home » Hats » New Russian military aircraft - what do we have and what can we expect from the military-industrial complex? Russian Air Force: history of development and current composition General overview of the Russian air fleet.

New Russian military aircraft - what do we have and what can we expect from the military-industrial complex? Russian Air Force: history of development and current composition General overview of the Russian air fleet.

The air force has long become the basis of the armed forces of any army. Airplanes are becoming more than just a means of delivering bombs and missiles to the enemy; modern aviation is multifunctional combat systems with wings. The newest F-22 and F-35 fighters, as well as their modifications, have already been put into service with the US Army, and here we mean the “army” as ground forces. This means that infantry is now on a par with tanks and infantry fighting vehicles and includes fighters. This highlights the role of air power in modern warfare. Such a shift towards multifunctionality was made possible by new developments in the field of aircraft construction and changes in the principles of war. A modern fighter can fight without approaching the target closer than 400 km, launch missiles at 30 targets and at the same second turn around and fly to the base. The case is of course a special one, but it more than describes the picture. Not exactly what we are used to seeing in Hollywood blockbusters in which, no matter how far you look into the future, fighters in the air and in space are conducting classic “dog fights” from the times of the Great Patriotic War. Some time ago, a couple of news sites were full of news that in a simulation of the battle between the “drying” and the F-22, the domestic machine emerged victorious due to its superior maneuverability; of course, we were talking about superiority in close combat. All articles noted that in long-range combat the Raptor is superior to the Su-35 due to more advanced weapons and guidance systems. This is what distinguishes 4++ and 5th generations.

On this moment The Russian Air Force is armed with combat aircraft the so-called 4++ generation, those same Su-35s. This is the product of a deep modernization of the Su-27 and Mig-29, which have been available since the 80s; it is planned to begin a similar modernization of the Tu-160 soon. 4++ means as close as possible to the fifth generation; in general, the modern “drying” differs from the PAK FA in the absence of “stealth” and AFAR. Nevertheless, the possibilities for modernizing this design have basically been exhausted, so the issue of creating a new generation of fighters has been around for a long time.

Fifth generation

Fifth generation of fighters. We often hear this term in the news about modern weapons and at aviation shows. What is it? "Generation" is in general outline a list of requirements that modern military doctrine places on a combat vehicle. The 5th generation vehicle should be stealthy, have supersonic cruising speed, advanced target detection systems and electronic warfare systems, but the most important thing is versatility. It’s not for nothing that projects have the word “complex” in their names. The ability to fight equally well in the air and hit ground targets largely determines the appearance of the fifth generation. These are the tasks that were set for the future designers of the new symbol of domestic aviation.

The development of a new generation began in the USSR and the USA almost simultaneously, back in the 80s, and in the States they already selected a prototype in the 90s. Because of world-famous events Soviet program found itself in stagnation long years, this is the reason for the lag these days. As you know, the 5th generation fighter F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning are already in service with the United States and a number of other countries. What is noteworthy is that “Raptors” are not yet supplied even to allies, having noticeable advantages over “Lightnings”, the exclusive presence of “Raptors” in the US Army makes their Air Force the most advanced in the world.

Our response to the “Raptors” is still being prepared, the dates have been repeatedly postponed, from 2016 to 2017 2019, now it’s 2020, but experts say that another postponement is possible, although they note that the new Russian fighter is increasingly taking the form of a product ready for serial production.

Su-47 "Berkut"

In Russia, the fifth generation has a rather long-suffering history. As you know, the PAK FA, also known as the T-50, and more recently the Su-57, is not the first attempt to get an ultra-modern multi-role fighter into service. One of these attempts was the Su-47, also known as Berkut. Testing of a new aircraft with a forward-swept wing took place back in the 90s. The car is very memorable and has been in sight and hearing for a long time. The “reverse” wings partly played a cruel joke on him. This design brought the aircraft to new level maneuverability, however, to solve all the problems of such a design, the forces were never found, either in Russia or in the States, where in the 80s there was a project for the X-29, a fighter with a similar swept wing. Also, this prototype did not meet all the requirements of the fifth generation, for example, it could only overcome supersonic power with afterburner.

Only one fighter was built and it is now used only as a prototype. Perhaps the Su-47 will be the last attempt to create an aircraft with a forward-swept wing.

Su-57 (PAK FA)

PAK FA (Advanced Aviation Complex Frontline Aviation) is a new Russian aircraft. It became the first successful attempt to bring to life the fifth generation of aircraft. At the moment, there is little information in the public domain about its characteristics. From the obvious, it has all the characteristics of the fifth generation, namely supersonic cruising speed, stealth technologies, active phased array antennas (AFAR), and so on. Externally, it is similar to the F-22 Raptor. And now everyone who is not too lazy is already starting to compare these machines, no wonder, because the Su-57 will become the main “protagonist” in the fight against the Raptors and Lightnings. It is worth noting that in the new realities, the improvement of missiles will also occupy a special place. As has already been said, entering into battle takes place over gigantic distances, so how maneuverable a fighter will be and how well it feels in close combat is a matter of minor importance.

In Russia, the “arrows” for the latest aviation technology are the R-73 rocket and its modifications, which rightfully bear the fame of a formidable weapon. But the designers, in accordance with the good Russian tradition, “just in case”, provided for the installation of a 30-mm air cannon on the Su-57.

In developing

Another transition to the “five” is planned for another 4++ aircraft - the Mig-35. Sketches of the “face” of the future interceptor have already been shown, but it is not yet clear whether there will be a need for it or whether the Su-57 will cope with its functions. Not only would a light fighter meet all the requirements of the new generation, it would be necessary to develop a fundamentally new engine and solve the problem of installing stealth. Which is impossible for cars of this class in modern realities. As mentioned earlier, the fifth generation assumes the multifunctionality that the Su-57 should theoretically have, so what tasks will be assigned to the Mig is still not clear.

Another promising vehicle for the Russian aviation forces is the PAK DA, being developed within the walls of the Tupolev design bureau. From the acronym it is clear that we're talking about about long-range aviation. According to the plan, the first flight is in 2025, but given the tendency to postpone the release of anything, you can immediately throw in a couple of three, or even five years. Therefore, most likely we will not soon see the new Tupolev take off into the sky; obviously, long-range aviation will make do with the Tu-160 and its modification in the near future.

Sixth generation

On the Internet, no, no, yes, there is a yellow article about the sixth generation of fighters. That development is already in full swing somewhere. This is of course not true, because let us remind you that the newest fifth generation is in service only with the United States. Therefore, it is too early to talk about “development at full speed.” I should finish with the fifth one here. As for speculation about what the weapons of the future will look like, there is room for discussion. What will the new generation of aircraft be like?

From the sixth generation we can expect that all standard characteristics will increase. Speed, maneuverability. Most likely, the weight will decrease, thanks to new materials of the future, electronics will reach a new level. In the coming decades, we may expect breakthroughs in the creation of quantum computers; this will allow us to move to an unprecedented level of computing speed, which in turn will make it possible to seriously modernize the modern AI of the aircraft, which in the future may rightfully bear the name “co-pilot.” Presumably, there will be a complete abandonment of the vertical tail, which is absolutely useless in modern realities, since fighters operate mainly at extreme and extreme angles of attack. This could lead to interesting airframe shapes, perhaps again an attempt to change the wing sweep.

Most main question which the designers of the future will decide - is a pilot needed at all? That is, will the fighter be controlled by AI or by a pilot, and if by a pilot, will the pilot control the plane remotely or the old-fashioned way from the cockpit. Imagine a plane without a pilot. This is a huge “relief” for the car, because in addition to the weight of the pilot himself and his equipment, a decent load is created by the pilot’s seat, which is supposed to save lives, which makes it a complex machine, stuffed with electronics and mechanisms for ejecting the pilot. Not to mention changing the design of the airframe, in which there is no need to allocate a huge amount of space for a person and rack your brains over the ergonomic design of the cockpit to make it easier to control the machine in the air. The absence of a pilot means that you no longer need to worry about overloads, which means the car can be accelerated to any speed that the structure can handle, the same goes for maneuvers in the sky. This will also make pilot training easier. And we are talking not only about reducing the requirements for the pilot’s health. Now the pilot is the most valuable thing in a fighter aircraft. Enormous amounts of time and resources are spent on preparation; the loss of a pilot is irreparable. If a pilot controls a fighter from the comfort of a chair deep in a bunker on a military base, then this will change the face of war no less than the “transfer” from horses to tanks and infantry fighting vehicles.

The prospect of completely eliminating the pilot still looks like a task for the more distant future. Scientists are warning about the consequences of using AI, and the very philosophical and ethical component of replacing a person with a robot in war is still being studied. We still do not have the computing power to create a full-fledged replacement for the pilot, but in the coming decades a technological revolution in this area is possible. On the other hand, the pilot's flair and military ingenuity cannot be recreated by zeros and ones. For now, these are all hypotheses, so the appearance modern aviation And air force the near future will still have a human face.

The two most powerful powers in the world have the most powerful air fleets. These are Russia and the United States of America. Both countries are constantly improving them. New military personnel are released, if not annually, then every two to three years. Huge funds are allocated for development in this area.

If we talk about Russian strategic aviation, then do not expect that you will be able to find accurate statistical data anywhere on the number of attack aircraft, fighters, etc. in service. Such information is considered top secret. Therefore, the information provided in this article may be subjective.

General overview of the Russian air fleet

It is included in the Aerospace Forces of our country. One of the important components of the WWF is aviation. It is divided for long-range, transport, operational-tactical and army. This includes attack aircraft, bombers, fighters, and transport aircraft.

How many military aircraft does Russia have? Approximate figure - 1614 units of military air equipment. These include 80 strategic bombers, 150 long-range bombers, 241 attack aircraft, etc.

For comparison, you can give how many passenger planes there are in Russia. Total 753. Of them 547 - main and 206 — regional. Since 2014, the demand for passenger flights began to fall, so the number of aircraft in use has also decreased. 72% of them- these are foreign models ( and ).

New aircraft in the Russian Air Force are improved models military equipment. Among them we can highlight Su-57. This 5th generation fighter with a wide range of functions. Until August 2017, it was developed under a different name - Tu-50. They began to create it as a replacement for the Su-27.

The first time he soared into the sky was still in 2010 year. Three years later it was put into small-scale production for testing. By 2018 Multi-batch deliveries will begin.

Another promising model is MiG-35. This is a light fighter whose characteristics are almost comparable with fifth generation aircraft. It was designed to deliver precise strikes against targets on land and water. Winter 2017 the first tests began. By 2020 The first deliveries are planned.

A-100 “Premier”- another new product from the Russian Air Force. Long-range radio navigation aircraft. It must replace outdated models - A50 and A50U.

From training machines you can bring Yak-152. It was developed for the selection of pilots at the first stage of training.

Among military transport models there are Il-112 and Il-214. The first of them is a light aircraft that should replace the An-26. The second was developed jointly with, but now they continue to design it, as a replacement for An-12.

Among helicopters, such new models are under development - Ka-60 and Mi-38. Ka-60 is a transport helicopter. It is designed to deliver ammunition and weapons to military conflict zones. Mi-38 is a multifunctional helicopter. It is financed directly by the state.

There is also a new item among passenger models. This is IL-114. Turboprop aircraft with two engines. It holds 64 passengers, but flies at a distance - up to 1500 km. It is being developed to replace An-24.

If we talk about Russian small aviation, the situation here is extremely deplorable. There are only 2-4 thousand planes and helicopters. And the number of amateur pilots is decreasing every year. This is due to the fact that for any aircraft you have to pay two taxes at once - transport and property.

Air fleets of Russia and the USA - comparative analysis

The total number of aircraft the US has is: that's 13,513 cars. Researchers note that of these - only 2000- fighters and bombers. The rest - 11,000- These are transport vehicles and those used by NATO, the US Navy and the National Guard.

Transport aircraft are extremely important to keep air bases operational and provide excellent logistics to America's troops. In this comparison, the US Air Force and the Russian Air Force clearly win the former.

The US Air Force has a large amount of equipment.

In terms of the pace of renewal of military air equipment, Russia is taking the lead. By 2020, it is planned to produce another 600 units. The real power gap between the two powers will be 10-15 % . It has already been noted that Russian S-27s are ahead of American F-25s.

If we talk about comparing the armed forces of Russia and the United States, the trump card of the former is the presence of particularly powerful air defense systems. They reliably protect Russian air latitudes. Modern Russian S-400 air defense systems have no analogues anywhere in the world.

Russian air defense is something like an “umbrella” protecting the skies of our country until 2020. By this milestone, it is planned to completely update almost all military equipment, including air equipment.

Military aircraft are aircraft used for military front-line or combat sorties, designed for high power without taking into account efficiency, in contrast to civil aviation aircraft.

Military aircraft, first of all, are required to have a high rate of climb, as well as greater speed, altitude and flight range. For operational management In air warfare, long-range bombers and missile carriers are used to destroy military targets. Refueling aircraft, which only have fuel on board, have the ability to refuel combat aircraft directly in flight. Military aircraft include long-range reconnaissance aircraft with long range, altitude and flight speed. Tactical military aircraft include fighter aircraft (or fighter jets), fighter-bombers, light bombers, and fixed-wing aircraft. tactical reconnaissance. Modern military aircraft are often designed as multi-role aircraft, i.e. they are intended for combat use like attack aircraft, interceptor fighters and reconnaissance aircraft.

1) Fighter aircraft (fighters)

A fighter aircraft is a very fast one- or two-seat combat aircraft for destroying (searching for) enemy combat aircraft, unmanned missiles, etc. All modern fighter aircraft are equipped with one or two air-breathing engines for propulsion. The speed exceeds sound and is currently about 3500 km/h, the rate of climb near the ground is over 200 m/s and the maximum operating altitude is up to 30,000 m. The armament consists of 2 to 5 fixed automatic guns (with a caliber of 2.0 to 3 .7 cm) and ballistic, radio-controlled or homing air-to-air missiles. In addition, for the most part, fighter aircraft have extensive electronic equipment such as radar, recognition device, etc.

Heavy fighter aircraft or fighter-bombers combine the flight power and flight qualities of fighters - high combat speed and rate of climb, high maximum flight altitude, good maneuverability - and the qualities of light and medium bombers - long flight range, good armament, high payload, extensive electronic and radar equipment. They are highly versatile in their combat capabilities. Among them intended purpose, among other things, include actions to intercept and attack ground targets, search for submarines, support for formations of ships and ground combat operations, and combat use as an escort fighter or reconnaissance aircraft. Armament and equipment accordingly meet the assigned tasks. Radar installations are standard; weapons usually consist of large-caliber guns and missiles (air-to-air or air-to-ground), as well as bombs and torpedoes as bomber weapons. Since there is no free space in the fuselage of these military aircraft, bombs, missiles and additional fuel tanks are suspended under and at the ends of the wings. The speed performance of heavy bombers is between Mach number 0.2 and 2, the maximum flight altitude is from 15,000 to 20,000 m, and the flight range is from 1,500 to 4,500 km.

Previously, there were special night fighters that were used specifically for combat operations at night, as they were equipped with instruments for blind flight. Most modern fighter aircraft are all-weather, i.e. they can fly combat missions in bad weather conditions, as well as at night. Also, all-weather fighter aircraft are often called heavy fighters, since they are in most cases two-seat and equipped with two engines.

The essence of effective air defense is to “intercept” the attacking enemy and prevent him from completing his combat mission, and therefore destroy him. This requires fighter aircraft with good take-off power, high speeds, a high maximum flight altitude and good armament, namely fighter-interceptors. First of all, they are deployed close to the border of industrial centers and other protected sites.

The use of high-speed and high-flying combat aircraft (bombers) with a jet engine has significantly increased the requirements for the rate of climb, speed and maximum altitude of interceptor fighters. This leads to the following power characteristics: maximum speed from 2000 to 2500 km/h, flight range is 2000-3500 km. Such indicators require, with an average take-off weight of 7 to 12 tons, the use of engines with a thrust of 3000 to 5000 kgf, whose power can increase by another 50% due to additional fuel combustion. For short-term acceleration, especially when climbing, additional rocket propulsion systems can be used.

2) Bomber aircraft (bombers)

Fighter aircraft are primarily used to solve defensive missions, while for bombers offensive actions are put in the foreground. A bomber is a large, heavy military aircraft with multiple turbojet engines (jet turbines or turboprop engines). On short runways or when overloaded, bombers are often equipped with auxiliary launch rockets.

Bombers are tasked with attacking distant targets quickly and at high altitude with explosive charges in the form of bombs. Because of the great danger of approaching a target in a hostile area, more and more bombers are being upgraded to missile carriers, which launch missiles at a great distance from the target and are remotely controlled to hit it while the bomber itself is outside the area controlled by enemy forces. The take-off weight of modern bombers reaches 230 tons, and the total thrust is over 50,000 kgf or, accordingly, the total power is approximately 50,000 hp. The bomb load depends on tactical radius actions; it reaches up to 16,000 km without refueling, and even more when refueling in the air. The flight altitude reaches 20,000 m, and the crew size can be 12 people. The speed of modern bombers exceeds 2000 km/h; Bombers are currently being designed that will have even greater speed. Defensive weapons consist of rockets, machine guns and automatic cannons.

Like all types of aircraft, bombers can also be classified according to different aspects, such as bomb load and thus take-off weight (light, medium and heavy bombers) or depending on their combat purposes(tactical and strategic bombers).

Tactical bombers are aircraft that are designed to solve certain specific tasks of operational warfare, namely, tactical missions. This means actions that change the situation on a certain section of the front and subjugate the entire target, and therefore the destruction in a certain area of concentration of enemy troops, assembly areas, firing positions, airfields, supply routes, etc.

Based on this formulation of the problem, we can formulate the basic requirements for tactical bombers: high combat speed, bomb load up to 10 tons, maximum flight range up to 6000 km. As a result of these requirements, design features are defined that can be summarized as follows: an aircraft with one, two, three or four jet engines with a take-off weight of 20 to 50 tons, with remotely controlled defensive weapons or air-to-air missiles, electronic and radar equipment, with a durable body capable of withstanding heavy loads when flying at low altitudes. From all this, it can be argued that tactical bombers have a certain similarity with heavy fighters, both in their tasks and in their parameters.

Strategic bombers. Strategy is the science of waging war on a large scale. The word strategic means large-scale military operations. This also explains the combat purpose of strategic bombers. These military aircraft are designed to perform combat missions deep behind enemy lines.

All bombers are equipped with radar equipment to search for targets and locate attacking fighter aircraft. Combat sorties are carried out in small groups or alone. Since modern bombers have almost the same speed as fighters, the same flight range, as well as significant defensive capability thanks to air-to-air missiles, today they often refuse fighter cover.

Bombers were first used during the First World War, alone or in small groups. In the Second World War, “massive” combat missions took place in large groups, which numbered several hundred bombers and flew under the cover of fighter aircraft. The bombers of that time had several engines, were relatively slow, designed for a maximum bomb load and a large number of defensive weapons. Modern ones, on the contrary, are designed for long range, altitude, and flight speed. In most cases, reconnaissance planes flew ahead and were intended to find the target. Unlike the bombers of that time, they were equipped with radar devices. Thanks to luminous aerial bombs dropped by parachute, the target was identified. A special type was considered a dive bomber, which approached the target from a great height, then rammed it in a fast dive flight, and dropped one or more bombs from a short distance. After this, the bomber again leveled its position in flight. After design intercontinental missiles There was an opinion that strategic bombers were outdated. But thanks to their development into missile carriers and flying launchers, they have recently regained their importance.

3) Reconnaissance aircraft (reconnaissance aircraft)

These are multi-seat, lightly armed fighters or bombers (without a bomb load), which are equipped with aerial cameras, radar instruments, often devices for transmitting television signals, or also ship-borne aircraft for aerial reconnaissance, i.e. for reconnaissance of enemy positions, objects, etc., territory and weather conditions in the interests of all parts of its own armed forces. Previously depending on maximum range flights and areas of application distinguished between short-range and long-range reconnaissance aircraft. Today, depending on the combat purpose, they talk about tactical and strategic reconnaissance officers. There are special reconnaissance aircraft for conducting artillery fire from the air, for reconnaissance of the area in the firing zone of one's own artillery thanks to visual reconnaissance or aerial photographs, and also for monitoring the camouflage of one's own artillery. Such aircraft are called artillery aircraft. They belong to short-range reconnaissance or tactical reconnaissance.

4) Military transport aircraft

These are large aircraft that have from 2 to 8 engines and a flight range of 3000 km or more. They are lightly armed or not armed at all and are designed to transport supplies for troops (food, fuel, ammunition, weapons, also guns, tanks, vehicles, etc.). Military transport aircraft are used for landing (landing) airborne troops, as well as transportation of troops during regroupings. The fleet of military transport aviation vehicles consists of transport aircraft, cargo gliders and helicopters, which are equipped accordingly.

1. American fighter-attack aircraft - Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

This model is a modernized version of a military aircraft F/A-18. The sample weighs 14.5 tons, and one full tank will be enough to fly 3,300 kilometers. The aircraft is equipped with a powerful F404 engine, thanks to which the maximum speed can reach 1915 km/h. The Super Hornet costs about $67 million.

2. German monoplane fighter - Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Wurger

The presented model performed well in the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Kurt Tank is the developer of a fighter called the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Wurger, which was created specifically for the German Air Force. The aircraft made its first flight back in 1939.

3. American light fighter - Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon

This model was developed back in 1974, but was put into operation at the end of 1979. The sample length is 15 meters. The sample is equipped with a powerful General Electric F110 engine. Price General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is about 19 million US dollars.

4. Swedish multi-role fighter - Saab JAS 39 Gripen

The presented model has been in service with the Swedish Air Force since 1997. The weight of this sample is 6622 kilograms, while the flight range from one full tank reaches 3250 kilometers. The creator of the aircraft is Saab AB. Costs Saab JAS 39 Gripen approximately 60 million US dollars.

5. Fighter - Su-30MKI (Flanker-H)

The modernized model of the aircraft weighs 18,400 kilograms, while its flight range from one full tank reaches 3,000 kilometers. This model made its first flight in 2000. The fighter is equipped with a powerful AL-31F engine. Price Su-30MKI is 25 million US dollars.

6. Two-seat fighter - McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle

This model was created on the basis of the F-15D combat training fighter. This aircraft can be used for patrolling and providing cover. ground forces. The sample is equipped with a powerful Pratt & Whitney F100 engine, thanks to which the maximum flight speed can reach 2655 kilometers per hour. Price McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is approximately US$31 million.

7. French multi-role fighter - Dassault Rafale

French company Dassault Aviation is the creator of a 15 meter fighter called - Dassault Rafale. The maximum speed of this model reaches 2130 km/h, and the flight range from one fully filled tank is 3700 kilometers.

8. Experimental aircraft - Sukhoi Su-35

This fighter weighs 18,400 kilograms, while its flight range from one fully filled tank is 3,600 kilometers. The model is equipped with a powerful AL-31F engine, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft reaches 2500 km/h. Costs Su-27M about 65 million US dollars.

9. Multirole fighter - Eurofighter Typhoon

This model was created by the company Eurofighter GmbH in 1986. The aircraft weighs 11 tons, and its flight range from one fully filled tank is 3,790 kilometers. The maximum permissible speed of the aircraft is 1838 km/h.

10. Fighter-bomber - Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

American company Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is the creator of a stealth fighter called - Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. This model is equipped with a powerful Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, thanks to which the maximum speed can reach 1930 km/h and the flight range is 2220 kilometers. The sample made its first flight in 2006.

11. American attack aircraft - Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk

This model is developed by the company Lockheed Martin. This model is designed to quietly penetrate enemy air defense systems and destroy strategically important targets. The aircraft is equipped with a powerful General Electric F404 engine, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 993 kilometers per hour. Price Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is about 100 million US dollars.

12. Multi-role fighter - Mig 21

This model is equipped with a turbojet engine, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 2175 kilometers per hour. The sample made its first flight back in 1955. Mig-21 is one of the most common supersonic aircraft around the world.

13. English fighter - Supermarine Spitfire

This model is one of the best fighters Second World War. This sample equipped with powerful engines such as: Rolls-Royce Merlin, Rolls-Royce Griffon, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can be 584 kilometers per hour. The aircraft made its first flight back in 1936.

14. Russian fighter - MiG-35

This model is equipped with a powerful RD-33 engine, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 2600 km/h. The sample made its first flight in 2007. One full tank will last the aircraft for 2000 kilometers.

15. Multirole fighter - Chengdu J-10

This model is a development of a Chinese company Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group.
The presented sample is equipped with a turbofan engine, thanks to which the maximum flight speed of the aircraft can reach 2327 kilometers per hour. The aircraft made its first flight in 1998. Price Chengdu J-10 is 28 million US dollars.

16. British fighter - Hawker Siddeley Harrier

This model is a development of the Hawker Siddeley company, which in 1960 created a fighter called Hawker Siddeley Harrier. The maximum permissible flight speed of this sample is 1175 kilometers per hour.

17. American fighter - North American P-51 Mustang

This model was created by designer Edgar Schmüd together with the company North American Aviation. This model is equipped with a powerful twelve-cylinder engine, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 703 kilometers per hour.

18. Russian fighter - Su-47 Berkut

This model is equipped with powerful engines such as AL-31F, D-30, thanks to which the maximum speed of the aircraft can reach 2650 km/h. The sample weighs 16,380 kilograms, and the flight range from one fully filled tank is 3,300 kilometers. The Su-47 Berkut costs about 70 million US dollars.

19. Multi-role fighter - Su-27

This model is equipped with a powerful AL-31F engine, thanks to which the maximum flight speed can reach 2500 km/h. The sample weighs 16,380 kilograms, and the flight range from one fully filled tank is 3,530 kilometers. Costs Su-27 approximately 30 million US dollars.

And aircraft lovers will probably be interested in looking at these

The Russian Federation is a powerful aviation power with its own history, whose air force is capable of resolving any conflicts, threatening our country. This was clearly demonstrated by the events last months in Syria, where Russian pilots are successfully fighting against the ISIS army, which poses a terrorist threat to the entire modern world.

Story

Russian aviation began its existence in 1910, but the official starting point was August 12, 1912 when Major General M.I. Shishkevich took control of all units in the Aeronautical Unit of the General Staff, which had been organized by that time.

Having existed for a very short period of time, the military aviation of the Russian Empire became one of the best air forces of that time, although aircraft production in Russian state was in its infancy and Russian pilots had to fight on foreign-made aircraft.

"Ilya Muromets"

Despite the fact that the Russian state purchased aircraft from other countries, Russian soil has never been poor in talented people. In 1904, Professor Zhukovsky founded an institute for the study of aerodynamics, and in 1913, the young Sikorsky designed and built his famous bomber "Ilya Muromets" and a biplane with four engines "Russian Knight", designer Grigorovich developed various hydroplane designs.

The aviators Utochkin and Artseulov were very popular among the pilots of that time, and the military pilot Pyotr Nesterov amazed everyone by performing his legendary “dead loop” and became famous in 1914 by ramming an enemy plane in the air. In the same year, Russian pilots conquered the Arctic for the first time during flights to search for the missing pioneers of the North from Sedov’s expedition.

The Russian air force was represented by Army and Naval aviation, each type had several aviation groups, which included air squads of 6-10 aircraft each. Initially, the pilots were only engaged in adjusting artillery fire and reconnaissance, but then using bombs and machine guns they destroyed enemy personnel. With the appearance of fighters, battles began to destroy enemy aircraft.

1917

By the fall of 1917, Russian aviation consisted of about 700 aircraft, but then the October Revolution broke out and it was disbanded, many Russian pilots died in the war, and most of those who survived the revolutionary coup emigrated. The young Soviet republic founded its own air force in 1918, called the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet. But the fratricidal war ended and they forgot about military aviation; only at the end of the 30s, with the course towards industrialization, did its revival begin.

The Soviet government intensively took up the construction of new aviation industry enterprises and the creation of design bureaus. In those years, brilliant Soviet aircraft designers – Polikarpov, Tupolev, Lavochkin, Ilyushin, Petlyakov, Mikoyan and Gurevich.

To train and train pilots, flying clubs were founded as initial pilot training schools. After receiving piloting skills in such institutions, the cadets were sent to flight schools and then assigned to combat units. More than 20 thousand cadets were trained in 18 flight schools, technical personnel were trained in 6 institutions.

The leaders of the USSR understood that the first socialist state was in dire need of an air force and took all measures to quickly increase the aircraft fleet. At the turn of the 40s, wonderful fighters appeared, built at the Yakovlev and Lavochkin Design Bureaus - these are Yak-1 And LaG-3, Ilyushin Design Bureau commissioned the first attack aircraft, designers under the leadership of Tupolev created a long-range bomber TB-3, and the design bureau of Mikoyan and Gurevich completed flight tests of the fighter.

1941

The aviation industry, on the threshold of war, produced 50 aircraft per day in the early summer of 1941 and three months later doubled the production of aircraft.

But for Soviet aviation, the beginning of the war was tragic; most of the aircraft located at airfields in the border zone were destroyed right in the parking lots without having time to take off. In the first battles, our pilots, lacking experience, used outdated tactics and, as a result, suffered heavy losses.

It was possible to turn this situation around only in mid-1943, when the flight crew acquired the necessary experience and aviation began to receive more modern equipment, such aircraft as fighters Yak-3, La-5 And La-7, modernized attack aircraft with Il-2 air gunner, bombers, long-range bombers.

In total, more than 44 thousand pilots were trained and graduated during the war, but the losses were enormous - 27,600 pilots were killed in battles on all fronts. By the end of the war, our pilots gained complete air superiority.

After the end of hostilities, a period of confrontation began, known as cold war. The era of jet aircraft began in aviation, the new kind military equipment - helicopters. During these years, aviation developed rapidly, more than 10 thousand aircraft were built, the creation of fourth generation fighter projects was completed and Su-29, development of fifth-generation machines began.

1997

But the subsequent collapse Soviet Union buried all the initiatives; the republics that emerged from it divided all aviation among themselves. In 1997, the President of the Russian Federation, by his decree, announced the creation of the Russian Air Force, which united the air defense and air force forces.

Russian aviation had to participate in two Chechen wars and the Georgian military conflict, at the end of 2015, a limited contingent of the air force redeployed to the Syrian Republic, where it successfully conducts military operations against global terrorism.

The nineties were a period of degradation of Russian aviation; this process was stopped only in the early 2000s, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Major General A.N. Zelin in 2008 described the situation in Russian aviation as extremely difficult. The training of military personnel was significantly reduced, many airfields were abandoned and destroyed, aircraft were poorly maintained, and training flights practically ceased due to lack of finance.

year 2009

Since 2009, the level of training of personnel began to rise, aviation equipment was modernized and overhauled, the purchase of new aircraft and the renewal of the aircraft fleet began. The development of the fifth generation aircraft is nearing completion. The flight crew began regular flights and are improving their skills; the material well-being of the pilots and technicians has increased.

The Russian Air Force consistently conducts exercises, improving combat skills and prowess.

Structural organization of the air force

On August 1, 2015, the air force organizationally merged with the military space forces, of which Colonel General Bondarev was appointed commander-in-chief. The Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force and Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces is currently Lieutenant General Yudin.

The Russian air force consists of the main types of aviation - long-range, military transport and army aviation. Radio engineering, anti-aircraft and rocket troops also included in the Air Force. The most important functions for providing reconnaissance and communications, protection against weapons mass destruction, conducting rescue operations and electronic warfare perform special troops also part of the air force. In addition, it is impossible to imagine the Air Force without engineering and logistics services, medical and meteorological units.

The Russian Air Force is designed to perform the following missions:

Repel any attacks by the aggressor in the air and space.
Providing air cover for launch sites, cities and all significantly important objects,
Conducting reconnaissance.
Destruction of enemy troops using conventional and nuclear weapons.
Close air support for ground forces.

Back in 2008, a reform of Russian aviation took place, which structurally divided the air force into commands, brigades and air bases. The command was based on the territorial principle, which abolished the air force and air defense armies.

Today, commands are located in four cities: St. Petersburg, Khabarovsk, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don. A separate command exists for long-range and military transport aviation, located in Moscow. By 2010, there were about 70 former aviation regiments, and now air bases, in total there were 148 thousand people in the air force and the Russian Air Force is second in number only to US aviation.

Military equipment of Russian aviation

Long-range and strategic aircraft

One of the brightest representatives of long-range aviation is the Tu-160, which bears the affectionate name “White Swan”. This machine was produced during the Soviet Union, develops supersonic speed and has a variable sweep wing. according to the developers' plans, it is capable of overcoming enemy air defenses at ultra-low altitude and inflicting nuclear attack. IN Russian Air Force There are only 16 such aircraft and the question is: will our industry be able to organize the production of such machines?

The Tupolev Design Bureau's aircraft first took to the air during Stalin's lifetime and has been in service ever since. Four turboprop engines allow long-distance flights along the entire border of our country. Nickname " Bear"earned due to the bass sound of these engines, it is capable of carrying cruise missiles and nuclear bombs. There are 30 of these machines left in service in the Russian Air Force.

Strategic missile carrier long range with economical engines, it is capable of supersonic flights, equipped with a variable-sweep wing, the production of these aircraft was launched back in the last century in the 60s. 50 vehicles and a hundred aircraft are in service Tu-22M preserved.

Fighter aircraft

The front-line fighter was produced in Soviet times, belongs to the first aircraft of the fourth generation, later modifications of this aircraft numbering about 360 units are in service.

On the base Su-27 A vehicle was released that had an electronic electronic equipment, capable of identifying targets on the ground and in the air at a great distance and transmitting target designations to other crews. There are a total of 80 such aircraft in stock.

Even deeper modernization Su-27 became a fighter, this aircraft belongs to the 4++ generation, it has high maneuverability and is equipped with the latest electronics.

These aircraft entered combat units in 2014; the air force has 48 aircraft.

The fourth generation of Russian aircraft began with MiG-27, more than two dozen modified models of this vehicle have been produced, with a total of 225 combat units in service.

Another fighter-bomber that cannot be ignored is the newest aircraft, which is in service with the Air Force in the amount of 75 units.

Attack aircraft and interceptors

- This exact copy The F-111 is a US Air Force aircraft that has not been flying for a long time; its Soviet counterpart is still in service, but by 2020 all aircraft will be decommissioned; there are currently about a hundred similar aircraft in service.

Legendary Stormtrooper Su-25 "Rook", which has high survivability, was developed in the 70s so successfully that after so many years of operation they are going to modernize it, since they do not yet see a worthy replacement. Today, 200 combat-ready vehicles and 100 aircraft are mothballed.

The interceptor develops high speed in a matter of seconds and is designed for a long range. The modernization of this aircraft will be completed by the twentieth year; in total there are 140 such aircraft in units.

Military transport aviation

The main fleet of transport aircraft are aircraft from the Antonov Design Bureau and several modifications from the Ilyushin Design Bureau. Among them are light transporters and An-72, medium-duty vehicles An-140 And An-148, solid heavy trucks An-22, An-124 And . About three hundred transport workers perform tasks to deliver cargo and military equipment.

Training aircraft

Designed after the collapse of the Union, the only training aircraft went into production and immediately gained a reputation as an excellent training machine with a program for simulating the aircraft for which the future pilot is retrained. In addition to it, there is a Czech training aircraft L-39 and an aircraft for training transport aviation pilots Tu-134UBL.

Army aviation

This type of aviation is represented mainly by Mil and Kamov helicopters and also by the machine of the Kazan Helicopter Plant “Ansat”. After being discontinued, the Russian army aviation was replenished with one hundred and the same number. Most of the helicopters in combat units are proven and Mi-24. Eights in service - 570 units, and Mi-24– 620 units. The reliability of these Soviet machines is beyond doubt.

Unmanned aircraft

The USSR attached little importance to this type of weapon, but technological progress does not stand still and in modern times drones have found worthy use. These aircrafts conduct reconnaissance and filming of enemy positions, carry out destruction command posts without risking the lives of people operating these drones. The Air Force has several types of UAVs - these are "Bee-1T" And "Flight-D", an outdated Israeli drone is still in service "Outpost".

Prospects for the Russian Air Force

In Russia, several aircraft projects are in development and some are close to completion. Undoubtedly, the new fifth-generation aircraft will arouse great interest among the general public, especially since it has already been demonstrated. PAK FA T-50 is undergoing the final stage of flight testing and will enter combat units in the near future.

An interesting project was presented by the Ilyushin Design Bureau; the aircraft and aircraft developed by its designers are replacing the Antonov aircraft and removing our dependence on the supply of spare parts from Ukraine. Commissioned newest fighter, test flights of new rotorcraft are completed and Mi-38. We started developing a new project strategic aircraft PAK-DA, they promise that it will be lifted into the air in 2020.

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