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.
Sukhoi disclosed the first test results of its next-generation 4++ Su-35 fighter in July, and at least one area raised eyebrows—speed. The Su-35 reached a supercruise regime—supersonic speed without afterburners—one of the planned features of the T-50 next-generation fighter, which is in development. Sukhoi attributed the result to the more powerful engines, a lighter airframe built in part with composites, and advanced onboard equipment and controls.
Russian scientists continue to work on the development of a supersonic combustion ramjet (scramjet) engine that is lighter and simpler in design than gas turbines and will achieve hypersonic speed (over Mach 4). The Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) in Moscow plans to start bench tests of a hypersonic vehicle in 2009, and begin flight trials in 2011-12.
Russia’s airborne troops may soon get a modernized version of the BMD-4M armored vehicle that is lighter, faster, more spacious and better equipped. First presented by manufacturer Kurganmashzavod (KMZ) in March, the tracked vehicle is a compromise between the military’s need for a modern and powerful weapon and efforts by the manufacturer to reduce production costs by standardizing its product range.
