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Russia’s advanced military hardware premiers at MAKS-2017 international airshow

The airshow’s program will involve 200 aircraft

TASS-FACTOBOX. The 13th International Aerospace Show (MAKS-2017) will be held at the Ramenskoye aerodrome in the town of Zhukovsky outside Moscow on July 18-23. The MAKS airshows were previously held in August but this year the event has been rescheduled for July. As Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Oleg Bocharov said, this has been done for the convenience of small and medium European companies, for which August is a period of vacations.

The Zhukovsky airport (opened at the Ramenskoye aerodrome in 2016) will continue receiving regular flights during the days of the airshow but the schedule of arrivals and departures will be adjusted.

According to MAKS-2017 CEO Alexander Levin, the airshow’s program will involve 200 aircraft, 84 of which will take part in the event’s flight program and the other 116 will be showcased on the ground. Russia’s Aerospace Force will show a separate exposition.

Overall, 770 companies are expected to participate in MAKS-2017, including 140 businesses from foreign countries. Separate national pavilions will be opened by Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, China, India, Iran, Canada and Belarus. Eight aerobatic groups will show their skills as part of the airshow’s flight program, including Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights), Strizhi (Swifts), Krylya Tavridy (Wings of Tavrida), Sokoly Rossii (Falcons of Russia), and also the air group Al Fursan (the Knights) of the UAE Air Force, which will fly Aermacchi MB-339 trainer jets.

Military hardware premiers

Russia’s MiG Aircraft Company will publicly demonstrate the most advanced MiG-35 multirole fighter jet currently undergoing flight tests (it won’t participate in the airshow’s flight program).

Russian Helicopters rotocraft manufacturer will for the first time demonstrate the Mil Mi-171Sh-VN upgraded military and transport helicopter designed to provide support for Special Forces in the war on terror. The copter’s technical design is based on the experience of the combat use of helicopters in Syria. Russian Helicopters Group will also feature the Mi-8AMTSh Arctic operation helicopter, which has already entered service with the Russian Armed Forces.

Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer will showcase over 150 items of military, civil and dual-purpose hardware. Specifically, Almaz-Antey will demonstrate the combat vehicle of the newest Arctic Tor-M2DT surface-to-air missile complex, the launcher of the S-400 Triumf long-range air defense missile system, the self-propelled firing unit of the Buk-M2E antiaircraft missile system with a container-type training simulator, missiles for the S-400 Triumf, Tor-M2E and other air defense systems.

The Kizlyar Electromechanical Enterprise will feature at the MAKS-2017 airshow its MAI 411 four-seat lightweight multipurpose plane. Kronshtadt Group will showcase the Orion-E new air reconnaissance platform with drones. The State Advanced Research Fund will demonstrate the exhibition model of an early detection system for damage to critical elements in the design of advanced aircraft - the so-called ‘nerve system’ of future planes, which is being developed under the Khrustal project.

The Airbus A350-900 wide-body passenger plane will also be demonstrated at the MAKS-2017 airshow. Airliners of this type will start arriving for Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot in late 2018.

Russia’s new MC-21 narrow-body airliner, which performed its debut flight in May 2017, will be demonstrated in the form of a mockup model at the airshow. The factory trials of this medium-haul airliner will be completed in October this year.

Space exposition

Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos will showcase the products of its subsidiaries, including the family of rocket engines produced by Energomash - the RD-180 (for US Atlas rockets), the RD-181 (for US Antares carriers), the RD-191 (for Russian Angara carrier rockets) and the RD-171 (it was previously made for Zenit carrier rockets and is planned to be mounted on the new Soyuz-5 launcher). The Samara-based Progress Rocket and Space Center will demonstrate the mockups of its carrier rockets Soyuz-FG, Soyuz-2.1v, Soyuz-ST, its satellites Resurs-P No.3, Obzor-R, Bion-M and Aist-2D. VNIIEM Corporation will show the mockups of the satellites Kanopus-V, Meteor-M No.3 and Lomonosov.

The stand of Russian Space Systems Company will display a receiver station of space information from Earth’s remote sensing Russian and foreign satellites and a mockup of the Avrova small-size satellite for the private company Galaktika. The Company Gonets will showcase the mockups of the satellites Gonets-M and Luch-5A and the Luch ground-based satellite communication station.

The Energiya Space Corporation will demonstrate the model of the International Space Station on a scale of 1 to 50 and the mockup of the Earth’s first artificial satellite. The Lavochkin Research and Production Association will show a replica of the Moon’s surface and the mockups of the satellites Spektr-R, Spektr-RG, Spektr-UF, Elektro-L and Arktika, and also the mockups of the automated inter-planetary stations Luna-24 (the last Soviet lunar station, 1976) and Luna-25 (earlier called Luna-Glob, a promising project under the Russian lunar program; its launch is scheduled for 2019).

Large deals

It emerged in April 2017 that the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plans to sign an agreement with Aeroflot at the MAKS-2017 airshow on the delivery of 20 Sukhoi Superjet-100 short-haul passenger planes to the airline. As UAC President Yuri Slyusar said, the contract’s estimated cost will be $600 million. Aeroflot already has 30 Superjet-100’s in its fleet.

MAKS-2017 days for specialists and for public

The MAKS-2017 airshow will be officially opened on July 18. Planned business events will be held on July 18-20 and the exhibition will be open for the public on July 21-23. On July 21, the MAKS-2017 airshow will admit students free of charge, for which they need to register in advance on the exhibition’s website. Buses will be available for the airshow’s guests for free from the railway platform Otdykh and the parking space at the Bykovo aerodrome. A total of 3,000 policemen will be providing security at the airshow.

The airshow’s website is accessible at: http://www.aviasalon.com