Russian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces will not have their new military nuclear warning satellite systems in place until months later than anticipated, the Moscow Times reported June 30.

Citing the TASS news agency, the Times reports that Russia has delayed the launch of its new military satellites by at least four months, leaving the country unable to detect a potential nuclear attack from space.

The first launch of the new satellites, referred to in the report as the “United Space System,” is slated for November, according to the report in the Moscow Times story.

“Today we are nearly prepared to launch the first satellite into a highly elliptic orbit, the launch of which will take place in November 2015,” Major General Oleg Maidanovich, commander of the Aerospace Defense Forces, said Tuesday, according to a TASS report cited in the Moscow Times. Maidanovich did not explain why the launch was delayed, the Times added.

The Moscow Times also adds that Russia’s Soviet-era early warning satellites were left nearly blind last year due to a technical malfunction,

The new system, which is closely integrated with ground-based early warning radars to provide an extensive picture of global missile launches, is expected to be fully operational in 2018, the Moscow Times reported.

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TASS said:

ST. PETERSBURG, July 2. /TASS/ - Russia plans within a month to sign the final document on the destiny of the Mistral class helicopter carriers it ordered in France, Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin told TASS on Thursday.

"Virtually all issues have already been settled. The final document will be signed in the short run," Kozhin said.

Answering a question on when the document signing will take place, he said: "Within a month." Kozhin earlier said that Russia is working on settling the issue with returning money for Mistrals.

The Ђ1.12-billion contract to build the Mistral amphibious assault ships for the Russian Navy was signed in June 2011. In case it is not implemented, France will have to pay Russia a penalty fee.

The first Mistral, the Vladivostok, was floated in October 2013. It was expected to be handed over to Russia by the French side in autumn 2014, but the handover did not take place due to the situation in Ukraine. The second Mistral, the Sevastopol, was to be delivered to Russia in October 2015, but the deal was suspended as well.

France suspended the delivery of Mistrals to Russia as part of a package of sanctions the European countries imposed on Moscow for what they claimed was its alleged role in destabilization of east Ukraine. Russia has constantly dismissed allegations that Moscow could in any way be involved in hostilities in Ukraine’s east. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin said on May 9 that France can’t make decisions on the sale of Mistral helicopter carriers without Russia’s consent as the Russian Federation has the end user certificate.

Previous reports suggested that the French side was ready to pay compensation to Russia if the helicopter carriers are not delivered. Moscow has repeatedly said that it would be satisfied with any option - either the ships or money. In early June, Kozhin said that he hoped that the situation with the Mistral warships would be resolved during the summer. Russia wants to have all expenses related to production of the ships to be covered, he said.

In the middle of June, a high-ranking official from the military and defense sphere told TASS that Russia still does not rule out the possibility that Mistral helicopter carriers will be delivered.

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Sputnik said:

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Paris and Moscow have preliminarily agreed on compensation for France’s non-delivery of the Mistral-class helicopter carriers and will continue consultations in July, a source in the military technical cooperation said Thursday.

“Russia and France were unable to agree on a preliminary compensation for the non-delivery of the Mistrals in June. ‘Preliminary’ because the decision needs to be approved now by the governments of both countries,” the source told RIA Novosti. He said that the next stage in consultations would be held in July.

Earlier, the press reported that France was apparently prepared to return approximately 800 million euros to Moscow, however, Moscow has insisted on 1.1 billion euros in compensation.

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Miragedriver said:

Russia to sign final document on Mistral helicopter carriers within month — official

In the middle of June, a high-ranking official from the military and defense sphere told TASS that Russia still does not rule out the possibility that Mistral helicopter carriers will be delivered

ST. PETERSBURG, July 2. /TASS/. Russia plans within a month to sign the final document on the destiny of the Mistral class helicopter carriers it ordered in France, Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin told TASS on Thursday.

"Virtually all issues have already been settled. The final document will be signed in the short run," Kozhin said.

Answering a question on when the document signing will take place, he said: "Within a month." Kozhin earlier said that Russia is working on settling the issue with returning money for Mistrals.

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Jura said:

That instead of additional Admiral Grigorovich frigates, after the third ship, because of unavailability of Ukraine-produced turbines, 18 (yes, eighteen) ships of Project 22800 will be built:

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Jeff Head said:

Okay, guys, I have a question for you Russian Flanker buffs..

What will be the standard Russian Air Force paint scheme for the SU-35S. I am building a 1/72 scale model of the SU-35S and want to make sure it is painted appropriately.

I have seen a number painted in this Dark Blues scheme:

I have also seen others in a lighter gray scheme.

Will they use both? Which will be the standard?

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