Jolted By Horrific Attacks, Russia To Land Its Most Advanced Fighters Inc Su-57, MiG-31 At Moscow Army Forum

Russia is all geared to display its cutting-edge fighter jets and military transport aircraft at the Army Forum in Moscow later this month, amid a raging war that has resulted in the loss of several warplanes.

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On August 9, explosions at the Saki Air Base in Crimea destroyed at least seven Russian fighter jets, dealing a serious blow to the Russian Air Force. Even though Ukraine has not admitted responsibility for the incident, speculations point toward an armed drone strike planned from Kyiv.

In what could be a Russian attempt at rebranding its reputation, the United Aircraft Corporation, a division of the state-owned Rostec, which produces combat, transport, strategic, and special aviation aircraft, will present a multimedia exhibition and a model line of its best aircraft.

The worldwide military-technical forum for the Army of 2022 will start on August 15 and go until August 21. The forum will have 289 activities that will take place on the grounds of the Patriot Park close to Moscow, at the Kubinka airport and the Alabino practice range, as well as in all of Russia’s military districts.

su35 - Twitter Search / Twitter
Su-35- Twitter

The UAC model line-up will feature cutting-edge aircraft at the Army 2022 International Military-Technical Forum, including the Su-34, Su-35, Su-57, Su-30SM, Yak-130, Yak-152Tu-160, Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS, MiG-31, MiG-35, MiG-29K, to name a few.

According to the statement, visitors will be able to familiarise themselves with the characteristics of the aircraft through the Demonstration Center’s interactive displays. A static exhibition will display a selection of the model range of aircraft developed and updated by UAC firms at the Kubinka airfield south of Moscow.

Battle Tested Warplanes

While fighters like Su-34, Su-35, and the Tupolev bombers have already demonstrated their capabilities on the battlefield in the last six months of the war, the mainstay of this exposition will be Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet.

The United Aircraft Corporation will demonstrate the Russian Su-57 fifth-generation multirole fighter at the Army 2022 international military-technical forum, the UAC announced on Thursday. The advanced fighter jet will be on display at the Congress and Exhibition Center’s entrance at Patriot Park outside of Moscow.

The Sukhoi Su-57 is a fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter designed to obliterate any kind of aerial, ground, or marine target. The stealth fighter is equipped with the most cutting-edge onboard radio-electronic equipment, including a powerful onboard computer, the radar system spread across its body, and armament placed inside its fuselage.

Su-57 prototype at the MAKS 2011 Air Show (Wikimedia Commons)

By late 2024, 22 Su-57 jets will be added to Russia’s Aerospace Force, and by 2028, there will be 76 of them.

2020 saw the delivery of the first Su-57 aircraft to the Russian military. Even though some reports in the Russian media earlier said that the stealth fighters had participated in the conflict, there was no official confirmation from Moscow.

Russian state media had earlier reported that the Russian stealth fighters were operating outside the Ukrainian air defenses. Besides the Su-57, another cutting-edge and lesser-seen combat aircraft will make an appearance at Army Forum in Moscow – the MIG-31I.

MiG-31I

In an interview with the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper that was published on August 12, Russian Air Force Commander, Aerospace Forces Deputy Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Sergey Dronov stated that the newest MiG-31I fighter jet, as well as a few unmanned aerial vehicles, will be on display at the Army 2022 international arms show.

The MiG-31 is a two-seater, long-range supersonic interceptor aircraft that was first introduced in 1981. Day or night, the MiG-31 can operate well in any weather situation while adhering to visual flight rules (VFR) and instrument flight regulations (IFR) (IFR).

The MiG-31 was the first Soviet fighter with true look-down and shoot-down capabilities.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced its plans to fund a MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor modernization and life extension program in July 2020.

The MiG-31 can fly at high speeds and low altitudes thanks to its sleek and aerodynamic body. The aircraft is built to simultaneously track several targets at great altitudes.

Kh-47M2 Kinzhal - Wikipedia
Kh-47M2 Kinzhal – Wikipedia

The latest iteration of the aircraft that will be displayed at the Army Forum can carry the Kinzhal hypersonic missiles. These fighters touched down in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad for the first time in February this year. The Kinzhal capable aircraft also goes by the name MiG-31K.

According to unconfirmed reports, 10 or 11 MiG-31s have been modified to carry and launch Kinzhal on an operational basis, and two more have been used for test flights.

It is pertinent to note that Russia fired its Kinzhal hypersonic missile on Ukraine in March, becoming the first country to use hypersonic missiles in combat.