Text & Photography by Simone Marcato
ARMY’s fourth annual International Military-Technical Forum took place from August 21 to 26 in three different locations: the Patriot Congress and Exhibition Centre (also called Patriot Park), the Alabino Military Training Grounds, and the airfield of Kubinka Air Base, which is located in the Moscow region, 70 kilometers west of the Russian capital.
After three years of steady expansion, which also included full backing from the Russian Federation’s Ministry of Defense, the ARMY 2018 Forum was undoubtedly the world’s premier arms and military equipment show in 2018.
The numbers in this edition made it clear about the forum’s global importance: For example, Rosoboronexport, a division of Rostec State Corporation, signed 15 different contracts with foreign customers worth a combined 20.3 billion rubles (over 222 Million Euros). Representatives from almost 100 countries came to participate, and 20 of the 65 official military delegations that visited were led by their respective minister of defense. 400 foreign journalists were among the 550,000 people that attended the event.
Patriot Park, Alabino Military Training Grounds and Kubinka Air Base
At Patriot Park, where the forum’s trade exhibition and extensive program conference takes place, over 360 military and special equipment were on static display. A big Congress Centre, along with six big exhibition halls and several pavilions were a disposal to the 1200 exhibitors from 14 different Countries that showcased their products in an indoor space of 40,000 square meters, and in outdoor space of 120,000 square meters.
The Alabino Military Training Grounds served as the venue for all of the ground demonstrations. T-90s, T-72BZs, and T-80U tanks were among the approximately 40 types of Land Force weapons and military equipment that took part in the dynamic displays and live-firing exhibitions. Additionally, artillery, including both self-propelled anti-tank and artillery guns, displayed their ability to move and fire on a simulated battlefield.
Additionally, military air defense units demonstrated their capabilities by deploying the anti-aircraft missile system “Tugunska-M1,” the anti-aircraft self-propelled unit “Shilka-M4” anti-aircraft missile system, as well as the S-300V4 air defense missile system and the “Pantsir-S1” air-defense missile-gun systems.
Kubinka Airfield, the home base of the two main aerobatic teams of the Vozdušno-Kosmiceskie Sily Rossijskoj Federacii (VKS-RF, or Russian Aerospace Forces), Russkiye-Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhy (Swifts), contributed significantly to the event with 30 aircraft displayed in both static and dynamic displays.
The static display included most of the recent acquisitions of the VKS-RF such as the Sukhoi Su-25SM3, Su-30SM, Su-34, Su-35S, MiG-29SMT, MiG-31BM, Il-76, Beriev A-50 AWACS, An-148, Tu-214 Open Sky and all the Tupolev-made bombers currently in service with VKS-RF: Tu-22M3 Backfire, Tu-95MS Bear and Tu-160M Blackjack. At the time of this trip, all the 3 bombers were undergoing an upgrade program with the aim to keep them in service until 2030.
The Russian Naval Aviation’s Aviatsiya Voyenno-Morskogo Flota also took part in the static display, showcasing their MiG-29K Fulcrum-D carrier-capable fighter, a Kamov Ka-27M Helix, and an upgraded Il-38N Novella maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft.
Despite being scheduled in the flying program, neither the MiG-31K nor the Su-57 featured a display. The show’s only public appearance of the Felon was on August 21, when a pair of Su-57s performed a couple of fly pasts during the visit of the Russian MoD, General Sergey Shoygu.
On the other hand, the MiG-31K was one of the highlights of the static display, as this variant of the Foxhound carries the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile. The display aircraft, armed with the long-range missile, was parked inside a hangar and therefore not accessible to the public and press for the rest of the event.
Russian Helicopters, United Aircraft Company (UAC) and the Russian Aerospace Forces renewal
The only Russian firm that designs and manufactures Rotary-wing types, Russian Helicopters Holding, is a major player in the worldwide helicopter market, and it was evidently also a significant presence during ARMY 2018. One of the company’s major pavilions at Patriot Park featured an array of its helicopters in production.
Delegations had the opportunity to closely examine the most recent iterations of the popular Mi-8/17 family, the Mil Mi-35M, Mi-28N, and Ka-52 Alligator gunships, as well as the Kamov ANSAT-U and Ka-226 light utility helicopters. Both Mi-28Ns and Ka-52s performed role demos at Kubinka and Alabino, showing impressive maneuverability in simulated ground attacks in defense of special forces landings by Mi-8s and Mi-26s.
Additionally, Kubinka hosted the company’s first presentation of the newest Mi-26T2V, showcasing the prototype on static display. The new, modern NPK90-2V integrated avionics, along with the addition of a digital flight center, make the helicopter different from the standard Mi-26 model and significantly simplifies piloting. The cockpit has been upgraded extensively with multifunctional color displays, and all the instrumentation is now adapted when wearing night vision goggles. Moreover, new energy-absorbing seats for the crew have been fitted, as well as general improvements to the navigation systems and satellite communications.
In addition to promotional efforts for its goods overseas, the United Aircraft Company (UAC) actively contributes to the revitalization of the Russian Air Force by providing the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) with dozens of newly constructed or upgraded fighters, trainers, transport aircraft, and bombers to replace the outdated Soviet-era models. Additionally, the UAC’s subsidiary businesses test various aircraft types that will need to be used with the VKS-RF in the upcoming years.
After delivering dozens of fourth-generation Su-30/35 Flankers multi-purpose aircraft and playing a key part in the VKS-RF combat unit modernization, the Sukhoi Company has been awarded the first contract for its Su-57 stealth fighter. Following the controversial announcement at the start of July that the Su-57 would not be produced in large quantities, UAC President Yuri Slyusar revealed at the forum that the Russian Ministry of Defense has placed the first order for 15 Su-57s, with the first two expected to join the Aerospace Forces in 2019.
Along with the Su-57 contract, the Russian MoD signed an agreement for the delivery of six MiG-35s (two single-seat MiG-35S and four two-seat MiG-35UB) to the Russian VKS-RF. These fighter-bombers will be assigned to the Strizhni acrobatic team, as replacements of the aging MiG-29s.
Additionally, there was some hope for the MiG-35’s future at the UAC pavilion after the VKS-RF expressed interest in purchasing additional MiG-35s, not only to replace the older MiG-29s but also to compensate for the low number of newer MiG-29SMTs in service.
Another significant task for Russian defense is to replace the fleet of Antonov aircraft, which are manufactured in Ukraine, with a significant portion of the tactical and strategic transport aircraft now in service. In addition to the necessity to replace these outdated aircraft, the MoD wishes to become independent of Ukrainian military supplies in light of the political concerns that have followed the annexation of Crimea and the conflict that erupted in Donbass.
In order to meet this requirement, Ilyushin worked simultaneously on three different types of aircraft: Il-112V, Il-76MD-90A and Il-276.
The Il-112V twin-prop light military transport aircraft will replace the ageing An-24/26/72 in service. UAC sources stated: “The first prototype is ready and we are doing tests on the ground before its first flight which is scheduled for October 26th 2018”.
In regards to the Il-276 he added: “Using the experience and the work done so far, we are working on the new aircraft which according to plans should make the first flight by 2023. We are hoping to start series production by 2026”.
The Il-276 is based on the Russian-Indian twin-engine medium transport plane project MTA, which was “frozen” in 2016 after the withdrawal of India. However, Russia was compelled to continue developing the aircraft alone, taking entire responsibility for the intricate design and construction of the aircraft, because the necessity to replace older aircraft in service, particularly the An-12s, remains urgent.
The fuselage and airframe of this new medium military transport aircraft will be sized between the strategic cargo aircraft Il-76MD-90A and the Il-112V. Compared to the older Il-76, the new airlifter has structural improvements comprising a reinforced landing gear, a redesigned wing section, and a new power plant. Other enhancements include a digital glass cockpit as well as modernized flight, navigation, and communication systems.
Ilyushin is also working on the new Il-78M-90A aerial refueling tanker, which made its maiden flight in January 2018 at the Aviastar-SP production facility. Developed from the Il-76MD-90A, the new tanker shares the avionics and structural improvements of the upgraded transport aircraft, maintaining the same propulsion system based on the Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 turbofan engines. Like the Il-76MD-90A, the updated engines give the aircraft a 60-ton payload (up from 40 tonnes for the baseline Il-76/78) and a 12% reduced fuel consumption. The MoD is expected to buy 34 of the new tankers to replace its current Il-78s.
Finally, but not least, Yakovlev Design Bureau—part of the Irkut Corporation—performed dynamic displays every day at Kubinka with the Yak-130 advanced jet trainer/light fighter and with a prototype of the Yak-152 turboprop primary trainer aircraft. 150 Yak-152s will be put into VKS-RF service to replace the current Yakovlev Yak-52 primary trainers.
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