The newly-elected chairman of the giant Russian military/industrial conglomerate MiG MAPO says the long-term future of the grouping - which is less than a year old - is secure.
"With 60,000 employees in a dozen companies, it's not surprising that the Group is taking some time to 'mature'," Serguey Mikheyev said at Le Bourget, "but with sound foundations and many exciting new projects, the future is bright."
Comprising 12 companies, the Group is part government-owned and partially a joint stock company, although Mikheyev says that the government involvement will reduce over time.
Sketchy
To the astonishment of the West's leading aviation journalists, MiG MAPO's Ivan Boutko reports that the long-awaited first flight of the MiG Article 1.42 has happened - although details are sketchy.
The fifth-generation delta canard fighter - powered by Saturn Lyulka AL-41 engines - has been on the stocks for years but lack of finance and commitment from the Russian air force was thought to have grounded attempts to fly the aircraft despite fast taxiing trials having taken place successfully.
Assuming that the aircraft has flown, MiG MAPO must have found the finance from somewhere so perhaps the military has decided to put some further - and much-needed - roubles into the project.
To further expressions of surprise, Boutko also claims that both the Article 1.42 and the MiG-35 are flying in prototype form. "We will show them to you when we're ready," he says.
The MiG-35 is thought to be powered by Klimov RD-33s with thrust-vectoring and may have a developed version of the shelved MiG-29K's big wing. The MiG-29K was being developed for carrier use by the Russian navy, but the project was canned some time ago.
On the subject of the squadron of MiG-29's (somewhere between a dozen and 20 airframes) wanted by the Bulgarian air force, MiG MAPO's export director Alexander Anikin says that negotiations are proceeding well.
Aspects
"All the technical aspects are agreed," he says, "and the contract should be signed very soon."
MiG MAPO clearly believes the MiG-29 has plenty of life left in it. Ivan Boutko says it will remain in production for at least five to seven years, "...as the airframe was originally designed to be developed into the next millennium".
"Although our major future is undoubtedly in the domestic market," he says, "with the MiG-29 being in service with the air forces of 23 countries - and with 25% of our income coming from supporting these aircraft - you can see how important both the home and overseas modernisation and upgrading markets are to us."
It has been known for some time that MiG MAPO was looking at a further mid-life upgrade on the MiG-29, installing new radar, a more pilot-friendly cockpit with multi-function displays and revised weaponry including air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and TV-guided bombs.
Source: Flight Daily News
