The Russian Air Force received a new batch of modernized Russian Su-30SM2 fighters and Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft. The Irkursk Aviation Plant promptly fulfills the plan for producing aircraft within the framework of the state defense order. The batch of Yak-130 aircraft is completing deliveries of this type of aircraft under the current year program. The Yak-130 combat training aircraft, developed by the Design Bureau named after. A.S. Yakovlev was chosen as the base aircraft for basic and advanced training of Russian pilots. The Su-30SM2 fighters represent a further development of the aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force and Navy. The new aircraft received an improved set of avionics. Thanks to modernization, the combat capabilities of the aircraft have increased. In particular, the detection and identification range of air targets has increased. New high-precision weapons have been introduced into the armament of fighter jets to destroy air, ground and sea targets at a range of several hundred kilometers.
Russian Armed Forces
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Russian military personnel showed a cape-cloak to protect against thermal imaging. The model of the raincoat-poncho is not reported. For testing, a thermal imaging sight with a 640x480 pixel matrix was used, the video shooting distance was 33 meters. At rest, the body of an average adult produces about 60 W of thermal energy, and under load this figure can increase significantly. Body heat is transferred to clothing and surrounding objects. As a result, they all stand out in the infrared range and can be detected using a thermal imager. Thermal resistant capes are primarily used by snipers and reconnaissance units.
The Russian AGS-30 grenade launcher has become a “sniper grenade launcher” - it has an intelligent sighting system. Dmitry Pedaling, a specialist at KBP JSC, reported this to Alexey Egorov. The AGS-30 automatic easel grenade launcher was equipped with an intelligent sight with a ballistic computer. The device takes into account air temperature and pressure. Depending on the elevation angle of the grenade launcher, the sight calculates the firing range. The 30-mm Russian automatic grenade launcher AGS-30 was put into service in 1995 and is a successor to the AGS-17 grenade launchers that we previously talked about. The rate of fire of the AGS-30 grenade launcher is up to 425 rounds per minute, the sighting range is 1700 meters. The timing of the appearance of the new sight in the troops has not been announced; details are in the video.
Russia is increasing the pace of modernization of T-62M tanks. The modernization of tanks is carried out by the 103rd Armored Repair Plant in the village of Atamanovka near Chita. It became known last fall that these tanks would be removed from storage en masse and modernized. The plant operates in 2 shifts and is fully stocked with orders for the next 3 years; about 800 tanks are being modernized. The basis for modernization is the Soviet T-62M tanks with additional protection in the form of metal-polymer blocks, as well as the T-62MV with mounted Kontakt dynamic protection. The T-62M-1 and T-62MV-1 tanks are also being modernized, the main distinguishing feature of which is the more powerful 690-horsepower V-46-5M engine instead of the standard V-55U with a power of 620 hp. At the factory, the tanks undergo major overhauls, are equipped with lattice screens, T-62M, equipped with dynamic protection in the frontal part of the hull and the roof of the turret, and possibly upgraded with communication systems. The main innovation is the 1PN96MT thermal imaging sight, which is installed in place of the 1K13 night sight/missile guidance device. The 103rd Armored Repair Plant was founded in 1942, the original name was the 21st Armored Repair Plant (BTRZ), since 1961 it was renamed the 103rd Armored Repair Plant.
Rare footage of the launch of the R-73RDM-2 missile by the Russian Su-35S fighter has been published. The Russian short-range air-to-air missile R-73 was put into service in 1983 and was subsequently upgraded to the level of RVV-MD missiles. The R-73 missile is now used by all Russian aviation and is capable of hitting targets in the forward hemisphere at a distance of up to 40 km, when the missile is launched after a target at a distance of up to 20 km. The missile can withstand overloads of up to 40G. It is worth noting that it is time to modernize the missile, the fact is that the R-73 and RVV-MD missiles use a two-channel seeker, while the new Western missiles AIM-9X Block II and others have a matrix of infrared photodetectors. Thanks to this, missiles see a more contrasting thermal target and react less to thermal traps. In Russia, work is underway on the K-MD missile, or as it is also called “Product 300,” the missile will be equipped with a matrix thermal homing head, with the ability to recognize the target image. Despite this, Russian R-73 missiles have proven themselves well. The weight of the missile warhead is 47 kilograms, the missile is used at altitudes of up to 20 kilometers, at target speeds of up to 2500 km/h. The probability of a missile hitting is 60%.
Russian Su-35S fighter jets escorted the Il-96-300PU aircraft of the President of Russia during its flight to the UAE. Four Su-35S fighter jets accompanied the plane until it landed at Abu Dhabi airport. The Su-35S fighters were armed with R-77-1 air-to-air missiles and the R-73 missile; we have already talked about this missile; the link to the video is in the comments to the video. The R-77-1 missile entered service in 1994 and was upgraded to the RVV-SD version of the missile. The missile is equipped with a homing head and, 30 km from the target, turns on its own monopulse Doppler radar station, searching for the target. The missile is equipped with a warhead weighing 22.5 kg and is capable of hitting targets at speeds of up to 3,600 km/h, at altitudes of up to 25 kilometers, with a target flight range of up to 110 km.
Rostec announced plans to increase the production of Russian Obereg body armor several times. In 2024, the production volume of body armor will increase multiple times compared to the previous year.” Technical information about the body armor in the link to the video in the comments to the video. Unlike its Western counterparts, the body armor is not only much lighter, but is also capable of withstanding a direct hit even from a sniper rifle, as previously confirmed by tests. In the near future they also plan to reduce the weight of the “Obereg” body armor by at least 0.5 kilograms, without losing the body armor’s protection class and plate area. Production of the Obereg body armor was launched in the spring of 2023 at the Tula Oktava plant. Initially, the enterprise's capacity allowed it to produce up to two thousand products per quarter, but now it has increased significantly.
The Russian design bureau MiS showed a new drone MiS-35. The drone is currently undergoing testing and is designed according to a hexacopter design with a folding mechanism. MiS-35 uses an analogue video communication system and is equipped with a 4K camera with 6x magnification. The drone uses non-standard control channel frequencies, which allows it to achieve high noise immunity without significant loss of quality. Thanks to the implementation of stabilization and flight algorithms similar to DJI drones, training operators to control MiS-35 drones is faster. The drone has a camera gyrostabilizer and is equipped with an autopilot complex and a payload release mechanism. The drone can be equipped with a thermal imager with a matrix resolution of 384x288. The drones come with an FPV helmet with an enhanced receiver. The maximum speed of the drone is 63 km/h, the range of the radio control channel is 9 km, the payload of the drone is up to 4.5 kg. The drone's flight time is up to 45 minutes, with a load of 4.5 kilograms up to 21 minutes. The price of the MiS 35 drone is from 468,000 rubles to 634,000 rubles. Or from $5000 to $6800.
Russian pilots began to be massively trained in the use of glide bombs. Previously, we talked about the FAB-500 M-62 and KAB 1500 glide bombs; now they are the main strike weapons of Russian aviation, the link to the video is in the comments to the video. Using the wing and rudders, the module installed on the FAB bomb allows you to adjust the flight path to the bomb target and makes it highly accurate. Russia has a colossal number of FAB bombs weighing 250, 500 and 1500 kilograms, so apparently mass training of pilots has begun. To train pilots, a batch of Su-34 bombers was transferred to one of the training centers of the Russian Air Force, which will be used for training pilots. At the same time, the software of the Su-34 aircraft is being finalized, which will make it possible to drop bombs from all types of aircraft maneuvers.
Russian troops began to receive sets of Strelok combat equipment produced by the Triada-TKO company. There is no video of the kit at the moment and it is large enough to find out the details and advantages of the combat equipment, press pause. The Strelok combat kit is a comprehensive solution for protecting military personnel. It is based on the Corset Plus body armor with protection class Br5 and a weight distribution system, due to which the back muscles and spine are relieved. The Strelok equipment set is made of several layers of non-woven material and is equipped with bulletproof protection in the chest and back sections. The body armor weighs about 12 kilograms, with additional protection modules the weight is about 20 kilograms. Combat equipment consists of a set of pouches, a 30-liter backpack, an additional transport bag, as well as additional protection modules. It is expected that by the end of 2023, more than 25 thousand sets of the new model of combat equipment will be supplied to the Russian army.
Three-time world champion in practical shooting, Roman Khalitov, developed a camouflage raincoat with thermal imager protection for snipers. Russian winter camouflage works on the principle of a thermal barrier, it contains an air layer with thermo-reflective elements closed on both sides. Protective camouflage has already begun to be produced in small batches. The video shows a camouflage being checked with a thermal imager.
Russia may purchase Burevestnik drones from Belarus. At the “Russia” exhibition held at the Moscow VDNKh, the Russian military became seriously interested in the Belarusian heavy UAV “Burevestnik-MK”; it is possible that Russian troops will purchase it. The Burevestnik-MK UAV was developed by the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus and can perform reconnaissance and strike missions. The UAV is capable of hitting various targets with guided and unguided S-5 missiles, including lightly armored vehicles. The maximum flight altitude of the drone is 5000 m. The reconnaissance and strike version of the drone is designated "Burevestnik-MK". The UAV carries a payload weighing up to 80 kilograms and has a television, infrared camera, photo camera and laser range finder. Under direct radio communication conditions, the maximum radius of use of the drone is about 100 km, and when using two repeaters, the controlled flight range will be 500 kilometers. According to the developer, in autonomous flight mode according to a given program, the Burevestnik-MK UAV is capable of covering more than 1,000 km in ten hours of flight; it is planned to increase the flight range to 1,500 kilometers. Reportedly, the UAV consists of 80% Belarusian components. The Burevestnik-MK UAV is equipped with a 62 hp engine. and has a maximum take-off weight of 320 kg.
Russian military personnel have begun using the Bulat mini-drone detector. The Bulat passive drone detector was developed by the Russian company 3mx. The detector is based on a Chinese model, which was completely “redesigned and modernized”; the developers assembled their own radio part, made their own boards and changed the firmware. The device is capable of detecting and identifying the most popular brands of drones, such as DJI, Autel and various models of FPV drones at a range of up to 1 kilometer. Developers are constantly improving the detector by adding new data on drone models provided to them by Russian military personnel. The detector is easy to use and scans frequencies from 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz to 5.2 GHz and 5.8 GHz. The Bulat UAV detector weighs 285 grams and can operate for up to 5 hours. The device has a 5V power supply and a 4000 mAh lithium battery. The price of the Bulat drone detector is about 90 to 130 thousand rubles or 1,400 dollars.
Testing of the MGTD-22 "Hummingbird" mini-jet engine designed for jet UAVs has begun in Russia. The compact gas turbine engine was developed by the Engineering Center of Samara University. Such engines are now in great demand among developers of jet drones, we talked about one of them, the link is in the description of the video. All technical information about the engine is on the screen, press pause to get to know it better. The MGTD-22 engine running on kerosene is currently being tested. The project, as shown in the table, has more powerful engines MGTD-40 "Chaika" and MGTD-100 "Eagle", which will surpass the MGTD-22 in size, thrust, power and other characteristics. The developers promise an engine control system that allows fuel to be used 2% more efficiently than competitors, and increases flight range by 10%. The Hummingbird engine weighs a little more than 2.1 kilograms, the body length is 38 cm, the diameter is 15 cm. The maximum thrust should be 220 Newtons. According to calculations, a small UAV equipped with such an engine with a take-off weight of 45 kg will be able to reach a maximum speed of 800 kilometers per hour, with a maximum flight altitude of 9000 meters.
Footage of Russian FAB-500SHN bombs being dropped at ultra-low altitude by a Russian Su-34M fighter-bomber in Ukraine. The Russian Bomb FAB-500SHN was developed in 1976 by the State Research and Production Enterprise "Basalt" and is equipped with a built-in braking device in the form of a parachute, for use at extremely low altitudes. Thanks to the parachute, the plane manages to leave the danger zone. Bomb weight 513 kg, warhead weight 221 kg. The video was filmed in the Kherson region.