MAKS 2009 Air Show Opens in Moscow Region

MAKS 2009 Air Show opened in the town of Zhukovsky, the Moscow region, on August 18.

The MAKS 2009 international aerospace show that opened in Zhukovsky outside Moscow on Tuesday is featuring 436 Russian organisations and 221 companies from 29 countries, the press service of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said. The service’s Director Mikhail Dmitriyev is deputy chairman of the show’s organising committee, Itar-Tass reports

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took part in the show's opening ceremony. “A total of 436 Russian companies submitted applications for participation, 120 enterprises are presenting military products, including 14 subjects of military-technical cooperation. They are putting on display 1,449 exhibits of military products, including 470 full-scale specimens,” the service specified. “Foreign products are displayed at stands of 221 companies from 29 states,” it said.

“For the first time exhibits of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), United Industrial Corporation “Oboronprom,” United Engine Building Corporation and the Helicopters of Russia holding are put on display. Expositions of the RF Federal Space Agency and the “Avionics” group are placed in temporary pavilions.

The main aim of the air show is to “provide assistance in the export of products to organisations of the aircraft building and rocket-space sectors to the world market,” the service said. Demonstration flights of Russian and foreign aircraft are expected at the air show. “A total of 100 aircraft are scheduled for the MAKS 2009 demonstration programme,” the service said. The midair collision of two Sukhoi Su-27 fighters from the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatics group that occurred on August 16 will not affect the flight programmes of the show in general.

Spokesman for the Russian Air Force Lieutenant-Colonel Vladimir Drik said that “taking part in the MAKS show are the aerobatics groups Sokoly Rossii (Russian Falcons) on the Su-27 fighters and the Strizhi (Swifts) on the MiG-29 fighters.” “The pilot group of the Lipetsk aviation centre on the Su-27 frontline fighters will demonstrate elements of aerial combat two by two with the use of defence-offence manoeuvres, including the “bell” element simultaneously by two aircraft,” the AF spokesman specified.

The press service of the Sukhoi company said that “the Su-35 multifunctional fighters and the passenger airliner Sukhoi Superjet-100 will for the first time take part in the MAKS 2009 flight programme.” “The Su-35 fighter was displayed at the static show in Zhukovsky in 2007, however it did not fly then,” the company said. “This year it will fly in a group of planes comprising the Su and MiG warplanes, as well as Superjet-100. The Su-35 fighter will also demonstrate individual flying,” it said. The state contract on the supply for the Russian AF of 48 Su-35 fighters was expected to be signed during the air show.

The press service of the Rosoboronexport arms exporting company noted that the enterprise in the short run intended to sign a number of new contracts on the supply of Russian-made armaments and military equipment to the foreign partners.” “The corresponding documents may be signed shortly with a number of Latin American countries and countries of the Aran East,” head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at MAKS 2009 Alexander Mikheyev specified. Enterprises of Russia’s rocket-space industry are also expected to sign several contracts during the MAKS air show.

According to the show’s press release, the main advantage of the MAKS aerospace salon as compared to other international exhibitions is its wide business programme, including international scientific conferences, forums, seminars and panel discussions involving leading local and foreign scientists, designers and engineers in main fields of aerospace science and technologies.

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