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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Russia Purposes Additional Phalcon AWACS For IAF




Rosoboronehksport is holding discussions with India about a new contract for the delivery of long-range IL-76 Phalcon AWACS, a source in the defense industrial complex reported to AviaPort."The official negotiations may emerge in approximately half a year," he noted.According to him, the new contract may provide for the delivery of three airplanes of this type, plus an option for six aircraft.

The first contract for the delivery to India of threeIL-76 Phalcon AWACS equipped with PS-90A-76 engines and the Israeli ELTA firm's EL/M-2075 radar was signed in Delhi in 2003 by the three parties: India, Israel and Russia. The Taganrog Beriev Scientific and Engineering Complex, the Il'yushin Aviation Complex and the Vega scientific Production Association are taking part in realization of the contract from the Russian side.

The ELTA is the lead executor of the order. The total contract price is estimated at 1.1 billion dollars, Russia's share is 150 - 200 million dollars. The first contract under this contract was supposed to be delivered in 2006 and the contract's closeout was intended for 2009. However, the first A-50 (side number KW-3551) was delayed in delivery to Israel, in May 2009: The Tashkent V.P. Chkalov Aviation and Production Association was unable to build the Il-76MD, which serve as the basis for the IL-76 Phalcon AWACS, on time.

AviaPort

3 comments:

By the way, why is IAF's EL/M2075 Phalcon comes in E3-style radome, rather than the mainstream conformal-type? Airframe consideration?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL/M-2075

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Phalcon.jpg

Are they Beriev A50 'Mainstay' with Israeli electronic (EL/M2075)?

"A-50E/I: export version [of A50] with Russian Shmel or Israeli Phalcon radar."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriev_A-50

It is an expensive system. Yet Russians are proposing that India should get more of these. It is because Russians want more of their planes be used, one would think. In fact, Russians know that traditionally poor Indians maintenance would render the three systems soon to be a lame duck. So, why not plan accordingly now rather than panicing later and go for something hurriedly.

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