Russian military aviation potential shown off at Farnborough

15 July, 2008, 06:55


More than 60 Russian companies are participating in the world class Farnborough International Airshow in the UK this year with Russia looking to show off its military export potential, but plane makers aren't flying their products.

Russia’s military holding Rosoboronexport’s paid for an exclusive stall next to the runway, away from other exhibitors at Farnborough this week.

It reflects the company’s soaring confidence, boasting no other country’s doubled military exports this century, as Russia has to US$6.1 billion dollars.

The country’s top 3 – Sukhoi, Irkut and MiG – are all holding optomistic conferences at Farnborough.

However the Kremlin’s incorporation of the firms into a United Aircraft Corporation has raised fears of less responsive and dynamic operators, fears shared by Aleksey Fedorov, President of the UAC: 

"Yes, it’s correct, but we’re also investing a lot of money and resources to upgrade our industry, and I think we’ll be successful."

Not a single Russian plane’s expected to fly here this week, the makers claim they’re too busy testing and upgrading.

It’s a stark contrast to the world’s top exporter, the US Air Force, which is showing, but not selling.

It’s brought over the F22, said by some to be the only plane better than Sukhoi’s new Su-35. But America claims the world’s only 5th generation fighter is too dangerous to export. Georganne Schultz, Spokeswoman, U.S. Air Force says:

It's such a new aircraft that we're still learning all its capabilities and how they're going to work as a composite force.  So, we're really getting a handle on the program.

The American aircraft is, in fact, having problems with the composite skin that is glued together. It costs $44,000 per flying hour to maintain the aircraft. It takes a 24 hour period for the glue to cure when repairs are made. 


Russia’s more than happy to fill the gap, Rosoboronexport’s $20 bln order book is filled to 2015. The US Department of Defense also wants to scale back the contract for the F22 Raptor.

This is the first F22 to perform at a trade show across the Atlantic, but it’s strictly for show not for export. In fact maker Lockheed Martin was outsold on export last year 51:40 by Russia’s Sukhoi. The government hopes that the consolidation through the United Aircraft Corporation will help, not hinder, those results.

Russian fighter aircraft are very competitive in cost per unit as well.

http://www.russiatoday.com/Business/2008-07-15/Russian_military_aviation_potential_shown_off_at_Farnborough.html#



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