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 — Russia’s fifth generation fighter, Sukhoi’s T-50 prototype, was flown for the first time from Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Russia’s Far East at 11:19 local time Jan. 29. After the 47-minute flight the aircraft landed at the airfield of Sukhoi’s KnAAPO facility, which assembled the PAK FA prototypes.
The Russian defense ministry wants to kick off the acquisition of a reconnaissance and attack medium-range UAV this year. But whether any supplier other than Tupolev will step forward to bid remains to be seen. Tupolev is one of the nation’s traditional unmanned aerial vehicle designers, and it is already working on a concept—known by its Russian acronym of BAK SD—to meet the requirement.
Maxim Pyadushkin (Moscow), Douglas Barrie (London)
Prompted by Western and other competitive air-to-air developments and renewed domestic funding, Russia is now offering upgraded versions of its own weaponry in the export arena.
