Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov (left) with Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergey Sobyanin
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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Saturn and Salyut Fight for State Order
First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov demanded in a closed meeting yesterday that work on the engine of the fifth-generation fighter jet be speeded up, saying that the lack of the engine is impeding the whole project. New Air Force chief commander Alexander Zelin announced that the first aircraft will have engines made by Saturn. But the Defense Ministry will hold a tender this summer for the development of the engine for the fully finished aircraft, which may give Saturn's competitor Salyut an opportunity to come out ahead.
Sukhoi, the main developer of the new jet, chose Saturn as its partner in 2005. But former Air Force chief commander Vladimir Mikhailov supported Salyut, and the Salyut AL-31F-M2 engine was chosen by the Air Force for use in the jet in December of last year. That use was limited to modernizing Su-27 models, however. Zelin stated yesterday that Sukhoi designed the fifth-generation jet of the first stage around the Saturn engine. The first jet is to take off by the end of 2009. The first stage in the project is the modernization of pre-existing craft, Saturn said, and state financing of the secret project is unofficially said to be $500 million.
The second stage of the project will be the development of a new engine. It will be completed by 2015, with purchases of the engine beginning in 2010 to equip squadrons in the Caucasus and Russian Far East. Industry sources involved in the project have told Kommersant that the development of the new jet will cost $10 billion, with $2-3 billion going for the engine.
A government source said that both Saturn and Salyut's designs are still in the drafting stage and the date of the tender of the second stage will depend on the preparedness of the two participants.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 23, 2007
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