T-90MS vs Land Rover, HD video

No new details of the tank, just a good resolution video:

Hi-Res T-90MS video

High-resolution T-90MS (early variant) testing video is published in Internet. It's a part of UVZ corporative presentation ( on 9:45 min). The language is Russian, however, no new  verbal information is included. Url for downloading. Source.

FCS 'Kalina'

FCS 'Kalina' was presented 1st time in the last N-Tagil-2011 mil. show/

source

Whale Jump

An interesting book about how two American immigrants in Russia developed the FCS for Kilo-class submarines. Unfortunately, only the abstract is translated in English:

“Whale Jump” is an extremely complex emergency surfacing
manoeuvre, which can save a submarine in distress, provided that its
captain and crew have courage, experience and determination. An
action taken in extreme circumstances by a talented and brave leader
and his team to save the day can be called a “Whale Jump”.
“Whale Jump” is the name of this book, about the creation of the
command system of Soviet submarine Project 877 (Kilo class) also
known as “Varshavyanka”.
“Whale Jump” is a historical account of how the submarine’s
combat and navigation system “Usel” (Russian for “The Knot”) came
into being.
“Varshavyanka” and “Usel” are still deployed in the 2st century by
the navies of Russia, India, China, Iran, Algeria and other countries.
Their creation 40 years ago has tied an incredible «destiny knot»
of many peoples’ lives – a Leningrad team of young and enthusiastic
developers and their forever to be loved teachers and leaders: Philip
Staros and Josef Berg, talented American engineers of amazing and
tragic fates. More than once they had to execute a “Whale Jump”, was
luck always with them?
Intelligence service conflicts, daring scientific endeavors, collaboration
with the great creators of submarines, aircraft and spacecraft, the
emergence, development and downfall of Soviet microelectronics, all
formed the destiny knot described in this book.
The author, Mark Galperin, was born in Leningrad and educated at
LITMO University. He joined the design bureau headed by Philip Staros
as a student and worked under his guidance for 14 years. Mark was the
first deputy to Philip Staros in the “Usel” design and was awarded the
State Award of the USSR for his part in the Varshavyanka project. He
now resides in Australia.

New AIP modules in Russia - brief report

TsKB Rubin is testing an AIP generator for submarines, RIAN reported in Sep 13 according to Rubin's Gen Director Andrey Dyachkov. He criticized the German hydrogen elements for flammability of their storage. The currently developed Russian AIP is built on the same electro-chemical generation principle, as hydrogen elements, but uses different less flammable reagents. The chemical ingredients used in the new AIP are not disclosed however. Like foreign analogs the last Russian AIP is built in plug-in module. Dyachkov also said Rubin is working in parallel to improve the lithium-ion batteries for subs. Currently the installation of lithium-ion batteries allows to make underwater  time longer on 40%, while it's only 35-40% of the theoretically limits of this technology.

(to note:   4 years ago  on BRF discussions I have pointed out about signs of efforts for developing much more powerful lithium-ion batteries for submarines instead of less powerful lead or silver-zinc accumulators or unsafe and sub-powerful hydrogen elements.)

New video about Russian artillery: 'Plant № 9'

Т-90MS in move

Putin takes explanation of T-90MS specs. 550 mm against cumulative for hull and turret from the side.

Russian prospective tank engine

New information about Russian prospective tank engine was published recently in the  blog of a known blogger from UVZ . The engine A-85-3 (another name 12N360 )  was over successfully testes on T-95 in 2010 including high altitude and non-standard oils. It has nominal power of 1500 hp with option for uprating up to 2200 hp or derating to 1200-1350 hp. The automatics ensure  defense against overheat. Transmission characteristics are not disclosed yet. The engine is a 4-stroke X-shaped opposite diesel belongs to 2V serial, which includes also the engines for Sprut 125-mm light tank and BMD-3. It is developed by ChTZ, which is now a part of UVZ concern.

Specs:
- Power 1500 hp
- torque backup - 25%
- Fuel consumption - 217,9 g/kW*h (160 g/hp*h, 155 g/hp*h on derated ) - (MTU 883-1500 has only 170 g/hp*h)
- Rate - 2000 R/min
 - Mass - 1550 kg
- 1 hp/kg
- 1088 hp/m3 (MTU 883-1500 has only 949 hp/m3)
- 1845x900x830 (MTU 883-1500 has 1700x964x965)

For comparison the spec of V-93 (V-92S2F), V-92S2 tank diesels:
Lifespan -  1000, 1200 h

NK-93 conference

Since there is number of persons who are interesting in aircraft engines development in Russia between the readers of this blog, I put here new original text from the meeting on NK-93 engine prospects, which happen 15.06.11. NK-93 - was the engine tested on Il-76 flying lab before Kaveri. The text is in Russian because I'm too busy now and cannot translate it even in shorten variant.  However, will answer on questions, if asked.  The source is a Russian aircraft builders online forum.

New UAC chief interview

Russian UAC's chief Pogosyan interview in SPIEF-2011 video. Many interesting words about PAKFA, cooperation with India etc. Highly recommended for view! The video for downloading.
Summary:

Russia-India business dialog

An interesting business dialog is available on the site of SIEF. Between most important high technology news : one Indian company will produce GaN chips in S-Petersburg starting from the  next year. I think the news can be crossed with PAK FA development (radar choice). Some other news regarding the cooperation between India and Russia were published there too. However, they mistakingly put the English translation on the Russian version and vice versa, which is very typical for all Indo-Russian cooperation last 5 years while best intentions are mixing with poor organization.  Some points of the critics from me: Sergey Ivanov is not the best figure to sit around the table since he is personally responsible for Gorshkov failure   (he signed the first Gorshkov agreement without deep insight). Despite some discomfort  I heard the Indian police maker and diplomats with pleasure, especially a bank-men, from which we can learn much how to behave in time of financial turmoils. BTW I think it's not a skill of politicians but the peculiarity of the long live Indian civilization - to know how struggle  the most hard economic circumstances with minimal damage for society. We Russians have a way to learn from Indians in financial sphere I always said. The speeches of Russian businessmen were sometime interesting too.

Brief summary 

Light 5th gen program remark

About the recent news: 'Besides the common heavier platform, Russia has also agreed to jointly develop a lighter fifth generation fighter tailored to meet specific requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF).' I must add some words:

1) Surviving of a fighter project is depending of an alive and progressing engine program, which it is built around. Respectively the 5th gen fighter project has to be built around a 5th gen engine already exist or in active developing.
2) Light class 5th gen fighter  can be built around a 10-12 t thrust engine (if two) or a 15-18 t thrust engine (if single).
3) Only one true 5th gen engine program in the world is valid in 10-12 t thrust category: it's EJ200, but it cannot be ToTed to India for many reasons. The indigenous Kaveri engine is a promising program but it's unrealistic to expect from it 5th gen level in visible future.

Then, I think the only option to push the Indian medium 5th gen fighter program ahead and to avoid LCA-type delays is to build it around 117/type30 engine, which should be ToTed and produced in India like  Al-31FN for Su-30MKI and RD-33 ser 3 for MiG-29. Time will say if they indeed discussed such possibility in Moscow.

New interview with Al-41F chief designer

In Russian Parliament sponsored 'Russia Today' journal (May, 2011) a new interview with Victor Chepkin was published. He first time reported about the difference between 'izdelie-117S' and 'izdelie-117' engines for new fighters. Then he didnt give interviews almost 3 years.

Chepkin Victor M. - is the doctor of technical sciences, professor, General Designer, the first deputy general director of NPO Saturn, on research and development projects, advisor to the Director of Lulka design buraue.

After graduating the Moscow Aviation Institute   in 1957, he was sent to the   Perm Motors   design Bureau  , where he worked as a design engineer and latter - the chief designer. He was the chief designer of the outstanding improvement on their engine, "D-30F6" for the world's fastest fighter-interceptor MiG-31 ". In 1980 Viktor Mikhailovich worked as Deputy Minister of Aviation Industry of the USSR.

Under his leadership,  design , finishing work and conducted official testing of turbojet engine "AL-31F was  successfully completed . Victor M. spearheaded the creation of a turbojet engine of the fifth generation, AL 41F and modernization of the AL-31F.

I have translated only those parts of the interview which are relevant  to PAK FA issue.

Q -  Since United Engine Corporation  been formed ,   5 th generation Fighter T-50 "  climbed into the sky and is undergoing flight tests , the first Superjet already been transferred to commercial airlines ... What in your opinion the most important changes occurred in the Russian aviation industry during this period (3 years) that we acquired, and what can be lost?

A - The main thing in my opinion, is that joint efforts succeeded in stopping the fall of the industry. This required the efforts of many, first and foremost, I would note Mikhail Pogosyan  and Eugene  Marchukov - the General Designer of the engine for the T-50.

For military aircraft, we have created two engines - one for the aircraft, like Su-35 ", the second - for the Russian aircraft 5 th generation of T-50". The first - is "117C" - is mainly intended for export. He is more simple in terms of aerodynamics, and most importantly - targeted for aircraft with conventional arms, suspended on pylons outside the fuselage, with no strong constraints on dimensions. Such schemes fro example are used on  4-th generation  aircrafts  , exported to India and Malaysia. 

The second engine - is "117" - though only differ by one letter in the title, much more advanced engine - this is a real engine of the 5-th generation. From the rivals can sometimes be heard  the  5-th generation   engine  should be with such a blade, such and such materials, high-speed rotors, and you do not have this ... None of this is all just ways of achieving the goal. A single goal - increasing specific thrust, ie the ratio of thrust to its weight. For example, the first jet engine Arkhip Mikhailovich Lulka weighed 1350 kg and had the same thrust, that is, its specific thrust is equal to 1. The 4 th generation engine  , "AL-31F, has already managed to achieve specific thrust of 8.7, and on a 5 th generation, the figure is 10.

The new engine delivers a supersonic speed without afterburner   mode. What it gives? If before the fighter was flying to the target with the speed of 700 km / h,  now - it is twice as fast.

Our "117" today is already flying on two T-50s. For the company it is quite a major achievement, a large move forward. Although it never was easy. We also have new ideas, we can boast some good groundwork. What is needed in the field of military aviation - the beginning of this mass production? To protect such a large country like ours, from a serious attack the number as 500-1000   aircrafts is needed  . For this needed orders, money, production infrastructure. 

Q - What are the new challenges encountered when creating the plane 5 th generation?

A -   There are thousand  problems   to solve  . Say, for reducing the radar visibility "T-50 has a scheme with an internal arrangement of weapons, so is becoming increasingly important problem of reducing its size. And that means    new weaponry  has to be developed and put into service , but since it has low volume, it must be highly accurate. It is therefore necessarily need a fully functional GLONASS. The American GPS, for obvious reasons is not suitable, since in times of crisis they will disable it, like during the Ossetian-Georgian war, would impose an artificial shift in the coordinates of 300 km. Also is needed to be known exactly,   how do you shoot, so should be a modern mapping system. The missile itself should be stealthy . Such weapons are now manufactured, and all this affects the design of the engine. The work is proceeding according to plans ... In general, in my opinion, the plane turns out good, no worse than the American "F-22". 

Q - By the way, if we compare the T-50 "with the" F-22 ", Western sources say that the T-50" is much behind in  infrared engine visibility in the rear hemisphere.

A - We're working very intensely,   to reduce the infrared and radar visibility, and were twice as better performance in comparison with the "F-22" (at least for those data that are published and which I have). 

Q - In the difficult years for the Russian aircraft industry, aircraft building companies that produced military aircraft survived by exports, especially in China and India. Today, the Chinese have copied our Su-27 "and are ready to sell it on world markets at dumping prices. Not whether as a result we lose  our traditional markets of combat aircraft?

A - We dont, because such an aircraft as we have, the Chinese have no and will have no in  visible prospective. They say that they have made a 5-th generation plane, but one can say anything ... Their best engine was copied from our "AL-31F. And we produce  5-th generation   engines  , and they are in all of their parameters of thrust,   specific fuel consumption correspond to the 5-th generation. I opened the secret and say that we actually already have two   5-th generation engines. The second, which is now conventionally called the "Type 30", has already been tested in flight on the fighter T-50 ". In the future it probably will give the name of "AL-...." According to its parameters it a 15-25 percent better than "117 th". 

Q - You can hear that the 5 th generation engine of a plane is not as important as its electronic filling ...

A - If you compare the share of the motor and electronics to provide the functionality of combat fighter, then I, as you know, though being a minder and a patriot of the industry, yet I must admit that electronics "weighs" is  much higher. Without a doubt. That's why a little better, or slightly worse engine - has no special meaning. But, if the engine parameters are much better, as we have done on the "117"  (25 percent), the performance characteristics can be seriously improved, even due to increasing the allowed weight of the aircraft.

Saras-Duet saga is resolved for good

As the Russian Interfax-AVN news agency reported in Sept. 8 the light 14-passengers aircraft Saras will follow the modernization according to Myasishchev's specialists recommendations. 'Till today the part of the work was already done. Particularly the expertize of what already done by the Indian specialists was conducted. The package of propositions for modernization was formulated' - said the source in Russian military-industrial complex. 'The second stage of the work is planned to start in Oct. 2010 and finish during the year, although elongation of this schedule is not excluded' - he considers: 'It will be more specific work on finishing, including ground tests. Not much changes in design is expected, but the questions about the safeness and controllability are remained, i.e. the problems which were not resolved by Indians'.

Formidable Liana

An effective naval target search and destroying in blue water is impossible without a global target acquisition and weapon guiding system. In soviet time this role was given to the epic MKRTs 'Legenda' system. It has included two arms: 1) weapon guiding satellites US-A, 2) ELINT satellites, US-P. The weapon guiding subsystem was composed from US-A radar equipped sattelites, developed by NPO Mashine-building (Reutov, Moscow region) and manufactured in San-Petersburg's 'Arsenal' facility.

The ELINT part including US-P satellites ('Tselina-2' in last 1980 and 1990th, GRAU index — 17F17, also US-PU (УС-ПУ), EORSAT) with passive radars and solar batteries has Ukrainian overall design (OKB 'Yuzhnoye') with Russian ELINT payload (TsNIRTI design house):

How to win in the missiles race. Part 2

 This is the second part of the interview with KTRV chief, taken by 'Expert' journal.

Q - Besides the missiles and the aircraft bombs your corporation develops   the sufficiently wide spectrum of sea weapons    . How is developed the cooperation of [KTRV] with our Navies?

A - We have proposed to the Navy commander Vladimir Vysotskiy to develop the whole     program of sea weapons creation. In it the phase of     new ships production and weapons for them must be clearly connected. There before was frequently that there are new torpedoes, but the submarine still stands in the dock. We presented our operating times, I think, this question will succeed in solving in the working order soon.

Q - What new armaments for the Navies does now develop [KTRV]?

A - First of all, this are the torpedoes, including of the large diameter (more than 500 millimeters). They are made by Moscow enterprise “Region”, which forms a part of our corporation. This is chief implementing agency on the sea underwater weapon. It's part is approximately 60 percent of all experimental design works, carried out on this thematic along with Navy, and about 48 percent of the series production. We now complete the tests of the system of antisubmarine complex “Packet- E/NK', which includes new torpedoes and anti-torpedoes for the protection of ship from the submarines. This system allows to counter the attack of enemy and to secure ship, and other hand - to deliver effective retaliatory attack. Furthermore, we continue works on the torpedoes “Squall”, which are capable of under water move at a rate of 100 meters per second. This is the most terrible naval weapons, which was created in the USSR. And I am glad, that it was possible to follow this thematics.

How to win in the missiles race. Part 1.

This is an interview with the chief of Russian 'Tactical Missiles Weapon Corporation' Boris Obnosov about the latest development. Initially it was published in 'Expert' journal.

The tendency toward the total liquidation of strategic carriers and warheads, fixed in the new Russian- American agreement  , unavoidably will lead to the fact that the role and the significance of conventional weapons    will sharply grow   in the very near future. But if with our arsenal of strategic weapon we actually can on the equal talk with the Americans,   in the sphere of conventional armaments there is no basis for parity. For example, the number of our contemporary combat aircraft   is approximately 15 times less than in the USA, the disparity in the number of 'blue water' combat ships between USA and Russia is as 20 times. This means that in   “global nuclear zero” situation Russia has no enough against its potential enemies.

The problem here is not in the quality of our tactical armaments, but in their quantity. While the Americans during the last ten years stocked up more than hundred thousands   aircraft bombs alone,   our army within the same period purchased the air based weapons for only   one day of war. This is so despite the fact that the new Russian missiles,   are not worse than American, but even they are better in a number of characteristics. The main developer of them is "Tactical missile weapon corporation' (KTRV in Russian abbreviation). This is one of most secret corporation in whole Russian  military-industrial complex [VPK in Russian abbreviation]. It was created about eight years ago during the consolidation process of Russian MIC, now it includes almost two ten different enterprises, plants and design houses, dealing in the sphere of air, ground-based and naval weapons. The general director of KTRV Boris Obnosov said us  about the development of new missiles and torpedoes and how they differ from the American analogs, why we should fear China and in what direction   it is necessary Russia to develop its air-based weapon .

The interview with S-400's chief designer.

“The thought of Russian engineer works more rapidly than the thought of Russian bureaucrat”

The Director-General of GSKB “Almaz- Antey” Igor Ashurbeyli about the rocket business

           

The newspaper “Kommersant”   № 77 (4377) from 30.04.2010

Recently the views of the officials, servicemen and economists on Russian military-industrial complex were split. Sometimes they call it 'the main locomotive' of the development of advanced technologies, sometimes – 'the main brake' of this development. How locomotive and brake go together in its most highly technological branches - creation of air defense systems? Also,   who is behind whom   in reality and how all this is going at the end? About all this the general director of joint stock company “main system design bureau “Almaz- Antey” Igor Ashurbeli spoke to 'Kommersant'.

- What is the primary task and the basic ideology of the concern “Almaz- Antaey” now?

- Well, I can say only about the design branch – GSKB “Almaz- Antaey”. We already grew from the pure air defense, and our future is with the aerospace defense. We overgrew the height of 30 km, which was our upper threshold (ceiling of   the existing anti-aircraft missiles lethal area). Therefore our strategy is: to go from air defense through the antimissile defense to the defense of aerospace.

PAK FA from technological POV

An interesting video about T-50 program was published by Russian 'Roscosmos TV'. The follow text is my translation to English:

Short acceleration – 200 m only – and the take-off is done! Other aircrafts can do this only from carriers. However, the Russian 5^th gen fighter has a number of features allow it to take-off from a short horizontal airstrip. The 5^th gen engine effectively provides it.

Ilia Fedorov, the Supervising Director of NPO 'Saturn', deputy general director of the Russian 'United Engine-building Corporation' (UEBC) tells about the difference of  t-50's engine: 

-         "It has different thrust, naturally different tuning control. The number of constructive differences allow better thrust with lower fuel consumption. And the most important – it has totally different system of control".

'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.