Russia Hopes to Sell Su-35 Fighter Jets at Le Bourget

Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport is planning to sign a number of export contracts on the delivery of advanced Su-35S fighter aircraft as well as Ka-52 helicopter gunships and Yak-130 combat trainers at the Paris Air Show, the company said.

“We are holding negotiations on all three aircraft and hoping to sign contracts at the show,” Rosoboronexport cited head of the company’s delegation at Le Bourget show, Sergei Kornev, as saying. Kornev did not provide the details of the future contracts or specify the potential buyers.

The 50th Paris Air Show will take place at Le Bourget exhibition center on June 17-23. The world’s largest and oldest aviation exhibition puts together 2,113 leading players of the global aviation industry from 45 countries this year.

Rosoboronexport will promote over 100 types of military products, including aircraft, air defense systems, on-board equipment and munitions at the show. The Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighter, powered by two 117S engines with thrust vectoring, combines high maneuverability and the capability to engage several air targets simultaneously using both guided and unguided missiles and weapon systems.

The aircraft has been touted as "4++ generation using fifth-generation technology." The Russian Air Force is due to receive 50 Su-35s by 2015, according to various reports. The Ka-52 Hokum-B is a modification of the basic Ka-50 Hokum model. It is armed with a 30-mm cannon, Vikhr (Whirlwind) laser guided missiles, rockets and bombs. The helicopter is also equipped with two radars, one for ground targets and another for aerial targets, as well as a Samshite nighttime-daytime thermal sighting system.

It has a maximum speed of 350 kph, a flight ceiling of 5,500 meters, and a range of over 1,000 kilometers.
The Yak-130 Mitten is a highly maneuverable aircraft with an extended range of about 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) and a maximum speed of 1,060 kilometers per hour (600 miles per hour) in level flight. It can carry a combat payload of up to 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds).

The Yak-130 has been chosen as a basic aircraft for Russian Air Force pilot training. The Irkut aircraft maker and the Russian Defense Ministry signed in December 2011 a contract for the delivery of 55 Yak-130 jets by 2015.

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