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 expects to grow its fleet of Ansat-U light training helicopters to seven units by year’s end, with five helos of the type already handed over to the Syzran air force academy. The training assets were delivered Oct. 8 and Oct. 20. Russian air force commander Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin promises that the helicopters will gradually replace aging Mil Mi-2 light helicopters as the rotorcraft used for initial pilot training in the military academies.
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.
