Final assembly of MiG-29/35 Fulcrum in Lukhovitsy factory

This month RSK MiG celebrated it's 81th anniversary. Journalists from Zvezda TV channel visited the facilities, and published these photos. The aircraft look like MiG-29M2/35 - one of the photos shows a mechanical antenna for a Zhuk radar.

Back in 2015 another set of photos were published and it looks very similar (see third link).
 
Fuentes y enlaces de interés:

- Photos courtesy of Sergey Alexandrov, TRK "Zvezda"
- https://vk.com/milinfolive
- Final assembly of MiG-29/35 Fulcrum in Lukhovitsy factory (2015)

Interview with a T-72 driver from the Czech Army

A T-72 tank driver has answered some questions as part of an interview. J. served in a tank batalion in the Czech Army and has experience both with T-72M1 and T-72M4CZ tanks.

Hello J, many thanks for accepting the interview. Could you give a brief introduction about your service in the Czech Army?

I have served in Czech army since 2013 so my career isn’t too long. I served like tanker at 73rd TB now I serve at AA Regiment.

In general terms, what do you think are the strong and weak points of the T-72?

T-72 is universal tank, which serve all over the world. His big opportunities are small size, small costs and easy service. Disadvantages of this tank is armour and service life of several components

One of the most debated issues of T-72 are the ergonomics. How did you find them as a driver?

Ergonomics in this tank are horrible but you can acclimate on it. You have to accept small space, big noise and sometimes you sweat very much. But for us like tankers or soldiers is normal job (For civilian it couldn’t be acceptable).

Did you train on using emergency hatch (aka heroes hatch in Russia) in the hull bottom?

Nah I didn’t, but I used it for exchange the batteries, so this way was the best for it

When performing exercises, what was the maximum distance you covered in a day? Were there any issues with the maintenance of the tank?

The maximum distance in my life was 120 kilometres in one day in T-72 (I was really tired). I had luck I’ve never had issue with my tank.

First T-72 had IR night sights for drivers. How effective were they for night driving?

As a driver on T-72M1 we had quite upgraded night visions but those were horrible so we used nigh visions from T-72M4CZ

Did you practice NBC scenarios? How did you prepare for them?

NBC in this tank is automatic. But in training we had to activate them. This system is simple, but you have to have sealed all hatches perfectly.

Early T-72 do not have a modular configuration for engine and transmission. Was this an issue?

Yeah it was big issue, because if you wanted to exchange the engine you did this for 3 days.

What was your impression about the T-72M4CZ compared to the earlier versions you drove? What was your impression of the Perkins Condor CV 12 engine and Allison XTG-411-6N transmission?

T-72M4CZ is like Mercedes. It’s different World. T-72M1 has big advantage in terrain thanks to transmission. Automatic transmission in T-72M4CZ is better on roads or in tactic training.

T-72 used to be produced in Czechoslovakia under license. Did you have any shortages of spare parts following establishment of Czech Army and your service?

Unfortunately no. Thanks to T-72M4CZ  our politics and command didn’t want big warehouses with “old” spare parts from T-72M1 so in these days it’s quite big problem.

The T-72 has been used in a long list of conflicts. Did you receive any feedback/training taking into account lessons learned in these conflicts?

Some of my colleagues trained Iraqi tankers after US intervention in 2003, but they hadn’t any special experiences from Iraqi war.

Did you have the opportunity to examine or use other tanks. How did they compare to yours?

I was in Chally 2 M1A2C Abrams, tried Leopard 2A6, T-55AM2 Kladivo. For me the best of them is Leo, but I’m not fan to automatic transmissions

Czech Army is going to apply a modernisation to T-72M4CZ. Do you think the design has room for improvement or it would be better to buy another model?

Modernisation of T-72M4CZ is only for extending their life services, so they change some parts, but design will be same. Our army want to buy new type but it will be hard to choose. For me the best choice for us is K2 Black Panther with West components but with 3 tankers inside.

Photos of Russia's 929th State Flight Test Centre

This month the Russia's 929th State Flight Test Centre, reached 100 years of life. In this centre new aircraft are tested, developing tactics for it's application. It is located in Akhtubinsk,  Astrakhan region. The following photos show some of the aircraft tested, including Su-57, Su-35 and MiG-35.

Photos were taken by Andrey Kataev. MiG-35 Bort 14 and 15 were recently delivered, in August. There is also Russian Navy MiG-29K

References:

- https://vk.com/milinfolive

Interview with a former US Army tank crewmman

A former US Army tank crewmman has accepted to do an  interview for my blog. T. spent several years in Germany in several tank units, including the 2nd Ar Div (fwd). During this time he operated in M60 tanks.

Hello T. Thanks for accepting the invertiew. Could you provide a brief overview of your career in the US Army?

I spent four years on M60A1 RISE, and RISE Passive, tanks. After basic I was held over to help train the next cycle. I then spent most of the next two years in B Trp. 2/9 Cavalry. I went to Germany in the fall of 81 where I was posted to 2nd Ar Div (fwd). I spent a few months as the S-2 driver (M577) followed by A Co. 2/66 Armor. I stayed there until the early fall when we became the company-sized unit used to test the cohort principle. I then spent the rest of my time with C Trp. 2/1 Cavalry (mostly in the field) until I ETSed in the summer of 83.

The tanks in which you served were M60 Patton variants. What was your impression of the vehicle, and the strong/weak points?

I thought that it was powerful.  It was more than capable of doing what was wanted of it.  I think its weakest point was its under-powered engine and only two forward gears.  I also recognized that having more powerful magnification would be really nice.

What were the capabilities of the M60 RISE and RISE Passive in terms of Fire Control System (FCS)? What sort of aimed fire did you practice (target, tank velocity…)? 

We had hydraulic/manual control of the turret.  There was, on the RISE tanks, a stabiliser system added on.  The range finder was connected through a mechanical computer to the elevation system so that changing the range also changed the super elevation of the main gun, how much depended on what round was indexed into the computer.  We practiced firing from a stationary position, from a short halt (stopping when the target is announced then moving when the engagement is over) and firing on the move.  Our targets were all stationary at Ft Stewart.  We had moving targets at Bergen Hohne.

The M60 you used did not have a thermal sight. How was the night firing conducted?

Active IR, Passive, illumination flares, and range cards were the methods.  The most fun was flares in the autumn when there was a slight ground fog.  Made the targets really stand out even when the illumination wasn't very intense.

By the 1980s Israel had used the M60 Patton in combat. Did you get any feedback on it's performance or changes applied to variants?

I believe that is what the RISE package was meant to address.  We also got new SABOT and HEAT rounds, I believe.

You spent time deployed in Western Europe. What was you impression of the terrain when first deployed?

I was stationed in northern Germany just north of Bremen.  The land was really flat for the most part.  I thought if they put concrete in parts of the rivers and creeks we would have very good hull down positions.  Would have made for good sniping at long ranges.  My limited experience in southern Germany made me think that we would have great defense in depth there.

Did you have the opportunity to train with other NATO Armies? What were your impressions? Did you like/dislike any specific equipment?

I trained with the Dutch, German, and BAOR but I never got to cross train on their equipment.  Every member of a fellow NATO armed force that I met was always competent and professional.  They were a pleasure to work with.  I thought the Marder and Luchs were awesome designs.  The two times I saw Chieftains I thought they should be called Banshees because of the loud screaming noise they made when moving.  One Sargent I served with got to get on a Chieftain and a Leo I while those crews got to look at our M60A1.  He thought the other tanks were cramped and the Brits and Germans marveled at the amount of space we had in ours.  He also said the Brits were very proud that they could almost get three rounds down range in a minute (we could easily get 12 plus).  My great thanks to the Dutch Army for working one weekend (they were unionised and didn't have to) to put up an NBC decontamination station so we could get hot showers after being in the field for 30+ days.

In the 80s the Warsaw Pact had deployed a very large number of tanks in Eastern Europe, including T-64/72/80. Did you have access to intelligence on these vehicles?

Not really.  We new what they looked like and what their perceived strengths and weaknesses were but not much else.

Was there any Soviet equipment that you found impressive/unimpressive?

I was impressed by all that I got to see up close.  T-55/62, BMP, BDRM-2, BTR-60.  Especially when you consider how many there were.

Newer models of tanks have incorporated turbines and automatic loaders. What is your opinion of them?

The turbine has great power but is a fuel hog.  An auto-loader that breaks down puts the tank out of commission.  I new plenty of people who could load faster than the ones on T-tanks of the day.  I am unimpressed by them.

In the early 1990s M60 Patton were quickly retired from the US Army. Do you think it was a good decision? 

Considering what they were replaced with and how the replacement has evolved, yes.

What is your opinion on the Israel upgrades (Magach - also sold to Turkey as M60T)?

I don't really know that much about them.

Turkey has used M60s in Syria. What do you think of the way they are being used?

Heads should roll!  It has been a pathetic waste of machines and, more importantly, manpower.

Proposals for upgrading Ukrainian MiG-29s in the late 90s

At the end of the 90s Ukraine looked at a possible upgrade of it's MiG-29. Three companies submitted proposals:

- Russkaya Avionika (Russia)
- Sagem (France)
- IAI/LAHAV (Israel)

The table shows a summary of requested changes and proposals by the companies. Russkaya Avionika had the advantage of working with RSK MiG, the official manufacturer. This was an advantage when structural work was required (adding pylons/extra fuel tanks).

Table 1: Upgrade proposals by different companies.

Nothing was ever heard of the upgrade. Later on Ukraine settled with the more modest MU1.  

References:

- https://diana-mihailova.livejournal.com/64740.html

Pakistan acquires Chinese VT-4 tanks

Chinese media have reported that the first VT-4 tanks for Pakistan are ready for shipping. If the acquisition is confirmed this country would become the third operator after Thailand and Nigeria.

VT-4 (MBT-3000 for export) was designed by Norinco as an evolution of Type-90-II and incorporating technology from Type-99, which is the most advanced tank in People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Pakistan had also evaluated Ukraine's T-84M Oplot. No details have been provided on the reasons for choosing the VT-4, but Ukraine has struggled to manufacture Oplot in series. It is also very likely that China offered better financing.

In terms of performance, VT-4 is comparable with Western and Russian types. It has a 125mm gun, ERA and composite armour and a 1,200 HP engine. The commander has a panoramic sight with a thermal camera.

References:

- https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4001791.html

A delegation of the Azerbaijan Air Force visits Russia to get acquainted with several fighter types

Azerbaijan Air Force representatives have visited the manufacturing plants where Su-35 and MiG-35 are produced (KnAAPO and Lukhovitsy). During the visit Azerbaijani pilots had the opportunity to test a MiG-35.

Azerbaijan is looking to replace the 16 MiG-29s acquired in Ukraine (14 9.12 and 2 9.51 UB). According to the Russian press it is interested in acquiring Su-57. I guess chances of MiG-35 are rather small because archrival Armenia just bought Su-30SM, thus a more advanced type is probably sought.

Note that in the original article it does not mention IAPO, which produced Su-30SM. Some of the photos show the delegation at this factory.

References:

- https://mod.gov.az/en/news

Restoration of Focke-Wulf Fw 44 trainer aircraft in Argentina - parts needed

A person has approached me because she is restoring two-seat biplane Focke-Wulf Fw 44 trainer aircraft and needs help with some parts. She is looking for:

- Crankshaft for a Siemens Sh 14 a4 engine
- Fixed-pitch metallic propeller
If anyone could help please let me know.

Some photos of the restoration process.

Appendix 1: Sh 14 a4 engine Crankshaft photos