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 — Sukhoi says it will deliver the first Su-35S multirole fighter to the Russian air force by the end of the year. Last year the Russian military ordered a batch of 48 fighters with the deliveries to be completed by 2015. On Oct. 11, Sukhoi reported that the first production Su-35S is already in final assembly at the KnAAPO facility in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, with preparations underway for flight testing.
MOSCOW — The first production Ilyushin Il-76MF military transport plane has completed its first flight. The Il-76MF is a stretched version of the four-engine Il-76MD transport plane in service with the Russian air force. Jordan is the launch customer, with an order for two units.
MOSCOW — The popularity of the Mil Mi-17 Hip helicopter for operations in Afghanistan is driving up prices for used versions and has created an order surge for manufacturer Russian Helicopters. About 300 Mil Mi-8MTs (known as Mi-17s in the export market) are deployed in Afghanistan with international coalition forces, private contractors or under U.N. contracts, according to Russian experts. Some Russian companies, such as UTair Aviation, operate Mi-8MTs under U.N. contracts in many other regions.
