The participation of aviators in the IMDS-2017 was not limited just to the aforementioned six aircraft fly-pass. Among more than four hundred participating firms, including about fifty foreign ones, the United Aircraft Corporation also came out with its stands. In addition to it, large-scale models of aircraft were exhibited by Rosoboronexport and other participants. The Tactical Missile Corporation presented air-to-ship weapons, including anti-ship missiles Kh-31AD, Kh-35UE and Kh-59MK in air-launched versions. The largest "aviation" exhibit under the roof of the exhibition pavilion could be seen at the stand of the joint Russian-Indian company BrahMos Aerospace. It was a huge model of the Su-30MKI multipurpose fighter with a BrahMos PJ-10 missile on the central under fuselage weapons pylon.

Indo-Russian missiles

During IMDS-2017, BrahMos Aerospace stand was visited by Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin. Communicating with journalists later, mr. Rogozin noted that Russian-Indian cooperation has been developing dynamically, and BrahMos is considered an exemplary case. One of the new projects that the specialists of our two countries jointly implement is the creation of a scaled down version of the PJ-10, so that it can be launched from torpedo tubes of submarines. In addition, a smaller projectile can also be used in aviation: the same Su-30MKI can ascend to the sky with three instead of such missiles on the plane’s hard points.

Note that the missile manufactured today has a body diameter of 670mm. Taking into account the folding wing and launch accelerator, when stored the missile fits into a circle with a diameter of about 730mm. According to the head of BrahMos Aerospace, Mr. Mishra, the latest achievements in scientific and technical progress make it possible to significantly reduce the dimensionality of hypersonic weapons. There is also a second reason why the work on "miniaturisation" of the PJ-10 makes sense. For a complex of reasons, the Indian admirals decline the idea of placing vertical BrahMos missile launchers on submarines that should be built under the Project 75i. In an effort to find a different application for Brahmos missiles with the navy, the leadership of the Russian-Indian joint venture has decided to launch the above-mentioned scaled down version, adapted to firing from 533-mm torpedo tubes.

The representative of BrahMos Aerospace, Mr. Pravin Pratak, told AEX.RU that, following the already completed ballistic tests of PJ-10 air-to-surface dummy version from specially modified Indian Air Force fighters, later this year the first "real" launch from the Su-30MKI will be carried out. Having passed the necessary tests, the aviation version will be inducted, supplementing the previously inducted versions of the complex into the Land Forces (launchers on wheeled chassis) and the Navy (surface ships). By now, sixty launches have been made from various carriers, all successful. Today, the Indian Navy possesses ten ships carrying BrahMos PJ-10 missiles, including three frigates of the Project 61ME (Rajput-class) and three of the Project 11356M (Talwar-class) of Russian origin. The remaining four are Indian-built vessels, designed according to projects developed the participation of Northern Design Bureau.

Frigates with Kamov helicopters

In the period from 2008 to the spring of 2017, Vladimir Spiridopulo held the post of General Director of the Northern DB. We met him on the pier, next to the moored frigate Admiral Makarov, built to Project 11356RM for the Black Sea Fleet. Today, the frigate is undergoing trials in the Baltic waters. Vladimir Spiridopulo reminded that the design bureau has been collaborating with the Indian navy since 1974. Indeed, in the period 1976-1987 the Russian shipbuilders completed five frigates of the Project 61ME: INS Rajput, Rana, Ranjit, Ranvir and Ranjivey, which to this day remain in service with the Indian Navy. They took their place in the history books as the first warships designed and built by the Soviet Union specifically for a foreign customer.

For the Indian Navy, they became the first ships of the sea zone with a powerful missile weapon - the Volna anti-aircraft complexes (based on the land-based S-125 SAM) and P-20 anti-ship missiles. From the sister-ships of the Soviet Navy, the export frigates differed in having the stern AK-76 gun mount removed to empty the place for a proper hangar housing Ka-25 helicopters. Rotorcraft of this type was very popular with Indian seamen; they reluctantly switched to significantly larger machines of the next generation, the Ka-28 and the Ka-31.

The next stage of Russian-Indian cooperation in the field of shipbuilding was the joint design of warships for the Indian Navy with the construction of them in India: frigates of projects 15, 17 and modifications. Andrei Dyachkov was recently appointed to the post of head of the Northern Design Bureau.

He informed us that the new management of the enterprise signed a contract with Vladimir Spiridopulo, according to which he will continue to work on various projects, including Indian ones. At present, the main types of Russian deck helicopters in the service with the Indian Navy are the heavy Ka-28 and Ka-31. In future, the advent of a marine version of the Ka-226T is very much possible. This rotorcraft is closer in size to the Ka-25, which enjoyed a continued affection from the side of the Indian seamen.

Aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy

Close cooperation with the Indian side is carried out by many other enterprises of St. Petersburg, including the Nevsky Design Bureau (NDB). Talking with a group of Indian and Russian journalists at IMDS-2017, NDB General Director Sergei Vlasov said that the company has been working in the interests of the Indian Navy for over twenty years. The largest project was the refit and modernization, at the Northern Machine Building Enterprise (Sevmash), the Admiral Gorshkov heavy aircraft carrying cruiser of Project 1143.4 into the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier of Project 11430. She was commissioned in 2013. The same project also included development, production and installation of a special training ground for naval pilots, better known as Goa Shore-based Training Facility. "We had a great deal of joint work with India, and it's always pleasant for me to remember it," Sergey Vlasov said.

Today, the NDB is working on the documentation for the installation of aviation technical means on a new ship, INS Vikrant of Project 7. Russian engineers have completed the technical design of the aviation technical means and on its basis issue technical documentation on which construction and commissioning are being conducted. Although the new ship is developed in India, it uses a large number of systems of Russian origin. The arrestor machines "Svetlana-2M", the light (color-coded) approach system for landing "Luna" and others are used. The construction of the aircraft carrier of Project 71 is being conducted in Cochin. Launched on water in the summer of 2013, INS Vikrant is in a high degree of readiness. Commissioning is scheduled for next summer.

The “main caliber” of INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant are the MiG-29K / KUB deck fighters delivered by RAC MiG in the amount of 45 units in the period 2010-2016. In February, part of the Russian delegation, who arrived in India to attend the next meeting of the intergovernmental commission for military-technical cooperation, was invited by the host party for a familiarization tour of the fleet. Russian envoys found the flagship ship INS Vikramaditya in excellent condition. More recently, the aircraft carrier took part in major naval exercises with the US Navy. At the request of Indian journalists, the situation was commented on by the Director General of the Nevskoye DB: "I am sure that the ship will act in the best during these and other exercises. Indian sailors are very capable, and naval pilots too. They have repeatedly demonstrated high skills in many exercises involving the aircraft carrier. "

Meanwhile, Indian admirals are considering further ways of development of aircraft carriers and are consulting with foreign firms on their appearance. According to local media, plans are being considered for the purchase of western deck fighters: F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Rafale-M. These types of aircraft are designed for catapult-assisted take-off, and therefore are unlikely to be able to operate from INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. These ships are of STOBAR type, for short take off but arrested recovery, and equipped with a ski jump with inclination of 14 degrees. Most likely is that India will build a new carrier to operate western fighters. Such a ship should have catapults, either steam or electromagnetic.

So far the only ship in the world equipped with electromagnetic catapults has been built in the US: CVN 78 Gerald R. Ford uses the EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System) system. India is considering the purchase of EMALS. Other countries, including Russia, do not offer anything like that yet. If the Americans sell their system of India, it can be installed on future Indian ships. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic catapult is a very complex technical structure, which requires a long period of rectification to attain maturity. The Indian leadership refrains from commenting on whether it is ready to embark on the EMALS. A potential buyer may want to see how a new catapult perform with the US Navy before making commitment. The use of EMALS is also possible on a non-atomic (gas turbine) aircraft carrier, but this will require a very powerful electric power plant, the creation of which also represents a rather complex project.

There was "Varyag", now Liaoning

According to the calculations of Rosoboronexport specialists, whom they kindly shared with AEX.RU, for all the time of military-technical cooperation, India purchased our military equipment and property for a total of 65 billion US dollars, including 46 billion in 2012-2016. Most of the contracts fell on aviation equipment, including aircraft and helicopters for the navy. India closely follows the military preparations of China, with which there are serious disagreements over the state border.

In terms of the number of warships (over three hundred), the PLA Navy is superior to all other Asian countries. Recently, the largest aircraft carrier in the region, Liaoning, became operational with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). It became an important addition to the submarine component of four strategic submarines armed with Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), five multipurpose nuclear-powered and 54 diesel-electric submarines. China is firmly following the path of creating a powerful ocean fleet capable of defending the interests of a great country far beyond its borders.

For its part, India is also striving to become an important maritime power. Today, it has a pair of aircraft carriers, a pair of nuclear and fourteen diesel-electric submarines. Carrying out long-term planning, Indian admirals want to maintain an advantage in aircraft-carrying ships, if not quantitative, then at least qualitative. Actually, this explains their desire to cooperate with all foreign states that are ready to share the most advanced achievements in the field of deck aviation.

Externally, Liaoning resembles the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov of Project 1143.5. This is not surprising, since the Chinese aircraft carrier is a completed Varyag, which was laid after the head of the class at the shipyard in Nikolaev. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the unfinished hull was sold by the government of Ukraine to a certain firm from Macau, which promised to convert it into a floating entertainment center. However, the "Varyag" ended up at the shipyard in Dalian, where it was completed according to an amended project. At present, the first Chinese aircraft carrier is fully operational. Its documentation helped construct a second hull, which is now on water.

According to the Russian side, our specialists are not involved in the respective project with the Chinese. Today, the Russian engineers are working on issues related to upcoming repair and modernisation of the only aircraft carrier of the Russian navy. As usual in such cases, the ship’s hull is first inspected and all of its systems. According to the results of the ongoing inspection, a decision is to be made what to repair, and what to replace.

According to the statements made during the IMDS’2017, Kuznetsov will be repaired on a mandatory basis, since it has been serving for 25 years. So far, the cruiser has not undergone any factory repairs, but still performs its functions properly. Evidence of this was last year’s campaign which saw a detachment of ships of the Northern Fleet going to the Mediterranean to take part in the war on terror in Syria. That's what Sergey Vlasov told us: "The Mediterranean deployment of Kuznetsov was very successful. Together with other specialists, I participated in meetings with the commanding officer, and he was pleased with how the ship performed. Flight incidents did occur, because equipment is malfunctioning sometimes. At the same time, during the 25 years in service, not a single pilot was lost when operating out of "Kuznetsov". This fact is the most important to me. Therefore, we believe that the ship has been performing well, and if equipment fails sometimes, such issues are resolved timely by industry in cooperation with the navy."

Helicopter carrier comes first

In view of the need to have aircraft carriers in the navy, as well as build them for export, this direction of activities for the Russian shipbuilding is considered promising. It's only when they practically begin to implement it. At present this issue is in the competence of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, and the industry claims that it is "ready to start working tomorrow".

Meanwhile, the Nevskoye Design Bureau is actively engaged in the design of large amphibious ships, on the decks of which helicopters can land. As the operation in Syria showed, landing ships are very much in demand for transporting personnel and equipment, and most importantly for ammunition and supplies, both for Russian servicemen, and for the Syrian Arab Army and its allies. Under the project of the NDB, Yantar Shipyard completed a landing ship built a landing ship attributed to next generation, the Ivan Gren. Currently, the ship is undergoing sea trials. Along with other new products of the Russian shipbuilding industry, Ivan Gren took part in the parade on the Navy Day celebrated on July 30. At the United Shipbuilding Corporation’s booth at the IMDS’2017 there was a large-scale model of this ship. The project received an "export form passport" and is offered for export.

The next project of an amphibious ship may be a helicopter carrier for replacing the Mistral, which was built in France but never handed over to Russia. Upon receipt of an appropriate order from the Navy, the Nevskoye Design Bureau is ready to begin its detailed design. Specialists of the enterprise have new ideas in mind, which can be implemented in the design of the future helicopter carrier.

For the first time, a large-scale model of the Russian helicopter carrier able to operate the Ka-52K Katran helicopter, was exhibited at IMDS’2017. A prospective Universal landing craft UDC-E "Priboy", capable of providing the basing of 10-12 helicopters, could be seen at the stand of FSUE "Krylov State Research Centre". This particular scaled model had already participated in closed-doors presentations. But the public was only able to see it with their eyes at IMDS’2017. Note that the Russian development is fundamentally different from the "Mistral" for a number of important parameters.

Firstly, the Krylov Center proposed the so-called "semi-trimaran scheme". With its help, a dock camera can be realised in the project, or maybe a slip. The project of the prospective ship is made without a bow bulb and with a nose ramp so that you can land the paratroopers' equipment on the water near the shoreline. Due to these and other solutions in the design of the ship, the amount of transported equipment is increased. At IMDS’2017 a gas turbine version of the ship was presented, but also a version with a diesel-electric installation with "azipods" is considered.

Degree of thoroughness of the ship - the technical appearance, carried out by the Krylov Centre in an initiative order for its own funds. There is a solution where, with the participation of NDB specialists, the concept will be brought to the stage of an "advance project" within a few months. Then, on its basis, a tactical-technical assignment will be drawn up, which will give the industry an opportunity to move to the stage of a draft design and the development of documentation for the construction plant.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy for Armament, Vice-Admiral Viktor Bursuk told reporters that two helicopter carriers for our fleet are planned to be built before 2025. It turns out that the relevant draft is being considered for inclusion in the draft State Armaments Program 2025, which is planned to be approved within the next few months. According to the shipbuilders, in case of timely opening of financing, during the next eight years the head ship of the class carrier can be designed, constructed and subjected to sea trials. The Baltic Plant, which previously manufactured the stern parts for two "mistrals", is best suited for the construction of such ships, and is currently involved in the icebreaking fleet construction program.

Future aircraft carrier

Designing a new Russian aircraft carrier was laid in the State Program of Armaments until 2025 - Bursuk said. According to him, now the shape of the ship and its characteristics are determined.

The large-scale model of the future aircraft carrier "Storm" was first publicly exhibited in 2015, at the previous International Naval Exhibition in St. Petersburg. It was again presented to the attention of the public in 2017. It is a ship with a displacement of about one hundred thousand tons and with an atomic power plant. The proposed air wing employs from sixty to one hundred aircraft, including fighters MiG-29K/KUB and deck versions of the Perspective Aviation Complex of Frontal Aviation PAKFA/T-50.

At the same time, specialists of the Krylov Centre told journalists that they were working on another aircraft carrier, which would be "smaller and cheaper", but possess air wing comparable in size to that of the heavier "Storm". "Work is ongoing, and we are ready to present this draft design to the navy whenever it asks us to do so." Several variants are considered, including the one close in size to "Kuznetsov". The exact price is not made public, however the first estimations allow us to hope, that it will appear three times less, than that for the heavy aircraft carrier. News agencies reported previous on a figure of 350 billion rubles that would cover “a complete set, with a ship and airplanes."

A promising aircraft carrier of a new appearance will have not an atomic but a gas turbine power plant, which will include four turbine modules. The maximum move is up to 25 knots versus 30-33 knots for U.S. aircraft carriers, but this is also considered sufficient to provide takeoff and landing operations.

Any modern aircraft carrier is very expensive and large, which makes it vulnerable to anti-ship missiles. To date, significant progress has been made in the development of hypersonic projectiles, exemplified by the aforementioned BrahMos PJ-10 and the latest Russian development of Zircon. Can the carrier defend itself against such a threat? The answer of the Russian industry: "Yes, it can." To this end, it is necessary to form a task force that would include cruisers and destroyers to form “antimissile barrier”. These ships would come equipped with naval versions of the S-300 / S-400 / S-500 SAM. In addition to them, the task force would also include frigates with medium-range antiaircraft systems of the "Buk" or S-350 “Vityaz” type. Should the incoming missile penetrate these defenses, the seamen shall rely on self-defense systems installed on all the above classes, including the aircraft carrier itself. The shipbuilders further say that deck fighters should provide the most effective means of protection for the carrier. The new types of such aircraft come equipped with the latest technology radars and air-to-air missiles, capable of knocking down, among other things, the incoming anti-ship missile.

In short, we are talking about the construction of not only the aircraft carrier itself, but also a significant number of escort ships. Surely, such programs are very expensive. But it should be remembered that, in addition to the needs of our own navy, there are those of the friendly countries, including India and China, our long-standing customers and reliable partners on military-technical cooperation.