the IDEX show in Abu Dabi this week that Rostec would partner with the UAE Defense Ministry to develop a light fifth-generation fighter jet based on the MiG-29. Development is slated to begin in 2018, and production should launch seven to eight years after that. 

“It takes quite a long period of time to develop,” Chemezov told Defense News in an exclusive interview. “We anticipate local production here in [UAE], for the needs of [UAE].” 

The announcement comes as Russia is engaging in a region-wide diplomatic and economic press to rebuild old alliances and forge new ones. And after 18 months of aerial operations in Syria, countries that have strong appetites for fighter jets are taking closer looks at what Russia has to offer.  

The deal with UAE likely took some in the industry by surprise, says Dr. Theodore Karasik, senior advisor at the Washington-based Gulf State Analytics. Several Western firms have seen high-profile fourth-gen fighter deals with UAE fall through in recent years, but efforts to hash out an agreement have continued. 

Under the agreement, Russia is set to provide UAE with fifth-generation fighter technology, produced locally in partnership with UAE defense firms. “This in itself is completely different than any previous aerospace deals between UAE and the West,” Karasik says. “Whether it will work is another question.”  

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Story: UAE and Russia To Jointly Develop a New Fighter

Saab GlobalEye swing-role surveillance system

by David Donald

The biggest talking point at this week’s IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi was the announcement by Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov that the United Arab Emirates and Russia would jointly develop a fifth-generation light fighter. It will apparently be based on an advanced version of the Russian MiG-29. Chemezov also claimed that the UAE has been in separate discussions regarding the purchase of Sukhoi Su-35s.

The news came during the visit of a high-level Russian delegation led by trade and industry minister Denis Manturov. The minister and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, witnessed the signing of an agreement between Russia and the UAE covering cooperation in the defense industries. Manturov commented, “One of the fields of this cooperation is the creation, development and supply of the fifth-generation fighter jet.” Another deal was struck in which Middle East investors aim to acquire a minority stake in Russian Helicopters.

There were few firm aviation-related orders announced at the show. The most notable was one worth approximately $236 million from the UAE Air Force for a third Saab GlobalEye swing-role surveillance system from the Swedish manufacturer. At the Dubai Air Show in November 2015, the UAE announced an order for two of these aircraft, based on the Global 6000 business jet. At that same time, the UAE also ordered an update of the Erieye radar on its two Saab 340AEW aircraft to incorporate Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology.  

Read the full story at AINonline

News Story: India, Russia close in on chopper deal - report

Kamov Ka-226T - NATO name: Hoodlum (Image: Wiki Commons)

Russia is close to finalising a deal to build helicopters in India, an executive said Tuesday, a move that would boost Narendra Modi's ambitions to manufacture defence hardware locally.

India is the world's top defence importer and is seeking to revamp its Soviet-era military equipment against an increasingly assertive China.

Prime Minister Modi has been encouraging foreign firms to work with local contractors under a "Make in India" campaign, to reduce India's reliance on costly imports.

Russia and India first flagged plans for a joint partnership to build Kamov helicopters -- a twin-engine chopper used for military and civilian purposes -- in 2015.

But India has increasingly turned to the United States and France, rather than traditional ally Russia, for its military hardware in recent years.

Two Russian firms -- Russian Helicopters and state-owned arms exporter Rosoboronexport -- are on the brink of finalising a joint venture with India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, according to reports.

Viktor Kladov from Rostec, the parent company of Rosoboronexport, said the joint venture would be completed in "one to two months".

Read the full story at SpaceDaily

Nerws Story: Russia's Rostec to co-develop 5th-gen fighter with UAE

By: Jill Aitoro

Russia defense heavyweight Rostec will partner with the UAE Ministry of Defence to co-develop a fifth-generation light combat fighter, company CEO Sergey Chemezov said at IDEX in Abu Dhabi Monday. 

Development, which is based upon its MiG-29 twin-engine fighter aircraft, will kick off in 2018, and will take an estimated seven to eight years, Chemezov said during a media briefing with journalists. He elaborated in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Defense News. 

“That’s not fast, because it takes quite a long period of time to develop,” he said speaking through a translator. “We anticipate local production here in the Arab Emirates, for the needs of Emirates. And of course [we expect development to support the needs of] the neighboring countries." 

Details about how the partnership would be structured have not been finalized, though Chemezov said it could potentially function as a joint venture between the company and UAE or UAE's domestic suppliers. 

The announcement comes soon after confirmation by the company that it would support development of India’s fifth-generation advanced medium combat aircraft. Though Chemezov wouldn’t comment on deals still under negotiations, the company is expected to sign a contract for Su-35 aircraft for Indonesia any day. Egypt is another country that reportedly is in talks with Rostec for fighters – MiG-29 aircraft specifically. The two companies signed a $3.5 billion arms package in 2014 covering aircraft, missiles, and coastal defenses.

Read the full story at DefenseNews