In addition to writing for Aviation Week Network, Maxim holds a key position at Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine (www.ato.ru). In the past he was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications and earlier worked for the Moscow-based CAST defense think-tank.
Maxim has a degree on international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, and for several years worked at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
With much attention on Russia's efforts to revive its combat aircraft fortunes, the country also is more quietly making inroads in reviving its military transport aircraft activities. Russia's United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) is completing assembly of the first prototypes of the new Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A military transport, also known as Il-476 or Item 476. The first flight prototype and the aircraft to be used for static testing are being built at the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP facility, a UAC subsidiary.
Helicopter orders from the Russian military are up and commitments for new types are on the horizon, marking a stark turnaround from the days when military orders were unable to sustain Russia's domestic manufacturing industry.
MOSCOW – Sukhoi has begun flight trials of the first production Su-35S, the latest version of the Su-27 fighter. The flight took place on May 3 at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur assembly site in Russia’s Far East. Sukhoi reports that the first flight took 1.5 hr., and after completion of the factory trials the aircraft will be handed over to the Russian air force. In 2009 the military placed an initial order for 48 fighters, with deliveries to be completed by 2015.
