The ongoing Air Force fleet upgrade with new serial aircraft and helicopters is featuring Su-34, Su-30M2, Su-27SM, Yak-130, Ka-52, Ansat-U, Mi-28N and Mi-8. This has been the first time since 1992 that the Russian Air Force has received a significant quantity of the new and upgraded aircraft (the only exception was the delivery of 34 MiG-29SM/UBT fighters that had primarily been reserved for Algeria). We present the review for every type that is being delivered to the Russian Air Force.

Su-34

NAPO in Novosibirsk has delivered the first four Su-34 tactical bombers to the Russian Air Force in 2010 according to 33.6 bln rubles (USD 1.2 bln) contract signed in December 2008 between the Russian Defense Ministry and Sukhoi. Four bombers with tail numbers ranging from "06 red" to "09 red" have been delivered to the Air Force in December 2010 and then put into service at Lipetsk combat training center. Those aircraft are expected to be stationed near Voronezh at the Baltimor air base to replace the Su-24Ms. They are the first combat Su-34 the Russian Air Force has ever received.
Earlier in 2006-2009 NAPO has delivered five serial Su-34s with tail numbers ranging from "01 red" to "05 red". Three of them ("02 red", "04 red" and "05 red") are now being stationed in Lipetsk while the other two ("01" and "03") are being used for the final phase of the test program along with four prototype vehicles at the flight and test center in Akhtubinsk. Reportedly at least one of these Su-34s has been engaged in the military operation in Georgia.
That contract for the delivery of 32 Su-34 bombers has all chances to be performed in time since NAPO has managed to stabilize the serial manufacture rate. If everything goes well NAPO is expected to deliver at least six Su-34s in 2011 and around 10-12 aircraft in 2012 and 2013.

Su-30M2 and Su-27SM3

According to 80 bln rubles (USD 2.85 bln) contract signed between the Russian Defense Ministry of and Sukhoi in August 2009 Sukhoi should deliver 64 fighters manufactured by KNAAPO at Komsomosk-on-Amur: 48 Su-35Ss, 12 Su-27SM3s and 4 Su-30M2s. The delivery of the first serial Su-35S to the Russian Air Force is expected in 2011 while four two-pilot Su-30M2s have already been delivered in fall 2010. Two of them have been left at KNAAPO for the pilot training and the other two have been stationed at Krimsk air base in Northern Caucasus.
The first four new serial Su-27SM3s have been delivered to the same Krimsk air base in February 2011 (tail numbers from "51 red" to "54 red").
Earlier in 2003-2009 the Air Force has upgraded 55 of its combat Su-27s which have Su-27SM designation now. Unlike Su-27SM3s those Su-27SMs are new aircraft. However their manufacture was done with the use of Su-27SK assembly sets that had previously been allocated for the China’s order).
Now Su-27SM3 has the glass cockpit and it has been upgraded to carry the new RVV-SD medium-range air-to-air missiles.
Eight remaining Su-27SM3s are expected to be delivered in 2011. It is likely that they will be stationed at Krimsk air base as well as the rest of their type mates.

Yak-130

Early last year Sokol aircraft plant in Nizhniy Novgorod has delivered four Yak-130 trainers out of 12 jets slot under the contract with the Russian Defense Ministry. The aircraft have the tail numbers ranging from "90 white" to "93 white". Now they are stationed at the Air Force training base in Lipetsk. Eight remaining jets had previously been expected to be delivered in 2011. However “93 white” crash in Lipetsk on May 29, 2010 had changed the situation as Yak-130 type flights were cancelled until the end of the year. Under the optimistic scenario the new Yak-130 deliveries might be resumed this year. These eight jets are expected to be operated at the Air Force training facility in Krasnodar.

Other Jets
Three MiG-29 SMT fighters (from the “Algerian” slot of 28 MiG-29SMTs and 6 MiG-29UBTs), two new IL-62M (RA-86495) and Tu-154M (RA-85155) have been delivered to the Russian Air Force in 2010.

Mi-28N

Year 2010 has become a record-breaking year in manufacture of Mi-28N. The Air Force has received 15 Mi-28N helicopters manufactured by Rostvertol's facility in Rostov-on-Don which is perhaps the largest combat aviation order implemented in the post-Soviet period.
The contract for the delivery of 67 Mi-28N helicopters has been signed in 2005 between Rostvertol and the Russian Defense Ministry. Throughout 2005 – 2007 Rostvertol has manufactured the first seven prototypes (tail numbers from "32 yellow" to "38 yellow") that have been engaged in the test program. First four serial helicopters (tail numbers from "41 yellow" to "44 yellow") have been delivered to the Air Force in 2008 for operation at the training center in Torzhok. 12 helicopters (tail numbers from "01 blue" to "12 blue") have been delivered in 2009 to Budenovsk air base in Northern Caucasus replacing Mi-24s.
15 aircraft have been manufactured in 2010 making the total of 38. At least four of those helicopters (tail numbers from "14 blue" to "17 blue") have been delivered to the air base in Budenovsk while the rest have replaced Mi-24 helicopters at Korenovsk air base in the Northern Caucasus. In fact the helicopters intended for Korenovsk air base are now located in Budenovsk while the pilots are being trained in Torzhok.
The “second phase” of Mi-28N deliveries stipulates 30 more helicopters until 2015 under 2010 Rostvertol contract with the Defense Ministry to make a total of 97 aircraft manufactured. Rostvertol is likely to deliver14-15 helicopters in 2011 – 2012 under 2005 contract and 15 helicopters in 2013 – 2014 under 2010 contract.

Ka-52

In 2010 Progress aviation corp. in Arseniev has launched the deliveries of serial Ka-52 helicopters to the Russian Air Force. Four of those helicopters have been delivered to the training center in Torzhok. Progress has manufactured two prototype Ka-52 with tail numbers "062 yellow" and "063 yellow" in 2008 and three with tail numbers from "51 yellow" to "53 yellow" in 2009. All those helicopters are being engaged in test program.
Four Ka-52 helicopters delivered in 2010 have become the first helicopters manufactured the contract on the delivery of 36 Ka-52s signed with the Defense Ministry in late 2009. Progress will reportedly deliver 10 serial helicopters to the Air Force in 2011 and it is likely to keep the same manufacture rate in 2012-2013. New Ka-52s will possibly be delivered in 2011 to Chernigovsk air base in the Far East.

Ansat-U

Kazan helicopters plant has delivered seven new Ansat-U light trainer helicopters to Syzran branch of Air Force Training and Scientific center "Air Force Academy" in autumn 2010. Ministry of Defense has ordered 10 such helicopters; the amount of contracts signed in 2009-2010 was 980 mln rubles (USD 35 mln). Kazan Helicopters has manufactured six of these helicopters in 2009: three of them had been delivered to combat training center in Torzhok by summer 2010 and the rest - to Syzran in October 2010. Four more Ansat-U helicopters have been manufactured and delivered to Syzran by Kazan in late 2010. Kazan plans to continue the deliveries to Syzran training center in 2011.

Mi-8

The recent years have shown the mounting deliveries of Mi-8 multi-role and transport helicopters of different modifications manufactured by Kazan and Ulan-Ude plants. A total of 34 Mi-8 helicopters have been delivered so far.
22 Mi-8AMTSh - armed transport helicopters manufactured by Ulan-Ude under 4.18 bln rubles (USD 150 mln) contract signed in February 2010 with the Ministry of Defense have been delivered to Budenovsk and Korenovsk air bases (the later has received 10 helicopters in December). The rest of Mi-8 helicopters (Mi-8AMT and Mi-8MTV) have been delivered to the different Air Force units, like four new Mi-8MTVs (manufactured by Kazan) that have been delivered to Syzran "Air Force Academy" in summer 2010.

Grand Total

According to our estimates in 2010 the Russian aircraft industry has delivered 21 aircraft and 57 helicopters to the Russian Air Force.

* - serial aircraft only

According to our forecasts in 2011 the Russian Defense Ministry should receive at least 28 jets (two Su-35Ss, six Su-34s, eight Su-27SM3s, eight Yak-130s, one Tu-214ON, two Tu-154Ms and one An-140-100) and more than 100 helicopters (15 Mi-28Ns, 10 Ka-52s, two Mi-35Ms, one Mi-26, six Ansat-U helicopters, six Ka-226s, more than 60 Mi-8s of different modifications).