In addition to writing for Aviation Week Network, Maxim holds a key position at Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine (www.ato.ru). In the past he was in charge of several ATO sister aerospace publications and earlier worked for the Moscow-based CAST defense think-tank.
Maxim has a degree on international relations from MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, and for several years worked at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Russian government this year will kick in financing for a new high-speed helicopter program to be developed by national rotorcraft maker Russian Helicopters. An official from the ministry of industry and trade says the budget will reach 400 million rubles ($14 million) for the conceptual design phase. The government hopes the new model will help the Russian manufacturer gain 15% of the global rotorcraft market by 2020.
Russia is ramping up fielding of its newest long-range air defense system and has put the follow-on missile defense capability on a firm development path.
MOSCOW — Long-stalled plans to modernize Russia’s venerable Ilyushin Il-76 transport are set to get under way this year with the first flight of the Il-476 upgrade. Alexander Tulyakov, vice president of Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC), announced Feb. 15 that the Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP facility, a UAC subsidiary, will hand over a prototype aircraft toward year’s end for the start of flight trials, along with a second aircraft for static tests.
