"THE AIR FORCE WILL PLAY THE DETERMINING ROLE IN PROVISION OF MILITARY SECURITY OF RUSSIA"
Nikolai Poroskov

WPS Agency
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 3, 2008 Wednesday
Russia

COMMANDER OF THE RUSSIAN AIR FORCE SPOKE ABOUT THE PLANNED CHANGES
IN THE TROOPS; So far, the "new look" of the Russian Armed Forces
is very vague. Which changes are prepared for the Air Force that has
already included the frontline and the army aviation, the long-range
and military transport aviation, air defense aviation, air defense
missile troops and electronic reconnaissance troops? Military observer
of Vremya Novostey, Nikolai Poroskov, addressed these and other
questions to Air Force Commander, Colonel General Alexander Zelin.

So far, the "new look" of the Russian Armed Forces is very vague. Which
changes are prepared for the Air Force that has already included
the frontline and the army aviation, the long-range and military
transport aviation, air defense aviation, air defense missile troops
and electronic reconnaissance troops? Military observer of Vremya
Novostey, Nikolai Poroskov, addressed these and other questions to
Air Force Commander, Colonel General Alexander Zelin.

Question: What is the role of the Air Force in implementating the
concept of airspace defense of Russia approved by President Dmitry
Medvedev?

Zelin: The airspace defense system of a state should be built under the
general supervision of the general Staff. However, direct supervision
of the entire practical work on its formation, commanding of troops
and forces should be done by the Air Force commander. The subsystem
of reconnaissance and warning about airspace attack and subsystem
of suppression of airspace attack means of foreign countries will
be formed from the units and formations of aviation and air defense
units of the Air Force and missile space units that are within the
Space Forces now.

Question: What is your vision of the prospects of the Air Force proper?

Zelin: They are outlined in the plan for the buildup of the Air Force
until 2016. The main thing is rearmament with new and modernized
armament and military hardware and development of infrastructure. We
plan to increase the operational capabilities for deterrence of
possible aggression in potentially hazardous direction on account of
preserving of potential of the airborne nuclear deterrence means and
increase of the quantity of military units of permanent readiness.

Question: What is the united air defense system of the CIS like?

Zelin: Today, the united air defense system includes the air defense
forces of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan,
Uzbekistan and Ukraine. We conduct joint air defense combat duty
together with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan
and interact with the forces on duty of Ukraine.

The united air defense system of the CIS includes working systems of
control and mutual exchange of information about air situation, joint
air defense combat duty, joint operational and combat training. We are
accomplishing re-equipment of control posts with new automation systems
and their technological interfacing. According to an order of the
coordinating committee for air defense issues, research institutions
of the Russian Defense Ministry together with industrial enterprises
develop a unique set of means for the automation of command posts
and staffs.

Question: What is prepared for the troops of the special-purpose
command that guard the sky above Moscow and the central industrial
region of Russia?

Zelin: Practically all supreme bodies of state power and military
command and a significant part of industrial and research potential
of the country is concentrated in the zone of responsibility of the
special-purpose command. The first regiment armed with newest air
defense missile systems S-400 was put on combat duty in August of
2007. In the near future, a few other air defense missile regiments
will be armed with these systems. We will modernize the S-300P
currently in service.

Question: The threat of terrorist acts with use of aircraft
remains. Which corrections are made in the algorithm of actions of
the special-purpose command because of this?

Zelin: I have already spoken about the missile systems. Electronic
reconnaissance troops are armed with radars of new types and automated
interaction with the Federal Aero Navigation Service will be organized
for better control of the air situation. Already in the near future
all combat units of the special-purpose command will be transferred
to the category of units of permanent readiness.

Question: Flights of long-range aviation for patrolling above the
Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans and Black Sea were restarted in
August of 2007. Will their geography be broadened?

Zelin: More than 150 air patrolling sorties were already performed. The
quantity of flights of strategic airplanes of long-range aviation in
the areas of active seafaring, fishing and commercial activities of
our country will be increased in accordance with resolution of the
President of Russia. We are considering flights of strategic airplanes
to the Indian Ocean with interaction with the Navy.

Question: Unfortunately, changing the generations of aircraft is going
on very slowly in our country. Nevertheless, what is your vision of
the future airplanes?

Zelin: The future aviation system of long-range aviation (PAK DA) will
be able to fulfill tasks in a conventional and in a nuclear war and
to use a broad range of strike and defensive kinds of armament. Along
with this, it will have high survivability in flight, autonomy of
combat use and high combat readiness. The planned combat efficiency
of PAK DA will exceed that of American counterpart airplane B-1B.

The future multifunctional fighter will embody super agility, high
intelligence of onboard systems, circular information field, low
signature, all-aspect ability to attack targets in close-in air combat,
multi-channel use of weapons, ability of simultaneous attacking of
air targets and ground objects with precision-guided weapons, powerful
onboard defense system, high combat efficiency and flight safety.

We develop light military transport airplane of the next generation,
IL-112V. In comparison to its predecessor, it will possess broadened
capabilities regarding transportation and landing of light models of
armament and military hardware, improved fuel efficiency and lower
costs of the life cycle. We are also working on development of future
medium military transport airplane. From the conceptual standpoint
the new properties of such airplane will include inter-regional
delivery of armament and military hardware between theaters of
combat operations, transportation of future models of armament and
military hardware on the basis of combat infantry vehicle BMP-3 and
combat airborne vehicle BMD-3, reduction of time of cargoes delivery,
compliance with the international level of fuel efficiency and use 80%
of the airfield network of Russia.

For improving combat capabilities, first of all, survivability,
mobility and application we do research and development related to
round-the-clock all-weather versions of combat helicopters Mi-28N
and Ka-52.

We develop new helicopters for various purposes: jammers, air command
posts, aerial tankers, reconnaissance helicopters for combat engineers
and chemical troops, search and rescue helicopters etc. Much attention
has been paid lately to development of multipurpose helicopters of
light class with a cargo capacity of approximately 1,000 kg. This
will be the base for creation of special-purpose helicopters in the
interests of various branches of Armed Forces: training, electronic
reconnaissance, medical etc. As an example I can mention training
helicopters ANSATU and Ka-60U.

In the future we plan to buy more than 60 helicopters Mi-8 MTV5,
Mi-28N and Ka-52. Between 2011 and 2015, it is planned to supply more
than 100 new helicopters Mi-28N, Ka-52 and Mi8 of new modifications
to the troops. Helicopter regiments armed with new helicopters will
become the basis of the airmobile reserves of special-purpose units
and mountain brigades.

Broad use of unmanned aerial systems will be one of the general lines
of development of aviation of the future.