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.
MOSCOW — Russia’s acquisition of a majority stake in Antonov may have been on the agenda for discussion during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Kiev on April 21, although such a deal would not guarantee the future of the An-70 military airlifter. The moribund joint program will remain outside the scope of any tie-up between Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and the Ukrainian aircraft manufacturer until the Antonov An-70 completes government trials in the Ukraine.
Plans for Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to take a controlling share in Ukrainian commercial and military aircraft manufacturer Antonov remain very much alive, although no deal was signed during top-level political discussions April 21. Russian industry’s acquisition of a majority shareholding in Antonov was on the agenda during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Kiev, and though nothing was inked, the Russian president has authorized UAC to start the integration with Antonov as soon as possible, according to a company executive.
Russia is offering a version of the Club family of cruise missiles that can be packed in a standard cargo container and transported by ship, train or on roadways. Versions of Club are already fitted on the Kilo-class submarine and the Project 1135.6 frigate. The Moscow-based Morinformsystema-AGAT, the designer of Club’s control system, is developing the Club-K container modification. The system would be capable of being used against naval and land targets, depending on which versions of the Novator 3M-54 and 3M-14 missiles were included.
