In 2014, the Russian Air Force will be replenished with a new Tu-214ON reconnaissance aircraft, which will be used to implement the Open Skies Treaty. This aircraft is equipped with a modern airborne surveillance complex (BKAN), which was created by the engineers of the Russian concern of radio engineering "Vega". Tu-214ON (Open Sky) is an integrated reconnaissance aircraft, it was created by specialists of JSC Tupolev on the basis of the passenger version of the Tu-214 aircraft. This aircraft should replace the outdated An-30 and Tu-154 aircraft. To date, only 2 Tu-214ON aircraft have been built - completed in May 2011 and December 2013, respectively. The plane made its first flight on June 1, 2011.
For the first time, this aircraft was shown to the general public during the MAKS-2011 international air show. The appearance of this aircraft at the air show caused a wide public outcry. During the air show, representatives of the USA, Canada, Italy and Norway managed to get acquainted with the Tu-214ON aircraft. All experts gave only high marks to the Russian car. Tu-214 is a special modification of the civil liner Tu-214, its main purpose is to perform inspection flights within the framework of the Open Skies program.
It should be noted that the Tu-214ON became the first domestic aircraft from which restrictions on the use of foreign-made equipment as part of an on-board surveillance complex were removed. The complex installed on board the aircraft includes the entire complex of surveillance equipment permitted by the contract, equipment for monitoring and controlling these devices, as well as various equipment for displaying and recording all information received during observation flights, saving it on the hard magnetic disk of the computer. Digital video and photographic equipment are located in the lower compartment of the Tu-214ON, which has special portholes closed by mechanized shutters.
After the completion of the flight, all the information received using the equipment of the ground processing and data collection complex is converted into a single digital format, which was adopted by all states participating in the OST. The adoption of Tu-214ON aircraft, which perform an important state task of inspection control within the framework of existing international agreements, will make it possible to solve it at the most modern technological level at the moment.
The heart of the aircraft is the Airborne Surveillance Complex (BKAN), which was created by the specialists of the Vega concern. This reconnaissance complex is designed to obtain images of the terrain, record and document the information received, control the surveillance equipment on board and create navigation information for surveillance equipment.
The BSC included panoramic and personnel aerial photographic equipment, infrared and television cameras, as well as side-looking radar. According to international agreements, the resolution of a TV camera and photographic equipment is 30 cm, for an infrared camera - 50 cm, for a side-looking radar - 3 m. The aerial photo complex is installed in the nose of the aircraft fuselage on its lower deck. The radar coverage range is from 4.7 to 25 km, and the field of view is up to 50 km. IR observation equipment was located in the center section of the Tu-214ON. Its range of viewing angles is 130 degrees, and the width of the terrain scanning strip is 4, 6h (h is the flight altitude of the aircraft according to the radio altimeter).
The observation complex installed on the aircraft includes 3 cameras: two side KTBO-6 and a central wide-angle KTSh-5. In this case, the viewing angle of the KTSh-5 is 148 degrees, and the scanning width on the ground is 6, 6h. The viewing angle of KTBO-6 ranges from 8.5 degrees in a narrow focus to 20.1 degrees in a wide focus with a range of viewing angles of 60 degrees. In addition, the Tu-214ON is equipped with an on-board computing complex, the main task of which is to control and monitor the surveillance equipment installed on board, as well as to display information from all surveillance equipment in real time and record it. The BCVK of the aircraft includes 5 fully automated workstations (AWS), interconnected by means of a local network.
The crew of the Tu-214ON includes 5 people: the crew commander, co-pilot, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator-translator. In addition, there is an additional seat in the cabin of the crew, which is intended for the controller from the observed side. The mission leader, together with the leader of the escort team from the monitored side, are located in a separate cabin. Both have the ability to monitor the work installed on board the equipment using two remote displays, which are similar to those used by operators.
All 5 AWPs are located in a special compartment for operators of observation equipment. Each of these locations has 2 monitors. One of the monitors shows the image received by the installed equipment online, and the second displays information about the location of the aircraft, the observation area of the equipment operating at this time, a map, information about flight conditions and other operating information. AWP also provides digital video recording and control of onboard surveillance equipment. In this case, the work of the operators of the complex is controlled by representatives of the monitored party.
All observation equipment is located in two luggage compartments. In the front compartment there are video cameras and aerial cameras, in the rear compartment there is a side-looking synthetic aperture radar, a special navigation system, and infrared observation equipment. Directly under the aircraft itself is the radar antenna, which is reliably protected by a radio-transparent fairing. There is a developed life support system on board, which includes kitchens, toilets, and also a compartment for the rest of the replacement crew. In total, 31 people (members of the mission and the escort group) can be on board the aircraft during the observation flight, 56 people can take on the Tu-214ON transit flight.
It should be noted that the specialists of OJSC "Concern" Vega "managed to build the most self-sufficient and complete monitoring system at the moment. This system includes not only the Tu-214ON, but also a complex located on the ground for processing the received data, training facilities, control test objects for checking the characteristics of observation equipment. It is important to emphasize the fact that the equipment on board can be used not only within the framework of the Don, but also for patrolling the border regions of Russia, as well as in the interests of the Ministry of Emergencies.
The aerial photographic equipment installed on board the Tu-214ON allows taking pictures, recording in detail artificial and natural objects, as well as determining some of their physical characteristics. The agreement on the possibility of using digital photo and video cameras expanded the capabilities of the complex. Camcorders are especially useful when flying at low altitudes under the clouds. The aircraft is also capable of taking multispectral and color photographs.
The use of onboard infrared systems allows observers to very quickly obtain information about the temperature distribution of the earth's surface, which contributes to the solution of those problems that cannot be effectively solved using conventional photography. In addition, infrared systems provide the Tu-214ON with all-weather control when flying at low altitudes.
The use of side-looking radar significantly increases the efficiency of the observation equipment installed on board due to the possibility of shooting in cloudy conditions and at night. In addition, radar information finds independent application in some tasks. It can also be used in conjunction with shooting in the visible and infrared ranges.
Open Skies program
The Open Skies Treaty, or, as it is called for short, DON, was signed back on March 24, 1992. The signing of the agreement took place in the capital of Finland, where it was signed by representatives of 23 OSCE member states. In May 2001, this agreement was ratified in Russia. Currently, there are already 34 countries participating in the Open Skies Treaty. The purpose of the conclusion of this treaty was to strengthen confidence between the countries of the world by improving the mechanisms that ensure control over military activities. According to this document, the parties to the agreement have the opportunity to make reconnaissance overflights of each other's territories.
Earlier, on February 19, 1988, the Center for Ensuring the Implementation of the Air Force Arms Reduction Treaties was established. At the moment, the center consists of a management and 3 departments, this center is directly subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Force. "On the territory of Russia, with the participation of officers of this center, every year up to 60 escorts of foreign inspection missions and groups are carried out, at the same time, up to 41 observation flights and up to 15 inspections according to the Don are carried out on the territory of foreign states," says an official representative of the Air Force RF Colonel Igor Klimov.
Since 2010, this Center has been leading Russian escort teams for foreign missions of the DON member countries in the Russian Federation. Observation flights over the territory of our country are carried out using specialized observation aircraft C-130, SAAB-340V, OS-135V, CN-235, An-26 and An-30. Over the territory of foreign participating states on observation aircraft Tu-154M-LK1 and An-30B. According to Igor Klimov, at the end of last year, the Russian Air Force received a new Tu-214ON reconnaissance aircraft for the implementation of DON. In 2014, another aircraft of this type is to enter service with the Air Force, and is currently being accepted.
Flight performance of Tu-214ON:
Dimensions: wingspan - 42.0 m, length - 46.02 m, height - 13.9 m, wing area - 182.4 m.
Maximum take-off weight of the aircraft - 110 750 kg, empty weight - 59 000 kg.
Power plant - 2 TVRD PS-90A with thrust 2x16,000 kgf.
Cruising speed - 850 km / h.
Practical range - 6500 km.
Service ceiling - 12,000 m
Crew - 5 people.
