DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Russian Air Force To Acquire New Aircraft, Helos, Bolster Arctic Presence

DTN News - RUSSIA DEFENSE NEWS: Russian Air Force To Acquire New Aircraft, Helos, Bolster Arctic Presence

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defense News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 10, 2014:  Russia’s Ministry of Defense has unveiled plans to acquire more than 150 new aircraft and helicopters in 2015 as part of plans to bolster and modernize the country’s Air Force.

Col. Igor Klimov, the spokesman for the Russian Air Force, told local news agency ITAR-TASS that, in the forthcoming year, the Air Force will focus its efforts on strengthening its military presence in the Arctic.

Under the plan, the new aircraft will include Sukhoi Su-34 bombers, Su-30SM and Su-35S fighters, Kamov Ka-52, Ka-226, Mil Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-28N and Mi-35 helos, Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced jet trainers, as well as Ilyushin Il-76MD-90 transport aircraft.

The Russian Air Force will also acquire new Nebo-M, Gamma and Sopka radars to boost its air surveillance capacity, Klimov said.

The latest announcement follows the recent establishment of the Arctic Strategic Command by Russia’s Defense Ministry.

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Arctic has traditionally been a sphere of “special interest” to Moscow.


“It is a concentration of practically all aspects of national security — military, political, economic, technological, environmental,” Putin said April 22 at an expanded meeting of the country’s Security Council.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defense News
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DTN News: Russia Delivers Three Mi-35M Helicopters To Indonesia

DTN News: Russia Delivers Three Mi-35M Helicopters To Indonesia *Russia has also delivered Mi-35Ms helicopters to Venezuela and Brazil. Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti (NSI News Source Info) JAKARTA, Indonesia - September 26, 2010: Russia has delivered three Mi-35M Hind assault helicopters to Indonesia, a military source said on Thursday. Russia signed an agreement with Indonesia in September 2007 to provide a $1 billion credit line to the Southeast Asian country for Russian weapons purchases. Indonesia planned to buy ten Mi-17 transport helicopters, five Mi-35Ms, six Sukhoi fighters and two Kilo-class submarines financed by the credit. Jakarta became one of Russia's major arms customers in 1999 when the United States tightened an embargo on arms sales to the country over alleged human rights violations. Washington has since lifted the ban, but Indonesia, the world's most populous Islamic country, continues to turn to Russia for its military hardware imports. Moscow has already delivered three Su-27SKM fighters to Indonesia as the final part of an August 2007 $300 million deal for six of the Sukhoi fighters. The agreement followed a 2003 deal on the purchase of four fighter jets by Indonesia from Russia. The planes will take part in a military parade dedicated to Indonesian Armed Forces Day on October 5. The Mi-35M is an export version of the Mi-24 Hind that was used extensively in Afghanistan. The Mi-24/35 can be used for transportation, assault and medical evacuation tasks. Related News *Indonesia confirms plans to buy six more Su fighters from Russia *Russia to complete Su fighter delivery to Indonesia by late Sept. - ambassador *Russia delivers first 3 helicopter gunships to Brazil *Venezuela may acquire Russian transport planes - arms exporter Multimedia *The 100th anniversary of Soviet helicopter designer Mikhail Mil’s birth *Russia diversifying arms exports *Su-27 Flanker, one of 20th century's best combat aircraft

DTN News: Peru Clinches $250 Million Deal To Buy 8 Russian Helicopters

DTN News: Peru Clinches $250 Million Deal To Buy 8 Russian Helicopters

Source: DTN News / Ria Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 25, 2010: The Peruvian Defense Ministry and Russian state-controlled arms exporter Rosoboronexport have signed a contract for the sale of eight Russian-built helicopters to the South American country, the Russian company said on Friday. It said the contract for the delivery of six Mi-171Sh Hip transport and two Mi-35P Hind attack helicopters was signed on Thursday in Lima. The Russian agency said deliveries would start later this year and would be completed in 2011. According to some media reports, the deal is worth $250 million. Peruvian Defense Minister Rafael Rey was quoted as saying that the helicopters were to support military operations "in the fight against narcoterrorism." Peru is one of South America's main cocaine producers along with Bolivia and Columbia. The helicopters are expected to be used to fight with "drug terrorism" in the Valley of the Apurimac and Ene River. The area was declared a zone of military operations in August 2009 as fighting between the government troops and the Shining Path Maoist guerilla group intensified. Shining Path is believed to have strong ties with drug traffickers. The group is on the U.S. and EU lists of terrorist organizations.

Related News *Russia to compete for Afghan helicopter supply tender *Russia's defense corporation signs contract on helicopter supplies to India *Iran plans to build Russian Ka-32 helicopters under license *Russia to deliver 22 Mi-171 helicopters to Iraq

DTN News: Russia To Sell $1 Billion Worth Of Arms To Yemen - Expert

DTN News: Russia To Sell $1 Billion Worth Of Arms To Yemen - Expert

Source: DTN News / RIA Novosti

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW, Russia - July 2, 2010: Russia and Yemen could sign an arms contract worth over $1 billion, an international arms expert said on Thursday. A Yemeni delegation led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed sales of Russian arms to the Arab republic on Wednesday during the leader's short visit to Moscow. Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on the international arms trade, said Yemen "is interested in a very broad range of Russian arms and military equipment," especially MiG-29 SMT jet fighters (up to 30), Mi-35 and Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Mi-17 military transport helicopters. He said Saleh's wish list also included T-72M1 tanks, Kornet E antitank complexes, Smerch multiple launch rocket systems (up to 20 units), and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. "In addition, Yemen is interested in building an air-defense system with [Russian made] S-300MPU and S-300 PMU1 surface-to-air missile complexes," Korotchenko said. He said Yemen would also like to modernize the weaponry it bought from the Soviet Union, including BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance vehicles, whose number currently exceeds 1,000. Furthermore, he said, Yemen needs warships, in particular high-speed patrol boats, to fight piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

DTN News: Mi-35M Copters Handed Over To Brazil's Air Force In Ceremony

DTN News: Mi-35M Copters Handed Over To Brazil's Air Force In Ceremony Source: DTN News / Itar-Tass (NSI News Source Info) RIO-DE JANEIRO, Brazil - April 19, 2010: The Brazilian Air Force has received the first three Mi-35M transport and combat helicopters. The handing-over ceremony and a military parade in this connection took place at the Brazilian air base of Porto Velho in the southwestern Amazon region on Saturday. A Russian delegation headed by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev participated in the ceremony. Rosoboronexport’s director-general Anatoly Isaikin and the Rostvertol Rostov-based helicopter plant’s director-general Boris Slyusar also arrived at the base. Brazil's representatives were Defence Minister Nelson Jobim and the Air Force commander in chief. Rosoboronexport concluded the contract in 2008 to supply Russian transport and combat helicopters to Brazil. Experts say the Mi-35M has proved to be an excellent helicopter that can work under extremely heavy conditions of the hot and humid Amazon rainforest climate. Local pilots very highly appraise the reliability and other operational qualities of the aircraft that has impressive piloting and technical characteristics. Additional Info: Brazil’s defense budget has seen a steep rise lately, a necessary step after years of neglect. One of its priorities was to select an attack helicopter – something the country has not previously fielded to its Army or Air Force. competitors reportedly included the Italo-Turkish AW-TAI A129 Mongoose, EADS’ Tiger, and Russia’s heavyweight Mi-35M, a modern variant of the Mi-24 Hind that became famous in Afghanistan. The Mi-24/35 is unique among dedicated attack helicopters in that it can carry a handful of troops, in addition to performing its offensive role.

DTN News: Saudi Arabia's Shopping List May Further Increase With Deadly Arsenal From Russia

DTN News: Saudi Arabia's Shopping List May Further Increase With Deadly Arsenal From Russia

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) CAIRO, Egypt - September 4, 2009: As Russia closes in on a $2 billion deal to sell arms to Saudi Arabia, reports reveal Riyadh's shopping list could include more than combat helicopters. "All technical and financial issues have been practically coordinated," an undisclosed source privy to the negotiations told the Moscow-based Interfax news agency. The S-400, also known by its NATO designation, SA-20 Triumf, is an advanced Russian surface-to-air missile system. Once operational, it will be able to destroy aircraft, cruise missiles, and short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at ranges of up to 400 kilometers. The Russians eventually plan to phase out their existing S-200 (NATO: SA-5 Gammon) and S-300P (NATO: SA-10 Grumble) systems and replace them with S-400 complexes. The source did not elaborate or refer to the military equipment Saudi Arabia is eyeing from Russia. Still, the major deal with Rosoboronexport State Corp., Russia's state-owned arms export monopoly, is said to include up to 30 Mi-35 attack helicopters and up to 120 Mi-171B, the export take of the popular Mi-17 Hip multipurpose helicopter. Defense analysts say the deal also consists of some 150 T-90s main battle tanks and about 250 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles. Russia's state-of-the-art S-400 triumph missile system was also on the Riyadh's charts. "It took Saudi specialists and experts quite a while to study the opportunities of the Russian arms before they decided to buy them for their nation's armed forces," Pravda reported from Moscow. With Saudi Arabia spearheading the Middle East arms race, the country's defense spending is forecast to increase next year to $44 billion. The lucrative arms deal breaks the United States' decades-long stronghold on Saudi Arabia's arms purchases. Meantime, Russia is bent on tapping into new arms markets. Its arms industry is one of the most successful sectors of the country's economy despite widespread budget cuts in the wake of the global economic recession. Defense experts say Russia's S-400 missile system is unrivaled in the West, having outflanked the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot. The system -- considered also by Turkey, Egypt and Iran -- features twice the target range of the Patriot, capable of intercepting and knocking down airborne targets at distances of up to 250 miles, according to the Defense Professionals Web site. It was not immediately known how many S-400 systems had been ordered from Russia, although the Interfax agency said Saudi Arabia was interested in purchasing "several dozen." Defense experts believe that the system is also capable of thwarting cruise and ballistic missile attacks as well as those waged by most stealth aircraft. Each S-400 system includes at least eight launchers, 32 missiles and a mobile command post. However successful, the estimated $2 billion weapons deal would make Russia's T-90 the highest selling combat vehicle, "showing again that the days of U.S. and European domination over new production are long gone in the international market for main battle tanks," Defense Professionals reported. It said the BMP-3 infantry combat vehicle was also on Saudi Arabia's Russian arms shopping list. Although first built in 1987, the BMP-3 -- nicknamed Troika -- has gained fresh prominence in the market with nations seeking a state-of-the-art system in combination with heavy armor and protection, Defense Professionals said on its Web site. Saudi Arabia's neighbors Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have already integrated the BMP-3 into their armed forces.

DTN News: Brazil’s Mi-35M Attack Helicopter Passes Critical Review

DTN News: Brazil’s Mi-35M Attack Helicopter Passes Critical Review

*Source: DTN News / Defense Media

(NSI News Source Info) BRASILIA, Brazil - August 10, 2009: During the past month, the Critical Design Review of the Mi-35M attack helicopter (Brazilian designation: AH-2 Sabre) and of its flight simulator, both being acquired by the Air Force Command (Comaer) from the Russian companies Rosoboronexport (state firm responsible for the commercialization of defense materials), Rostvertol PLC (manufacturer of the helicopter) and Transas-Kronshtadt (in charge of its simulator). 12 Mi-35M (AH-2 Sabre) ordered in December 2008. Deliveries start in 2009 and finish in 2010. Since 1978, around 2,000 Mi-24s have been manufactured, 600 for export. In October 2007, defense-aerospace.com reported that the Saudi Arabian government had signed a contract for up to 150 Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters worth $2.2 billion.

With the objective of complementing the project’s Preliminary Design Review, which was carried out in April of this year at the Afonsos Aeronautical Material Park (Rio de Janeiro), the Critical Design Review was divided in two stages:

--the first, which took place July 8-17 in the city of Rostov-on-Don (Russia), during which questions relative to the helicopter were approached;

--the second, begun on July 20 and concluded four days later, in the city of Saint Petersburg (Russia), concentrated on issues relating to the flight simulator.

In the two phases of the meeting, the Air Force Command was represented by members of the Mi-35M Acquisition and Acceptance Committee, established in Russia, and by a technical team Working Group for the Introduction of the AH-2 in the Brazilian Air Force (GT Sabre), comprising military personnel from the General Command for Aerospace Technology (CTA), the Directorate of Aerospace and Combat Matériel (Dirmab) and the Airspace Control Department (Decea).

The meetings in Russia locked up the cycle of revisions of the project, and marked the beginning of the tasks that the Russian companies will have to complete before the delivery of the helicopters and simulators to the Brazilian authorities.

DTN News: Afghan Air Corps Returns Mi-35 Helicopters To Flight

DTN News: Afghan Air Corps Returns Mi-35 Helicopters To Flight

*Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 1, 2009: After an absence of nearly a decade, the Afghan Mi-35 is again flying the skies of Afghanistan, thanks to pilots from the Afghan National Army Air Corps and the Czech Republic, military officials here said. In 2008, the Afghan National Air Corps took delivery of six refurbished Mi-35 helicopters, purchased from the Czech Republic with US money. The Afghan pilots were trained by India and were due to begin live firing exercises in May 2008 in order to escort Mi-17 transport helicopters on operations in restive parts of the country. Since 1978, around 2,000 Mi-24s have been manufactured, 600 for export. In October 2007, Media reported that the Saudi Arabian government had signed a contract for up to 150 Mi-35 and Mi-17 helicopters worth $2.2 billion On May 27, Afghan Mi-35 attack helicopters fired 12.7 mm rounds and 57 mm rockets near Bagram Air Base. Each partnered Afghan and Czech Republic crew fired 200 rounds of ball ammunition and 16 rockets while practicing gunnery on the East River Range Complex. The practice session was the culmination of more than a year’s work to rebuild the Mi-35 program, which gives the Afghan National Army dedicated, armed aircraft for the first time in eight years.The seven-hour training was supported by personnel and equipment from the ANAAC, the Czech Republic Operational Mentor and Liaison Team, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan mentors and personnel from Task Force Thunder at Bagram Air Base. After the completion of the live-fire training, the lead pilot from the Czech team, Major Juracka, commented, “The Afghan shooting was perfect.” The Czech team began ground training and limited flight training for Afghan Mi-35 crewmembers last summer. In January, Afghan Mi-35 training increased greatly with the arrival of six refurbished helicopters. Since then, the Czech team has completed assessments on nine pilots and added a more aggressive training program. To date, the Afghan pilots have received training on pre-mission planning, contact maneuvers, emergency procedures, navigation, and presidential escort operations. After the completion of their gunnery tables, the Afghan pilots will receive training on pre-planned and close air support combat missions. Future Mi-35 initiatives will put even more emphasis on independent Afghan training operations. The Afghan air corps is building its own arming points and is working on an initiative to complete all its Mi-35 live-fire training at Afghan facilities, while the Kabul Military Training Center is developing standardized Mi-35 live-fire training procedures. The air corps also is researching live-fire training locations throughout Afghanistan to better integrate the Mi-35 with the army. All of the efforts are aimed at decreasing the time for an Mi-35 training flight from seven to three hours, effectively doubling the amount of live-fire sorties that can be accomplished in a day. The Mi-35’s combat radius permits it to conduct combat operations anywhere in the country. The aircraft’s unique design allows it to be used in attack, air assault or medical evacuation roles. It can be configured with a 12.7 mm Gatling type machine gun, 57 mm rocket pods, and the AT-6 Spiral Anti-tank guided missile. The helicopters typically fly with 1,470 rounds of ball ammunition, 128 rockets and two anti-tank missiles. “The new capability is good for the Afghan National Army and for the country of Afghanistan,” Afghan Maj. Gen. Dawran, the air corps commander, said.

Sri Lanka To Buy Military Helicopters From Russia

Sri Lanka To Buy Military Helicopters From Russia

(NSI News Source Info) COLOMBO - May 18, 2009: Sri Lanka has ordered a number of military transport helicopters and other weaponry from Russia, the country's defense secretary said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti. "I have managed to reach an agreement with Russia on a loan to purchase military equipment, primarily helicopters for the air force, and other weaponry," Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said, adding that the helicopters had been already ordered. Rajapaksa did not specify the amount of the deal or the number of helicopters, but said they were needed in the first place "to transport military personnel." "We will need them in the future. We are already using [Russian-made] Mi-17 and Mi-24 helicopters, and we need more," the official said. He added that Sri Lanka was willing to develop stronger military ties with Russia. "We would like to bring our relations to the level where we could share [combat] experience," Rajapaksa said. One of the areas of military cooperation could be Russia's help in mine clearing in the north of the country. Shi Lanka's government has long been involved in fighting against Tamil Tigers, a militant group based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in 1976, the group has actively waged a secessionist campaign that seeks to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. More than 80,000 people have died in the conflict since 1983. Government forces are currently involved in an offensive to wipe out the remaining Tamil Tiger rebels. Sri Lanka has rejected international calls for a ceasefire, and the UN says over 6,000 civilians have died in fighting since January. Thousand of civilians, some estimates say up to 50,000, have also been cut off by the fighting and are trapped in jungle areas with little access to food or water.

Brazilian Air Force Will Induct Russian Mi-35 Helicopters: Report / Russia To Deliver Attack Helicopters To Brazil This Year

Brazilian Air Force Will Induct Russian Mi-35 Helicopters: Report / Russia To Deliver Attack Helicopters To Brazil This Year

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 7, 2009: Russia will start deliveries of Mi-35 Hind attack helicopters to Brazil by the end of 2009, a senior government official said on Monday. The Russian helicopter beat off fierce competition from the Augusta A-129 Mangusta and the Eurocopter AS-665 Tiger to win a Brazilian tender last fall. In NATO circles the export versions, Mi-25 and Mi-35, are simply denoted with a letter suffix as "Hind D" and "Hind E" respectively. Hinds passed on to pro-Soviet Afghan forces during the war remained in dwindling service in the grinding civil war that followed the Soviet withdrawal. Some were flown by defectors to Pakistan, and a few of these machines apparently found their way into the hands of the US Army. Afghan Hinds in the hands of the ascendant Taliban gradually became inoperable, but a few flown by the Northern Alliance, which had Russian assistance and access to spares, remained operational up to the US intervention in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001. In 2008, the Afghan National Air Corps took delivery of six refurbished Mi-35 Hind helicopters, purchased from the Czech Republic with US money. The Afghan pilots were trained by India and were due to begin live firing exercises in May 2008 in order to escort Mi-17 transport helicopters on operations in restive parts of the country. "We have recently signed a contract to deliver 12 Mi-35 helicopters to Brazil. The first deliveries will start by the end of this year or the beginning of 2010," said Alexander Fomin, deputy director of the Federal Service on Military-Technical Cooperation. The official said the contract was worth about $150 million. The Mi-35 Hind E is an improved export version of the famed Mi-24 attack helicopter, which combines high fire power with a troop transport capability. Fomin also said Russia's Su-35 fighter had a good chance of winning an ongoing tender for the delivery of over 100 fighters to the Brazilian Air Force. Brazil wants a multirole fighter to protect its national airspace as well as to monitor smugglers in the Amazon basin and guard the country's offshore oil rigs. However, Brasilia also wants the multi-billion dollar contract to reenergize the domestic defense industry through home-grown production and as much technology transfer as can be afforded. "We are actively participating in the Brazilian tender, which has been reopened. It involves over 100 fighter planes. Russia has made a bid in the tender with its Su-35 multirole fighter. The tender has stiff requirements involving not only the sale, but also the transfer of technology. It is a key condition of the deal and Russia is ready to satisfy it," the official said.

India Axes $1 Billion Helicopter Tender, Fresh Bids Later

India Axes $1 Billion Helicopter Tender, Fresh Bids Later

* Government says bidders did not meet requirement * Defence ministry to issue fresh tender in due course * Order for 22 helicopters seen worth $1 billion (Rewrites with India government comment, Finmeccanica, Boeing) By Devidutta Tripathy

*Irrespective of the aforementioned points, processing of a government tender in India, the procedure is snail speed with a hurdle of red tape due to corruption, politican's interest, commission factor, misinformation and above all debating on the subject/tender would cover years. For example to process and acquire jet trainer HAWK for Indian Air Force took over 25 years at the cost of hundreds of Indian Air Force pilot life. (DTN Defense-Technology News)

(NSI News Source Info) NEW DELHI - March 25, 2009: India has cancelled a tender for 22 attack helicopters, bidders EADS and Finmeccanica said, while the government said the companies did not meet its requirement and a fresh tender would be issued in due course. Yves Guillaume, chief executive of EADS's Indian subsidiary, told reporters on Tuesday the company had been "informed" of the decision to axe the tender last week but was not given any reason. Franco-German-controlled EADS owns Eurocopter, the world's largest civil helicopter maker and a major supplier of military ones such as the Tiger, with which it had hoped to clinch an order analysts reckon to be worth $1 billion. An official with Italian defence group Finmeccanica, whose unit AgustaWestland was one of participants, later told Reuters they were informed about the cancellation earlier this month. "The companies did not meet the service qualitative requirement, so the tender was cancelled," an Indian defence ministry spokesman said, adding three companies had bid for supplying India 22 attack helicopters. A fresh request for proposals will be issued in due course, he added, while the Finmeccanica official said they were ready to bid if a new tender was invited. U.S.-based Defense News reported in February that the contest had narrowed to an all-European field of three -- Eurocopter, AgustaWestland, and Moscow's state arms agency Rosoboronexport bidding on behalf of Russian manufacturer Mil. U.S. companies Boeing and Bell, a unit of Textron, had quit the field, the magazine reported. Boeing, the maker of AH-64D Apache helicopter, said on Tuesday it would review its stand and wait for a fresh tender. "We look forward to an opportunity to review any new request for proposals and follow up based on that," Vivek Lall, Boeing's India head, said in a statement. India plans to overhaul and replace its fleet of military helicopters amid growing security risks in the region. It relies on an ageing fleet of Russian MI-25 and MI-35 helicopter gunships designed by Russia's Mil. Last year, India sought bids for the attack helicopters, designed to assault targets on the ground, from seven international firms.

The new force of anti-armour attack helicopters would be capable of operating at high altitudes. In 2007, India scrapped advanced talks with Eurocopter to supply 197 lightweight Fennec military helicopters worth $600 million after complaints about the bidding process. Eurocopter is a sister company to Airbus, the world's largest civil jet maker, also owned by EADS. (Additional reporting by Bappa Majumdar, Tim Hepher) (Editing by Ranjit Gangadharan, Sharon Lindores)