In recent years, the Russian defense industry has developed several fundamentally new models of military equipment for the ground forces and aerospace forces. They are undergoing the necessary tests and should soon appear in the troops. However, not so long ago it became known that there is an alternative opinion in the highest echelons of power. A senior executive openly stated that there was no point in mass purchases of new equipment.
The reason for the dispute
The reason for new disputes around promising samples appeared in early July. Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, in charge of the military-industrial complex, told the press about the current work in the framework of promising projects. Among other things, he touched upon the subject of the fifth generation Su-57 fighter. As it turned out, the leadership of the defense industry has very specific views.
Fighter Su-57 in flight. Photo UAC / uacrussia.ru
According to Yuri Borisov, tests of the Su-57 are going according to plan. This year it is planned to sign a contract for two aircraft of an experimental batch, and the current State Armaments Program provides for the purchase of 12 aircraft - two squadrons. At the same time, the official does not yet see the point in increasing the production of aviation equipment.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the Su-57 showed itself well on trials in Syria. Technical characteristics and combat capabilities have been confirmed. However, work on its mass production should not be accelerated yet. Russia already has a 4 ++ generation Su-35S fighter, which is considered one of the best in the world. With its presence, accelerated mass construction of newer Su-57s does not make sense.
However, Yuri Borisov did not call for a complete abandonment of the fifth generation machine. It should be a kind of "trump card" that can be "played" in the appropriate circumstances. When fighters of previous generations begin to lag behind their foreign counterparts, the time will come for the Su-57. In such circumstances, this aircraft will once again provide superiority over a potential enemy.
Subsequently, similar statements were made about the prospects for armored combat vehicles. An interesting new but controversial statement was made at the end of July, during a regular meeting on the development of the defense industry. Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov pointed out that the Russian armed forces are not yet striving to carry out massive purchases of armored vehicles of the Armata family. The reason for this lies in the excessive cost of such machines. To maintain the combat effectiveness of the armored forces, the army prefers to upgrade the existing equipment.
Fighter Su-35S generation 4 ++. Photo UAC / uacrussia.ru
Yuri Borisov recalled that the basis of the Russian fleet of tanks is the T-72 family vehicles undergoing modernization. In addition, this technique is very popular in the international arms market. The Deputy Prime Minister also compared the Russian tank with leading foreign models and noted its superiority over them. The T-72 outperforms the Abrams, Leopards and Leclercs in terms of cost, efficiency and quality.
In a similar way, Yuri Borisov spoke about other promising platforms. The promising wheeled armored personnel carrier "Boomerang" is much more expensive than the existing equipment of its class. In this regard, the army does not need to purchase it in large quantities. However, in a different situation - if our production vehicles were inferior to the equipment of a potential enemy - the army would begin to purchase new samples.
Due to such solutions, it is possible to obtain significant savings. The newest and most expensive samples are proposed to be purchased in limited quantities, and at the same time to modernize the existing fleet. Yuri Borisov believes that the reasonable use of the modernization potential of military equipment is an effective solution. And at its expense it is possible to solve the assigned tasks, having a military budget ten times less than that of NATO countries.
Su-57 during a demonstration flight. Photo Wikimedia Commons
Understandable reaction
The reaction to such statements was not long in coming. And, as expected, this reaction was not positive. They began to criticize the Deputy Prime Minister from several positions at once, pressing on various aspects of the planned rearmament. In addition, biased assessments appeared, casting a shadow not only on individual projects, but also on the entire industry or the army as a whole. However, there were also those who agreed with Yuri Borisov in his assessments and appealed to the need to assess the feasibility of purchases.
For obvious reasons, the foreign press reacted very loudly to these events. There were publications with flashy titles like "Su-57 turned out to be an expensive and useless toy", "Putin no longer bets on Armata, or" Armata tank turned out to be too expensive for Russia, and T-72 is not so old. " Under the last heading, the BBC Russian service not only examined the current situation and the official's statements from the point of view it needed, but also recalled his attitude to modernization projects in the past.
On the whole, if we ignore the clearly biased publications and statements, the reaction of the public and experts boiled down to a few basic questions. First of all, people were not satisfied with the very fact of refusal to purchase the latest technology, which could radically increase the combat capability of the army. This argument took place in disputes on both topics - both in the case of the Su-57 and after the announcements about armored vehicles.
The main T-14 tank on the Armata platform. Photo by NPK "Uralvagonzavod" / uvz.ru
Arguments were also made about the costs of a reputational nature. For many years, Russia has talked about creating combat vehicles of the future with the highest characteristics, but now it is refusing to purchase them in bulk. Such a development of events may look very strange, especially if one focuses on it, proceeding from one or another premise.
Su-57 and its future
The project to create a fifth generation fighter PAK FA / T-50 / Su-57 has already advanced quite far. In February of this year, it was announced the start of experimental combat operation. To date, 10 flight prototypes have been involved in the checks. Three more were built for various checks on the ground. In the near future, it is planned to build and fly several pre-production vehicles, after which mass production will have to begin.
The program is proceeding without any particular difficulties or significant delays, which may be a reason for restrained optimism. Nevertheless, as follows from the words of Yuri Borisov, the real prospects of the Su-57 are far from some predictions. It turns out that the latest aircraft is too good for today's army, has redundant capabilities and, oddly enough, inappropriately exceeds the current requirements for a modern fighter.
The leadership of the defense industry studied the current situation in the world and the combat capabilities of the air forces of different countries, as a result of which a special opinion appeared about the real prospects of the Su-57. High-ranking officials believe that the current situation allows the implementation of existing plans to continue without revising the work schedule. It is proposed to continue to produce serial Su-35S fighters, and in parallel to prepare the production of more advanced Su-57s. No unnecessary haste.
Upgraded T-72B3. Photo Vitalykuzmin.net
Of course, such a decision can lead to certain changes in the schedule and a shift in the delivery time of finished aircraft. On the other hand, the available time reserve can be used for further refinement of the design and correction of identified shortcomings. As a result, a ready-made fighter, devoid of flaws, will be able to go into full-scale serial production, which is proposed to be postponed for some time.
However, this approach does not eliminate all the problems. Preparing and launching serial production is a rather difficult task that takes a lot of time. It will have to begin its implementation before the Su-35S cease to provide the desired parity with a potential adversary. By the time of these events, our army should already have a "trump card" in the form of a fifth generation fighter.
Prospects for armored vehicles
According to published data, promising armored combat vehicles based on modern unified platforms are capable of showing the most serious advantages over existing equipment. Significant increases in firepower, protection and overall combat effectiveness are expected. At the same time, the price is also growing - both for an individual machine and for the project as a whole. All this must be taken into account when planning.
Yuri Borisov points out that the modern modernized T-72B3 tank is not inferior to foreign competitors in terms of its combat qualities. The new model based on the Armata platform surpasses all of them in terms of basic tactical and technical characteristics, but at the same time it turns out to be more expensive. In such a situation, the leadership of the defense complex does not see the point in the early deployment of large-scale production of more complex and expensive models, just like in the case of fifth generation fighters.
Wheeled BMP K-17, built on the Boomerang platform. Photo Vitalykuzmin, net
It should be noted that in the field of armored vehicles, the issue of cost is especially important. According to reports, the modernization of one T-72 tank under the B3 project costs the military about 150 million rubles. In the past, it was argued that a serial T-14 Armata main tank would cost no more than 250-300 million rubles per unit. In the future, estimates have increased, and a couple of years ago, officials were already talking about 400-500 million. Thus, instead of building one new "Armata", three T-72s can be repaired and improved at once. Which is better, three T-72B3s or one T-14 - a question without a definite answer.
All the well-known arguments in favor of one or another approach look convincing to a certain extent, but they still do not remove some questions. For example, it is not known whether the Russian industry is ready for the imminent launch of a full-scale production of completely new equipment. Even if the only Russian tank-building plant can produce several dozen promising armored vehicles per year, this will not cover all the army's needs for new or updated equipment. In addition, one should not forget about the need to complete all test cycles and fine-tune new samples.
What to expect?
The recent statements by the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the defense-industrial complex made a lot of noise. Such a reaction from the public and specialists, in general, was justified. Current plans that provide for minor purchases of promising equipment are unlikely to quickly and fully realize its potential, and also cannot be a reason for pride. However, you can find arguments in favor of this approach.
In the recent past, it has been repeatedly noted that the Russian armed forces will purchase some samples of new equipment that do not belong to completely new generations. In addition, it was planned to modernize the existing fleet. And only after that completely new cars belonging to the next generations were to follow in the unit. Currently, the situation is fully consistent with such plans.
Tanks T-14 on parade. Photo by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation / mil.ru
The Aerospace Forces continue to receive new-built Su-35S fighters of the 4 ++ generation, and at the same time the existing equipment is being modernized. In the future, combat aircraft will be supplemented with new serial Su-57s. The situation is similar in the armored sphere, with the difference that it was decided to concentrate efforts on the modernization of available samples. In the future, accordingly, they will be supplemented by new "Armata" and "Boomerangs".
The only real subject of dispute in this situation is the timing and volume of delivery of new equipment. The situation with the timing is quite understandable and even to some extent expected. It is a rare promising project that can be completed according to the original schedule, let alone ahead of schedule. The number of Su-57, "Armata" and "Boomerangs" that will be ordered in the near future depends on the plans for rearmament, the economic capabilities of the army and some other factors.
In fact, the command of the armed forces and the leadership of the defense industry in the context of promising projects have to solve several basic issues. They must formulate clear and clear plans that take into account the need for rearmament, the complexity and cost of such a program, as well as its relevance to current challenges. It should be borne in mind that the situation is constantly changing in one way or another, as a result of which the plans have to be adjusted.
Fortunately, despite all the limitations, problems and disputes, at the moment we are talking about a shift in the timing of the launch of serial production of new samples, as well as a possible reduction in their production. No one is going to give up on the most important projects, on the development of which, moreover, a lot of time and money have been spent. Promising developments, such as the Su-57 or "Armata", will definitely go to the troops in the foreseeable future. And their number (albeit not immediately) will meet all the requirements, wishes and restrictions.
