India and Russia is negotiating space programs

India wants to use the Russian experience in spacecrafts building  to accelerate its own progress in space technology. The negotiations about this are in initial stage however, informed Russian new agency ARMS-TASS. According to a 'RosCosmos' source, was added, the basis for the Russian-Indian joint project will be 'Soyuz' spacecraft, but the dimensions and the weight will be reduced somehow to fit Indian missile capability. The  negotiated plan proceeds till 2020. In addition the Russian spacecrafts design house 'Energia' president said the possibility of Indian astronauts space missions on Russian-made 'Soyuz' spacecrafts is under negotiation too.

Yak-130. The status of program.

In answer to a question. Yak-130 - is a program of high-subsonic trainer and light ground attack plane. Has started in 90th independently and became the first non-soviet military plane program. Further they have cooperated with Italian 'Aermacchi' while 'Yakovlev' intellectual property rights was merged with 'Aermacchi' financing. Then the problem for Italians was that they needed urgently a subsonic trainer which could fly with controllability on 40 degree angle of attack for 4th-5th gen fighter simulating. No early generation jet trainers can do it. After some years of joint venture they splitted and followed their (successful) project independently (M-346 trainer).

The first Yak-130D variant was purely trainer, without even radar being put in nose cone (specifically shaped). Two Slovakian made DV-2S x2200 kgf engines (soviet licensing AI-25TL derivative) were used. In 2002 the Russian Air Forces asked for a combat-trainer variant with a radar (in addition for currently tested trainer). Thus the Ukraine-made AI-222-25 engine with 2516 kgf without afterburner was chosen for both. It allowed to rise the max mass from 8500 to 9000 kg. The newborn 'Saturn's Al-55 is remained a reliable reservoir engine for the program in case if the cooperation with Ukraine is broken down.

Project 855 'Yasen' SSN

Due to a great interest of the readers for prospective Russian submarine projects and repeated questions, I put here the essential from the article about Pr. 855 'Yasen' SSN. In general, two pr. 855 subs are under building in Russian 'Sevmash' plant on White Sea. One - 'Severodvinsk' - is in advance stage of building. Additional one - 'Kazan' - is only started in July 2009, and is made by modified 'Yasen-M' project with some advance features.

(Update: the mooring tests will start in May, 2010. ARMS-TASS, Dec, 23.)

The specs of pr.855:

- full underwater displacement , t                 13,800
- lenght, m                                                   119
- reactors                                               water-water OK-650B
- reactor life (without reload), years              25-30
- speed underwater  , knots                          31
 - max deepness, m                                      600
- autonomity , days                                      100
- crew                                                          90 (Seawolf, Virginia - 134)
- officers number                                          32 (Seawolf, Virginia - 14)
- acoustic                                                     Irtysh-Amphora
- FCS                                                          "Morinformsystema-Agat", NPO 'Aurora'
- EW                                                           5th gen on 'Yasen'-M', domestically made only.
- main caliber                                               8 triple=24 P-800 'Onyx'
- guiding                                                      submarine+satelite based MKRTs 'Legenda' + self guiding
- missile seeker                                            active/passive
- range of lock-on , km                                70-90 depending on target RCS
- torpedo apparata                                       533 mm
- mines
- imitation measures

- All kind of domestic torpedos and missile-torpedos can be used, with conventional and nuclear warheads, torpedo-launches 'Caliber-PL' (domestic 'Club' analog) for hitting surface target on distance up to 300 km, enemy subs on 40 km distance.

- Nuclear cruise missiles: the old 'Granat' - 3000 km range, a prospective one 'Grom' with 5000 km range.

The original Russian OCRed text is below:

First 'Gepard 3.9' fregat for Vietnam launched

The first from two frigate 'Gepard 3.9' for Vietnam based on pr.11661 was launched in Dec. 12 in Zelenodolsk (Russia). The light frigate is intended for operation against hostile ships and submarines in both the littoral and deep sea water. It can operate alone or as a part of a battle group. It's used to become a big instrument for protection of the national Vietnamese economic zone. At last Russia and Vietnam have started a number of joint projects including oil exploration in the shelf. A year ago Russia has officially offered to Chanoi to turn using national currencies for trade progress.
Update, specs:
-total displacement — 2090 т,
- 102 m lentgh, 10 isolated sections
- CODOG
-full speed — 27-28 knots,
-speed with only diesels — 20 узлов.
-range — 5,000 mil.
-Autonomy — 20 days,
-crew - 103 per.
-76,2 mm AK-176M
- 'Palma' AAMS
- 2x30mm Ak-630M
- RBU-6000
-  2x533 mm torpedo units
- Ka-28/31
Pictures:

T-90ME was demonstrated first time

The export version of modernized T-90M tank was demonstrated for Russian PM Putin today in 'UVZ plant (N-Tagil). The tank has a new, bigger turrets,
- 'Relict' ERA on the turret (but not on the hull),
- a new panoramic commander sight with 360 degree vision,
- new commander hatch with better accessability
- different placement of the air conditioner
- new tracks
-  stronger rolls and some improvement in the chassis
- possibly 1200 hp engine

1971. The War of Nerves in Bengal Bay

Today, December 6, the visit of the Indian PM Mr. Manmohan Singh in Moscow has started. I'm glad to see how the meetings between the two leaders of the countries become more often and (hopefully) will become a diplomatic routine, like let's say the meetings between leaders of Germany and France. As I have already written before, there was a meeting between Indian PM and the Russian journalists in Delhi, and now is published the short interview of mr. Manmohan Singh to Russian 'Izvestia' newspaper. He said before the visit: 'We hope, Russia will be able to influence Pakistan and persuade it to not use terror as a mean for the state policy since such policy is counter-productive and contradicts to peaceful neighborhood principles. Russia is an important factor of stability and security in the world. Nobody else can give us what the cooperation with Russia does'. He also marked the common 5th gen fighter project and MTA, as the most prioritized Indo-Russian cooperation project in military sphere.

In addition:
1) The Agreement for cooperation in military sphere on 2011-2020 will be signed/
2) The Agreement for after-selling service for Russian mil equipment wil be signed too during the visit.
3) The planned trading between two countries in 2010 will rech $10 bil.
4) New places for Indian atomic power stations will be discussed with Medvedev and Putin.

Also the big interview with Mr. Manmohan Singh was published in Russian 'Trud' newspaper.

But some days ago, in December 3, was 38 years anniversary of the Indo-Pakistan conflict, 1971. Then the Russian (Soviet) involvement has played an important role in prevention the Anglo-Saxon pressure on India which was directed to save face of their Pakistani ally and not to allow Bangladesh secession. This video is a part from the Russian TV program 'Strike Forces' and it's involved the witnesses of those events. The translation from Russian is mine.

'Bars' upgrade potential

Because repeating questions about possibly 'Bars' ESA radar upgrade for Su-30MKI, I put the NIIP's chief engineer Tamerlan Bakirbayev's article again in my blog. This article was published in Russian 'Army & Navy Review' magazine, issue 4, 2009.
The OCRed text is below.

AIRBORNE RADARS

BARS RADAR SYSTEM TANGIBLE ADVANTAGES

Tamerlan BEKIRBAYEV

Currently, an increased interest has been shown in the Su-30MKI fighter performance. The international Red Flag exercise held in July-August 2008 in the United States, the outcomes of virtual duels between Russian Su-series aircraft and an American advanced F-35 fighter conducted in Hawaii in the presence of the Australian Air Force representatives, as well as the results of polls taken by the British Flight magazine in November 2008 suggest that the Su-30MKl is superior to the US F-15 fighter and comparable to the newest F-22 Raptor.

The Su-30MKI lias become the world's first series-produced aircraft featuring supermaneuverability and the first export fighter fitted with the BARS electronically scanned radar.

'Borei' and 'Bulava'

As I predicted before, US and Russia have not reached the new agreement about strategic forces in time. In December, 5 the term of the START treaty was expired, but no new accord was signed. In the common declaration yesterday Obama and Medvedev have officially confirmed their failure.

Is a new nuclear race probable now?

Anyway, due to the new circumstances the modern Russian strategic programs become more interesting to everybody. This article from Russian 'Army & Navy Review' magazine 4, 2009, is about 4th generation 'Borei'-class SSBN and 'Bulava' missile. Interesting comparable data between 'Bulava' and early competing 'Bark' program are published in the article. Because limited time I cannot translate the article in full, sorry. Thus, use, please the online translators.