According to the Joint Stock Company UAC (United Aircraft-building Corporation), Russia has produced more combat aircraft than the U.S., in 2014.
As reported by Russian media outlets, in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station, Vladislav Goncharenko, deputy head of the military aviation programmes department at UAC (the a Russian holding which encompasses Irkut, Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Ilyushin, Tupolev, Beriev and Yakovlev), Moscow has surpassed the U.S. in the number of produced combat aircraft.
Whilst in 2013, UAC companies delivered 68 planes, 100 aircraft, 95 of those are combat planes for the Russian Air Force were produced and delivered in 2014.
Along with the production of more planes, UAC subsidiaries have carried out the modernization of existing aircraft and the development of new weapons systems, Goncharenko said.
Even though we don’t know the corresponding U.S. figures, the number of new aircraft delivered to the front-line units of the Russian Air Force is a clear sign Moscow is strongly supporting its renascent military power.
For sure “quantity” does not always come with “quality” and, most probably, U.S. technology will still be ahead of Russian (or Chinese) one for several decades. However, it’s impossible to foresee the outcome of a dogfight in which few, advanced American 6th Generation fighter jets, face outnumbering Russian 5th Generation warplanes.
In the meanwhile, PAK-FA T-50 prototypes have been quipped with Himalayas EW defense systems to increase jamming resistance and self-protection capabilities. The delivery of the first production PAK-FA 5th Generation stealth jet to the Air Force is planned for 2016 whereas new type of combat and reconnaissance drone will appear by 2018. 6th Generation aircraft are being studied as well.
By 2020, 55 PAK-FA fighters will be in service with the Russian Air Force.
H/T to @Missilito for the heads-up
Image credit: Tony Lovelock
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Gee… This is a shocker. Not belittling the article in any way, but why would this be big news for the Russians to put out? They STILL want bragging rights? The US doesn’t care about the production of planes per year methinks. And even if they did, they would most likely include commercial aircraft as well and i’m fairly certain the US production would outstrip Russian production by an order of magnitude.
Commercial aircraft are made from parts all over the world, as are many military aircraft. It is a bit like buying a Lego set, assembling it in Canada, then slapping a “Made in Canada” Sticker on it.
“The US doesn’t care about the production of planes per year methinks”
You thinks wrong. I think people in DC and all over the US are paying close attention to how many aircraft, submarines, and surface combatants are being refitted, produced, and exported. Also, their comparison of their production to the US does not make it a message (strictly) TO the US, necessarily.
If I were a country debating whether to buy Saab Gripen or SU-33, I would care about production capacity of a supplier. (Long term support-ability, timely delivery, etc.)
I have serious doubts America’s 4th generation of fighters are up to contending with the Russian 4th + standard of the Su-27 and Mig-3X series. If those developments are installed across the Russian inventory, I’d have some serious doubts about the US’ ability to hold it’s own on a machine for machine basis. What might be our saving grace is the cadre of pilots and aviators. Does anyone know if the Russians have elevated their flight hours/year per pilot to Western levels? And at the same time, have the Americans forgotten ACM in their training since we’ve spent the past two decades dropping bombs on people who can’t shoot back?
Consider the fact that in an possible war scenario (not considering nuclear war) US will not fight alone but in a NATO environment with a lot of allied assets (i.e. 4+ gen eurocanards, NATO AWACS force, tankers etc) while Russia would be probably alone
I agree 100%. But the statement that the Russians are decades behind the US is just not true anymore. The Russians have done an excellent job of closing the gap. And as you point out the excellent European systems have come online and are deployed. But the US has almost stood still. And with the F-35 it seems we have taken steps backwards at great cost.
The US just deployed a f—-ing laser that can shoot down aircraft. You can’t debate if it will shoot down a Russian aircraft, from how far out and how successfully because that’s still all classified and you don’t know. You’re making comparisons on 20 year old tech at best. The weapons that will win are still secret.
Chris ,you are in denial . Politically correctness is killing America and you know it.
LOL!!! Lasers on fighters that can shoot down another aircraft????
The aim of lasers on fighters is to blind incoming missiles, not kill other fighters. Fighters lack the power systems needed to drive high-capacity laser systems.
Makes one go hmmmmmm
The Kashin Class Destroyers and Kresta Class Cruisers of the Cold War Era were similar………………Armed to the teeth but the compartmentalization was lacking. Our ships stood a better chance of survival against all adversarial surface combatants. The Tu-95 was a possible but the tactics were the issue.
They should attack us now while we’re in the mood to give into terrorist demands and make buddys with bad people. We will prob just roll over
This pace will not continue as Russia’s economy collapses, unless they turn back to communism.