Архив изданий

The Russian government is looking for better ways to support the country’s aircraft industry and air transport sector

Russian aero engine designers have reached an important milestone in launching domestic production of helicopter powerplants, which have been enjoying steadily growing demand over the past several years.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner further expands its operating envelope

Russia’s air transport sector continued to grow for the third consecutive year throughout 2012 following a slight decline in 2009. The upward trend has been accompanied by incipient liberalization of international routes and by the government-backed drive to consolidate the industry.

Vnukovo, the smallest of Moscow’s three major airports, considerably expanded its passenger capacity with the opening of a new terminal in December 2012. Construction of Terminal A had begun in 2006 as part of a large-scale program to modernize Vnukovo. At a cost of 44 billion rubles (around $1.4 billion), the program was financed by the Moscow city administration, which is the airport’s largest shareholder, as well as by private investors.

Volga-Dnepr Gulf plans to perform about 40 A-checks in 2013 and to attract about 30 new customers within the next 1.5 years.

Aircraft and airborne weapons continued to dominate Russian arms exports in 2012

Russian rotary-wing products enjoy steady demand in India

Commercial operators remain the only supporters of the proposal to resume An-124 production

Last year was very successful for one of Russia’s major defense bestsellers, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI two-seat fighter. Irkut Corp., a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corpora­tion, managed to secure new orders for these aircraft at the end of 2012, boosting the total backlog to almost 400 units.

India is perhaps the largest export customer of Russia’s leading radar design house Phazotron-NIIR. General Designer Yuri Guskov told Russia & CIS Observer about the corporation’s on-going Indian contracts and new development programs.

Russian missile design house Tactical Missiles Corporation (TMC) has successfully developed several new products. CEO Boris Obnosov was quoted by the media as saying in January 2013 that TMC had completed the testing of the Kh-31PD, RVV-MD, RVV-SD, and RVV-BD missiles.

In 2017 an Indian rover is to be launched towards the Moon atop a Russian Soyuz-2

Last year was not marked by any breakthrough achievements in Russian space exploration. The country kept its world-leading position in the number of space launches. A total of 24 launches were performed: four from Plesetsk in Russia and the rest from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur. This list excludes the three launches of Russian-Ukrainian Zenit-3SL rockets from the Sea Launch international platform and the two Soyuz-2ST launches from the EASA Kourou spaceport. Russian-made launch vehicles orbited a total of 33 spacecraft last year, including nine under foreign commercial contracts.