Russian Stealth Bomber Unveiled

[mustavaris]

Russia unveils pilotless ‘stealth’ bomber

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=69502

Friday, August 24, 2007
MOSCOW: Russia unveiled on Thursday the mock-up of a pilotless bomber plane that its constructors say will be even better than the famous US stealth fighter at evading enemy radars and anti-aircraft fire.

NTV television showed a full-sized model of the bat-like plane known as Skat, which means “stingray,” at an air show just outside Moscow the first public glimpse of the project run by Russia’s MiG Corporation.

The aircraft has a flattened, swept-back profile reminiscent of the US air force’s stealth aircraft, with a bubble-like cockpit area, although the plane will not have a pilot, NTV reported.

According to the report, the Skat’s constructors claim the stealth technology will make it even less vulnerable than the US version to radar detection.

“Many firms are trying to work in this area, but few so far have achieved results. Today we have begun real work on building an assault craft,” the director of MiG’s Mikoyan design bureau, Vladimir Barkovsky, said on NTV television.

RIA Novosti news agency quoted Barkovsky saying that the Skat will be able to attack land and sea targets, particularly enemy anti-aircraft sites, even if coming under heavy fire.

It will weigh 10 tonnes, be able to carry up to two tonnes of ordnance and have a range of 4,000 kilometres, RIA Novosti reported.

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From Aviation Week; http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/MIG082307.xml&headline=First%20Look%20At%20MiG%20Skat%20UCAV%20%5BUpdated% 5D&channel=null

First Look At MiG Skat UCAV [Updated]


Alexey Komarov and Douglas Barrie/Moscow


MiG today revealed a full-scale engineering mock-up of its unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) design, nicknamed Skat (Skate). Work on the low-observable design began over two years ago, and MiG will produce a flight worthy prototype within 24-months.

The MiG program is one of two competing designs that will be presented to the Russian Defense Ministry as a strike UCAV. Sukhoi is also understood to be working on a UCAV.

MiG unveiled the program during the Moscow air show, though only a few journalists were taken off the show site to a MiG facility at the Gromov flight test research institute.

Skat has two internal weapons bays, capable of carrying air-to-surface missiles as large as the Kh-31 (AS-17 Krytpon). Possible roles include the suppression and attack of enemy air defenses.

MiG is working with a number of Russian companies and state institutes -- including the 2nd Central Scientific Research Institute -- on Skat. The institute is known to be closely involved in low-observable research and development.

The first version of Skat to fly is planned to be piloted in order to meet Russian flight regulations. A number of aerodynamic configurations have been wind-tunnel tested, including with small twin fins. MiG has settled on a tail-less configuration.

The single-engine subsonic design has an 11.5 meter wingspan, and it is 10.25 meters long. The UCAV has a maximum take-off weight of 10 tons, with a maximum speed of 800 kilometers per hour (497 mph) at low altitude. It is intended to carry a combat load of up to two tons, with a combat radius of 2,000 km.

The Skat will be powered by the Klimov RD-5000B, a derivative of the RD-93. Two demonstrators will be built, the second will be unmanned. The flight tests will be used to prove the design and air vehicle systems. Weapon firings will also be carried out.




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Pictures I could find

http://www.red-stars.org/IMG/jpg/Skat_face_pilot_strizhi_info_.jpg

http://www.red-stars.org/IMG/jpg/Skat_cote_pilot_strizhy_info_.jpg

http://www.red-stars.org/IMG/jpg/Skat_armements_pilot_strizhy_info_.jpg

http://www.red-stars.org/IMG/jpg/Skat_entree_air_pilot_strizhy_info_.jpg

[mustavaris]

Makes me wonder when (if) they will really field this system and what will be the real capabilities as the Russians havent so far built armed UAVs nor true stealth aircraft.

[Sinosphere]

Looks very nice. :)

[Ahmadinejad]

kinda looks like some sort of pastry, damn russians their aircraft always do look delicious.. mmm

[Relikt]

Makes me wonder when (if) they will really field this system and what will be the real capabilities as the Russians havent so far built armed UAVs nor true stealth aircraft.

Well if state support this advanced UAV then it have bright future. To me it would be more interesting how good Russian software would be. Russians have excellent programmers. Biggest problem with advanced UAV is software. Russians done some heavy calculation on old mainframes and they succeed to stay in line with USA which use last tech mainframes. So to me good programmers are reason how they succeed. Light and efficient program will work fast on old mainframe. In USA many software companies dont think how to build light and fast programs because they always can use newest hardware.

[alopes]

Thanks for information and photos Mustavaris.
It´s very cool.

But i don´t think is surprisingly that Russia can build a Stealth UAV.

It´s the natural evolution of aircraft and all nations are going in that way.
As stealth planes are of public knowledge so it will be a development of other nations.

Also i don´t doubt that Russia and China could cooperate in this matter.
Why not?

[protocon]

[QUOTE=alopes;227250]
But i don´t think is surprisingly that Russia can build a Stealth UAV.

It´s the natural evolution of aircraft and all nations are going in that way.
As stealth planes are of public knowledge so it will be a development of other nations.
QUOTE]

I agree with you. I love and admire Russia's military. This is just another step they are taking to catch up and compete more favorably with the US military. Also, the more enemies like iran, cuba, venezuala, syria etc the US makes, the more better and bigger russia's military industry and market get.

[rabs]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. This thing is a giant model, it doesnt fly and might not even be a real design.

When the Russians build one and there is some evidence it is actually stealthy then I might be moderately impressed. However, a giant model doesnt when the US and Europeans already have UCAVs that have flown and dropped guided munitions.

[persis]

Lets not get ahead of ourselves here. This thing is a giant model, it doesnt fly and might not even be a real design.

When the Russians build one and there is some evidence it is actually stealthy then I might be moderately impressed. However, a giant model doesnt when the US and Europeans already have UCAVs that have flown and dropped guided munitions.

they have the tech to build it , the stealth science is actually russian originally not american. why they dont is either cause it's not needed or cause of the corruption and mismanagement in russia.

[rabs]

Just because a Russian scientist came up with a forumla for it doesnt mean they can do it.

The technology has been around for 30-40 years so I would hope by now the Russians can put out a first generation stealth aircraft.

[mustavaris]

They clearly state that they will make a flying model within 2 years so it seems likely that this is a serious project. I do not doubt the Russian software side, but getting the hardware to function properly is another matter. Another thing that raises questions is that the Russians do not have much UAV experience and this is a big leap for them.. and this kind of aircraft must be rather independent, not pre-programmed nor remotely guided like most of their previous UAVs have been. Challenging task.. we´ll see how it will materialize (if it will):

[Relikt]

Just because a Russian scientist came up with a forumla for it doesnt mean they can do it.

The technology has been around for 30-40 years so I would hope by now the Russians can put out a first generation stealth aircraft.

Do you really think that Russians will go on first stealth generation?
Look PAK-FA design. It is similar with F-22 or F-35. It isnt similar with F-117.
If Russians or any other major player try to go in steps instead in leaps they will never get close to US stealth technology.
Thanks to processor power rise something what takes months in past can be done for one hour today.

[mustavaris]

One has to remember that Russians have practised their LO technologies on Su-27 family and Tu-160 is said to be stealthier than B1. F117´s foundamental weakness was the lack of processing power/tools for precise manufactuirng when the shape of aircraft was determined, that is not the case in 21st century Russia. They can reach for JSF level (or better) with their PAK-FA and when they do not have to care about cockpit and such, their UCAV could be on par with the western tech when talking about stealthiness. In my opinion, the more challening stuff will be inside of the airframe besides the difficulties to create a reliable system as a whole.

[Relikt]

Su-47 was real stealth plane. RAM, composite forward sweep wings and internal arm bay made Su-47 very stealth plane. It was too expensive for '90 Russia. Also forward sweep wings (which have lower RCS then back sweep) were hard fo maintain and waste of resources. But today this kind of wings can be use for carrier jet infact Sukhoi company continue work on Su-47 and offer it to Russian navy. So it would be interesting to see that Russian navy get first in world heavyweight stealth carrier fighter. For all other purpose PAK-FA is better chose.

Lets back to UCAV. I saw many of US prototypes looking similar to SKAT. How far are they to get in operational service. Also this two years about MIG talk is to get SKAT in air? What time they need to get it in service because I think BOEING already fly with prototype called TERMINATOR(maybe I am wrong with name)

[Request 1]

LOL...dude...the bomber reminds me of the Yukav from the movie Stealth. To me they look very simmilar, well...in picture three only however.

[alopes]

well, one way to have some clues if Russia have the capability to build a bomber UAV is to look at what they already have built.
Russia have built satellites, a space station, a docking system for the space station, the Buran Shuttle that flew automatically, cruise missiles with a range of 3000 Km, Fly By Wire systens for their airplanes, the processor capabilities is available in all world including Russia, fire and forget missiles with autonomous radar tracking, datalink between warplanes.

The question is developing the sofware and the integration of the software and hardware of all these technologies with modern processors and the knowledge to build a stealth airframe.
I think it is very possible for Russia to do it.