Maksim covers aerospace developments in Central Asia for Aviation Week. He has worked for Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine and was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications after working for the Moscow-based CAST defense think tank.
Maksim has a degree in international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow.
MOSCOW — The Russian defense ministry may purchase Sukhoi Su-30MKI multirole fighters, Russia’s most successful export combat aircraft for the last decade. On July 18, Alexei Fedorov, head of Su-30MKI manufacturer Irkut Corp., said the contract for 28 fighters for the Russian air force is expected to be signed in 2012, with deliveries to start in 18 months. The contract will include an option for 12 more aircraft that are to be handed over to the Russian navy.
In the next few years, Russia intends to expand its research capabilities on the International Space Station (ISS) as its partners begin using what has already been delivered. Russia's current resources consist of two mini-research modules—Poisk and Rassvet—launched in November 2009 and May 2010, respectively. These facilities allow Russian managers to run a scientific program on the orbiting laboratory that currently comprises 137 experiments.
There have been plenty of questions hanging over the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet as the program shifts from design and production to operations. But Sukhoi officials are taking heart from the first few weeks of operations, which have not revealed any major headaches so far.
