No Sukhoi Fighters to Be Delivered This Year

According to The Moscow Times, this will hamper their fifth-generation fighter program, as well.
Why?
As some of us having been indicating all along: lack of funds.

ZHUKOVSKY, Moscow Region -- Russia will not deliver a single one of its best-selling Sukhoi fighters this year and is postponing its fifth-generation fighter program, Mikhail Pogosyan, chief executive of Sukhoi Aviation Holding, said Wednesday.

Goes on to mention:

Russia will also delay the launch of its fifth-generation fighter program because of meager financing, Pogosyan said.

No Sukhoi Fighters to Be Delivered This Year

A related past ATS topic:
Russia to launch new F/A-22 competetor

Thought: Maybe all of Russia's main aircraft manufacturers [mainly Sukhoi and MiG] should merge and become one huge company, thus mutually merging their resources and funds, R&D cooperation, etc?

My reasoning is this: the Russian's are now going to be about 5+ years behind in the 5th Gen. fighter arena, putting their programs further and further behind that of the F-22, etc.

Russia will also delay the launch of its fifth-generation fighter program because of meager financing, Pogosyan said.

"The test program will begin in 2008, and the jet will go into mass production in 2015," he said.

Going on to mention:

The fifth-generation fighter is meant to replace Russia's best-selling fourth-generation MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters.

It was expected to go into mass production for both domestic and foreign air forces in 2010.

Also, when aircraft sales dry up in India and China, whats left?
Another consideration would be to merge, build upon what foundations they have in fighters [Su-30MKs, etc] and get the Russian government to allocate more funds to gain, retain, equip, and train [flight time, etc] sufficient officers to fly the aircraft they currently have or will recieve?





seekerof

[edit on 28-9-2005 by Seekerof]

Its because Chinese ordered Su-30 MKK2s have been delivered and China wished to test them before ordering more, and now since MKK3 is finished, China will probably sign a contract for some to be delivered in 2 years. So this puts a two year blank in Sukhoi exports to China.

COWlan....2 years?
Wow, I know the article mentioned a year, but 2 years, that's a long time.
Thanks for the information.




seekerof

2 years between the signing of the contract and the delivering of the fighters (if the numbers ordered are around 30). MKK3 would be made available very soon however there was rumours that MKK3 was cancelled yet more rumours that its almost completely ready.

What I mean is:

2005 all PLAAF ordered Su-30 fighters delivered.
2005 PLAAF signs contract for more Su-30 fighters.
PLAAF receives all of them in late 2006-2007.

the timeframe for 2010 for production was a helluva optimisitc estimate.

Its expected contemporary F-35 will enter line production in the past-2010 timeframe.

India and China are license building Sukhoi's. So every palne they build - Sukhoi gets money (as specefied in the license).

Also Sukhoi is aggressively marketing the Su-34 bomber to both India and China. reports suggest that the latter seems somewhat inclined to buy it.

Sukhoi is also pressing China to buy the new SMK.

Also, Brazil is still evaluating the Su-35's that it was offered in 2004. If the deal comes through, then Sukhoi will get another ~100 airplane order.

Malaysia signed the Su-30 order last year and Sukhoi will build and deliver the planes throught the year and recieve payments for the same.

Since Singapore bought new F-15's they might be interested in more as well.

Indonesia seem to be dilly-dallying, and they might end up buying more Su's very soon.

However the Mig-OKB seems to be doing well - India bought 16 Mig-29K's for the new aircraft carrier that will enter service in 2008. The contract has a provision to increase the number to ~30 Mig-29K's later.

The new Mig-35 offered to India is a good candidate to win the 9 billon $ IAF tender as well.