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 air force is starting to field the Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter and also is augmenting other elements of its rotorcraft fleet. On Dec. 28, the air force’s 334th Tactical Deployment Center in Torzhok received three Ka-52s, the first from the preproduction batch of 12 helos being produced by the Arseniev-based Progress facility. The twin-seat Ka-52 is based on the single-seat Kamov Ka-50 Black Shark coaxial-rotor assault helicopter and will serve in the air force as a special mission rotorcraft.
Maxim Pyadushkin (Moscow), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
The Russian government is struggling to compensate for a Proton launch failure that dashed hopes of having a full 24-unit Glonass navigation satellite constellation in service by the end of 2010.
Russia plans to boost defense expenditures in 2011 to continue reequipping its armed forces. Rearmament is part of a reform that will transform the military into a smaller, more effective force. According to the federal budget for 2011, defense expenditures will be 1.52 trillion rubles ($49.5 billion), a 19.3% increase from 2010. This means defense budget growth returns to pre-economic crisis rates after a slowdown in 2010, when it increased 3.4% from 2009.
