You Would Expect...

That I want to comment on this "summit". No. There is really nothing to comment on, except that Western journalists are primarily lowlifes and that once you heard the term "Strategic Stability" from the US Department of State, that means only one thing--Russians invented some shit which is really bad for US exceptionalists. Here is Putin responding to CNN's own Moscow's village idiot Matthew Chance. 

No, this is the real news (in Russian).
 

The first serial MS-21 with fully Russian composite wing and PD-14 engines and the delivery starts early next year with two serial MS-21s already being assembled, 6 more being readied and the production run hitting 36 a year after 2022. 3 new assembly lines are getting ready. Borisov is, obviously, happy. Ah, yes, another four serial SU-57s are getting ready for a delivery to Russia's VKS. As for Joe, in a surprisingly lucid moment he stated to Putin that new Cold War is not in the interest of the both sides. Agree. The problem is that many US journos should be tried for war crimes and instigation of the war, other than that, Russia is not going to lay down her arms but, if Joe understands that it is good to talk (in Russian), sure! As legendary Soviet/Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Andreevich Gromyko used to say:"Ten years of negotiations are better than one day of war." He knew what he was talking about.

Zeus To Fly Soon.

It is not a secret that Russia has some very advanced projects for space exploration/warfare in works. One of such projects which is being actively developed is the megawatt-class nuclear space-tug known as Zevs (Zeus). It's first flight is scheduled for 2024 and it is this tug which will take Russia to Mars. But this system is more advanced than that and it is one thing to read speculations on this, frankly, revolutionary space vehicle, totally another when Ria.Ru is given documentation and reports on it. Here is (in Russian) official report on capabilities of Zevs from yesterday. 

МОСКВА, 13 мая - РИА Новости. Российский космический ядерный буксир "Зевс" с мегаваттной энергодвигательной установкой можно будет использовать в системе ПВО страны для отслеживания летательных аппаратов и целеуказания средствам поражения, следует из материалов Исследовательского центра им. Келдыша (входит в "Роскосмос"), имеющихся в распоряжении РИА Новости.

Here is Ria's translation by English-language news agency: 

The Keldysh Research Center of the Russian space agency Roscosmos plans to use its Zevs (Zeus) nuclear power plant spacecraft for military purposes, reports RIA Novosti referring to documents of the center. It is reported that this orbiter intended for flights to the Moon and planets of the solar system could track the sky and detect air targets from orbit and transmit the information to defense systems. The Keldysh Center claims that Zevs could survey an area with a radius of 2,200 and 4,300 km using radar equipment (whose power varies between 50 and 200 kilowatts). With full power, radars will include all of Russia and parts of neighboring countries.Preliminary design development for the spacecraft is scheduled to be completed in July 2024. In early 2020 it was reported that the spacecraft will go into orbit in 2030.

Of course, the original Ria's reporting makes an emphasis on Russian-American negotiations on non-deployment of the space-based weapons, but you all know that such negotiations are not constructive and, as is the case with many other advanced weapons, Russia often is forced to come up with the answer to the American challenge. Zevs, it seems, will look like this (at least this is how its numerous, some official, models look like):

It is also clear that this system is capable of carrying much more than advanced radar but most likely some kinetic means for warfare in space and, possibly, even for deployment against ground targets. Looks like relatively soon we all will be treated to a vehicle which will be capable to take us beyond the Moon's orbit, to the planets of the Solar System. And, yes, will create a complete situational and tactical awareness for Russia's air and anti-missile defense. 

In yet another demonstration of a futility of the Western sanctions, Corporation Irkut, a manufacturer of Russia's MS-21 aircraft, received today fully Russian-made from Russia's own composite materials, wing console to be installed on the first serial MS-21 which will be delivered to customer soon. The rest of the composites used in MS-21 are also Russian-made. 

You see, many people are on record when stating that sanctions are good for Russia. In fact, those sanctions were so good that Russia today is, probably, the only nation in the world which approaches the first approximation of autarky. So, by the end of this year the first serial MS-21 will fly. As I said many times before--revelation mode.

Real Economies.

A superb demonstrator, and a "predictor" of the size of REAL economy globally through real tangible indicator--electricity generation. It gives a good framework and order of magnitude of what each nation is capable of and it explains why Russia is realistically 5th or 4th economy globally. 

Here is another video of an enormous significance, from yesterday: 

Here you can see the assembly of first MS-21 which starts test-flying with PD-14 engine in the nearest future. Well, that, plus Russia finishing final tests of GTD-110M, which is first fully Russian gas-turbine of very large (between 110 to 500 MWT) power (in Russian). That means one thing: bye-bye, Siemens (and GE as a very remote second). The serial production of GTD-110M starts in 2020. Meanwhile this shows that modern Russia, especially when one accounts for energy-saving technologies, in terms of electricity production begins to surpass that of the...Soviet Union.

But that brings me to the point of getting into a very "dangerous" field of the actual standard of living. Sergei Brekotin of Aftershock News went there (in Russian) yesterday:

But I have my own, down to earth, observations which I will share on the account of actual living standard in Russia and in the West, especially the United States. I'll give you a hint: Russia's ownership of personal automobiles grew tremendously, plus enormous number of Russians OWN some real estate which doesn't need to be mortgaged and paid off. And, you can easily buy antibiotics over counter which spares you visit to a doctor, which, most of the time, is free anyway. I'll elaborate on that later.    

MS-21 "Ramped Up".

An interesting piece of news from OAK (United Aircraft Corporation--UAC) which wants to ramp-up its annual production of MS-21 aircraft from initially 70 to 120 a year (in Russian). 

"Мы рассматривает возможность международной кооперации по самолету МС-21. Наша задача - довести в будущем его ежегодное производство с 70 до 120 единиц", - сказал Слюсарь.

Translation: We consider a possibility of international cooperation in MS-21 program. Out task is to reach annual production of 120 units, stated Slyusar (CEO of OAK).  

The part on international cooperation should be made clear: Russia produces enough composites to satisfy requirements of Russian combat aviation and rates of 70 aircraft a year for MS-21 and whatever goes to SSJ-100 which is being "russified" very fast, from APU to avionics. Of course, there are other demand for composites, not least in a missile field. But commercial aircraft, of course, are a separate "animals" and require a number of serious conditions to be fulfilled when dealing, especially, with composite materials. Especially so when the number of disposable, that is replaceable,  parts ranging from engine gondolas to all kinds of fairings is very large. International cooperation in this respect is only natural.  

B-787 compositION. 

So, expense in composite materials for each aircraft is quite large. But why, one may ask, such a ramp-up in production. Does it have any relation to a snafu with B-737 Max? Of course, it does, but methinks it is just one of the reasons. The larger reason is in the fact of Putin starting a few days ago in Brasilia a countdown to US Dollar demise. And then this small piece of news (in Russian): Moldova asked Russia for a loan for infrastructure projects. Ah, that's warmer. Against the background of a "pedal to the metal" new budget which infuses massive funds into Russia's national projects, the news that Russia actually can finance very many major customers somehow got lost behind Western (pseudo)economic "analysis", but that is what really matters. Russia did it before, even as USSR, but modern Russia is different--she wants a serious collateral and then she is ready to finance a lot, something like purchase of Russian commercial aircraft by variety of customers. Iran? Sure--that is why SSJ-100 is being "russified" with such a speed--and then, of course, MS-21 which is already 80% Russian. 

Middle East? Why not! Asia? Of course, there will be takers for the state-of-the-art Russian commercial aircraft. Especially when Russia will provide a loan or a.... drum roll...Lend-Lease on good conditions. Russia CAN afford to do so now.  This may explain why OAK (UAC) suddenly decided to change target numbers. Believe me--there will be takers, including among Western composite materials manufacturers. And then, of course, there is Aeroflot, S7, Ural Airlines, you name it, who are in dire need for domestic aircraft. That is what behind Slyusar's statement he made in Dubai.  Just to refresh your memory a bit: remember this in 2008?

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland took over its second largest bank, propped up a battered currency and sought on Tuesday a 4 billion euro ($5.44 billion) loan from Russia to help tackle a crisis threatening to overwhelm the island nation.

You can easily find yourself by googling a shitstorm which followed in Western media and think-tankdom after that. Well, times changed and many countries will ask Russia for financing of their "infrastructure" projects and Russia will gladly do so, with this teeny-weeny caveat that they will buy Russian very high value added products, many of which are, in fact, extremely competitive, while some are simply superior to anything West, let alone China, make. I bet you never heard about airports of Augsburg, Lubeck, Braunshweig  and Sylt are fully equipped and operate fully Russian designed and made Air Traffic Control Systems Galactica. I know, many people still cannot wrap their brains around the fact that Russia actually produces a shitload of world-class hi-tech, a real one. But, I guess, live and learn, and adapt.  

P.S. Nord Stream-2 may become operational already this (2019) year, says Russia's Energy Minister Novak. I can only imagine joy and exhilaration in Kiev from this news.

The Bird Continues To Fly.

As Irkut Corporation informs (in Russian), MS-21 continues to fly and already has flown for the third time. The flight lasted 1.5 hours and included all diapason of speeds, including a cruising speed. That means that the landing gear was retracted and the aircraft flew high. This is rather very fast and intense test program and this tells a lot about air frame design. Comparison to Chinese COMAC C919 which, as far as I know, made her maiden and only flight on May 5 this year, is inevitable. Russia is pushing now for a full production cycle of MS-21 the moment it completes tests. 

As I already stated before, COMAC C919 is not a competition to Boeing's and Airbus' aircraft of the same class, MS-21 is. And here is a political twist. Russia, who is being sanctioned by US left and right, will most likely take a long awaited by many protectionist stance and will (granted that Irkut already has 175 firm prepaid orders and 110 more contracted) literally "replace", or, if one wishes, phase out B737s flying for Russian carriers. Chinese plan to do a similar thing with their C919, but, as I stated, it is not realistically a competitive aircraft. Initially, Russia will have issues--current Irkut facilities are capable of producing 20 aircraft a year, but the work has already started on expanding manufacturing to 70 aircraft a year. The conclusion? Sanctions are blessing for Russia and not in disguise. Considering successful tests of newest PD-14 engines, Russian commercial aviation didn't have it so good for itself since, probably, early 1980s. With regional IL-114 in plans for serial production in 2019, what happened with Russian commercial aviation can only be compared to the resurrection of Phoenix--it is an apt comparison. 

 

UPDATE: and the bird just can not stop flying, it seems. MS-21 flew on Sunday for the fourth time and, yes, with landing gear being "inside". 

  
This time, MS-21 was escorted by SU-30SM.  Irkut, obviously, is very confident in its aircraft.