Multi-purpose chassis, a medium-range bomber the size of a fighter jet and over-the-horizon radar are some of the new inventions that the Russian Armed forces are looking forward to receiving.
One of the main features of
contemporary arms is the standardisation of weapons and
interchangeability of components. This aim was rather difficult to
achieve and the Russian defence industry took a long time going in this
direction. The result is that this year the public will see the Armata
universal combat platform which is a wide range of combat vehicles based
on the same chassis. Standardisation will permit transforming an
armoured recovery vehicle into a tank and a combat engineering vehicle
into an aircraft defence installation. Editor-in-chief of the
Motherland’s Arsenal magazine Viktor Murakhovsky says that this
multitask capability of the new equipment is a serious trump card in the
Russian Army’s hands.
“Standardisation will permit
lower operation costs and uniform consumables, spare parts, ammunition
and the like. This will drastically cut the cost of training personnel
for this type of equipment and permit increasing the combat effect of
this equipment and its use in peace-time.”
A new
acquisition for the Russian Air Force is the Sukhoi SU-34 fighter
bomber. The new machine is capable of carrying such a combat load that
only gigantic Boeing B-17 flying fortresses could do during WW2. In
addition, the Russian aircraft has the manoeuvrability of a fighter jet
and it looks like one as well. However, its mission and performance
capabilities are absolutely different, Russian veteran test pilot
Magomed Tolboyev says.
“This aircraft has different
tasks, which is hitting ground-based and sea-borne targets instead of
intercepting airborne ones. This aircraft was specially designed for
this. It is radically different from its predecessors, Tupolev Tu22 and
Tu-22m. The Sukhoi aircraft is capable of staying in the air for almost
four hours without refuelling. Besides the combat range, another
important requirement for aircraft is its weapons. The Sukhoi can take
6-8 tons like a medium-range bomber but it has all the features of a
fighter jet. The pilot can do aerobatics, with ordnance load aboard as
well.”
Russian space troops will also get new
equipment. The space defence system will be replenished with four
Voronezh radars. After passing tests, one of them will be put on combat
duty in the Krasnodar Region near the Black Sea. Another three will be
installed in the Altai and Krasnoyarsk Regions in Siberia and in the
Orenburg Region in the south of the Urals. They will be installed with
the use of the manufacturing readiness technique, which means that the
radar will be placed into operation almost immediately after the
equipment has been mounted. The new radars will raise Russia’s defences
to a new level and will provide effective repelling of missile attacks
wherever they come from, editor-in-chief of the National Defence
magazine Igor Korotchenko says.
“In their tactical
and technological features, the Voronezh radars are considerably
superior to those of the previous generation ones as far as their range,
accuracy and potential are concerned. The Voronezh radars are to become
a powerful component of the new air and space defence system and they
will make a contribution to strengthening Russia’s national security. We
should be able to closely watch all countries that have missile
technologies. Our main task is to completely defend the whole perimeter
of the Russian border from potential missile attacks. No matter what
countries they come from, we should be able to thoroughly control any
missile danger.”
Experts say that the appearance of
new samples of Russian weapons is a good reason for optimism, especially
after many years of standstill and suspense in the defence industry.
Now chances are that we will soon hear about new achievements in the
arsenal of the Russian Armed Forces.
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