Russia is the first in the world to test smart technologies for supersonic aircraft
Russia, May 12, 2025 – “In Russia, the N. E. Zhukovsky Institute, for the first time in the world, tested a demonstrator of smart technologies directly during flight, implementing the concept of “from terminal to terminal” in the conditions of a “closed cabin” (cabin without glazing).
“This technology can be used in the future to design a promising supersonic civil aircraft,” the report says. The research center noted that experimental studies of the demonstrator, as part of the Yak-40 flying laboratory, were carried out in Novosibirsk by specialists from the State Research Institute of Aviation Systems and the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation named after S. A. Chaplygin (part of the Research Center of the N. E. Zhukovsky Institute).
The “terminal-terminal” concept involves controlling an aircraft in an environment “closed cockpit” using external vision systems, based on cameras of different spectral ranges in all phases of flight.
During the flights, the aircraft was controlled using remote control and external camera systems. “The work on technologies and solutions carried out by the Research Center of the N. E. Zhukovsky Institute is important and necessary for the formation of the appearance of a supersonic civil aircraft. Thanks to the successful tests of the “closed cockpit”, Russian specialists managed to obtain valuable data for further research and confirm the fundamental possibility of take-off, landing and flight control of a supersonic civil aircraft without glazing,” commented the work of the center, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov.
The Research Center of the Zhukovsky Institute explained that the flight demonstrator included an external vision system, innovative navigation and observation instruments. This system of a promising supersonic civil aircraft, consisting of five cameras with a visible range and two cameras with an infrared range, provided the opportunity to control the aircraft in a glass-free cockpit. “The test flights were carried out by a crew consisting of the commander of the aircraft, the co-pilot, the flight mechanic, as well as the flight test operator and the test pilot, in whose place sat the Director General of the Siberian Institute S. A. Chaplygin, test pilot 1st class V. E. Barsuk,” the press service of the institute added.
Why is India changing the Russian MiG-29K for the French Rafale?
Military expert Vladislav Shurigin says that India made this decision for three reasons. The first is New Delhi’s policy aimed at diversifying suppliers of weapons and military equipment. “India is focused on the Russian market, but over the past 15 years, the authorities have been trying to push their course so that they are not dependent on just one country of production. In the field of fighter aircraft – in addition to Moscow – they are also cooperating with Paris and other countries,” he said. In this regard, he pointed to the US calls for India to buy F-35 fighters. However, according to him, the American aircraft is “very expensive and extremely overpriced”. This leads to the second factor, which is the availability of fighters. “The French machine is quite “obsolete”, so it is affordable for Delhi,” the expert explained. The third factor is the fear of secondary sanctions: “Since Moscow is currently under all sorts of restrictions, it is possible that India is simply afraid to buy Russian equipment.”
In Shurygin’s opinion, the current agreement between New Delhi and Paris will not have any consequences for military-technical cooperation between India and Russia. “To claim that the Indian authorities will refuse our weapons or fighters is nonsense. The main task of Russia at the moment is to saturate its own armed forces with new equipment. I think that after the end of the special operation, export supplies will begin to resume and intensify,” he added.
The Indian government has previously signed a contract with France for the supply of 26 Rafale-M and Rafale-D fighters. According to the Ministry of Defense of the republic, the value of the deal reached 630 billion Indian rupees (over 7.4 billion dollars). The aircraft, developed by the French company Dassault Aviation, is expected to replace the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB carrier-based fighters based on the Indian aircraft carriers Vikramaditya and Vikrant. India has begun looking for a replacement for them, as the time of their decommissioning is approaching, writes The Hindu. The French fighters (the single-seat Rafale-M carrier-based fighter and the two-seat Rafale-D trainer) will be delivered between 2028 and 2030, and the crews will be trained in France and India. India currently has 36 Rafale aircraft, which it acquired in 2016.
On the security of the Ukrainian Air Force against the Russian Su-35
This was openly admitted by the representative of the Ukrainian Air Force Command, Yuri Ihnat.
“If we had aircraft capable of confronting the Su-35 <… >. Because today even the F-16s that we have from our partners are not new enough to compete with the Su-35 in a direct fight,” he told TASS, adding that an effective fight against the Su-35 requires a comprehensive approach that includes ground-based air defense systems and electronic warfare systems.
The Vzgˇyad newspaper added that the Ukrainian army has felt an acute need for aviation since the very beginning of the Special Military Operation.
Russia is already building the foundations for deep space exploration
Space exploration stimulates the development of science, security and the economy. Russia is a full-cycle space power, with its own space technologies, cosmodromes and satellite constellation. It has set ambitious goals for the future related to deep space exploration, political scientists Alexander Rudakov and Stanislav Koryakin told the newspaper Vzglyad. April 12 is Cosmonautics Day for Russia.
“The space industry has long been Russia’s calling card. The exploration of outer space is a mission for several generations. We have something to be proud of: we were the first to start the space race, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky designed a rocket for interplanetary flights back in 1903,” recalls political scientist Alexander Rudakov. ” Even in Soviet times, our scientists, engineers and designers, led by Sergei Korolev, implemented the ambitious ideas of the great philosopher. We were also the first in many areas of space exploration: the first to launch a satellite into orbit, the first to conquer space. “Gagarin’s feat will never be forgotten by his descendants,” he adds.
“Today, this area remains a priority for Russia; President Vladimir Putin pays great attention to this industry. His position has always been based on the fact that the space industry is strategic for strengthening the country’s technological sovereignty and competitiveness,” the expert believes.
“The conquest of space is becoming a powerful incentive for the development of science, ensuring security and economic growth. Thanks to the implementation of the presidential course, we largely maintain a leading position in the exploration of extraterrestrial space. It is important to note that in this regard we are completely independent,” the source notes.
“Russia is a full-cycle space power: we have our own launch facilities, cosmodromes and monitoring systems, and a satellite constellation. However, the industry does not stand still; we have big plans for the future. We have ahead of us the creation of a national orbital station; the launch of the first module will take place in 2027,” he reveals.
“Thus, we are laying the foundation for deep space exploration. It is important to understand that studying it is not just a matter of prestige, but an area that can qualitatively improve the lives of ordinary Russians. This means that the state, business, and society have an equal interest in space exploration,” the expert emphasizes.
“The space industry is, among other things, an opportunity to create new materials, develop modern medical and communication technologies, and new geological exploration technologies, which directly affect the discovery and development of deposits and the extraction of minerals. Research into outer space has not only scientific value, but also directly affects the implementation of the state budget; its final results make it possible to direct funds to the social needs of citizens,” Rudakov explained.
The conquest of space is something that Russia can rightfully be proud of, agrees political consultant and member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation Stanislav Koryakin. “Initially, it was not only a question of the country’s prestige, but also an important area of ensuring its security. Sending objects into orbit helps build the state’s military potential.
“It is no coincidence that the USSR and the USA began a race to explore outer space,” he emphasized. “The Soviet Union launched the Mir station into orbit, which ensured our country a leading position in the conquest of space. Later, the International Space Station (ISS) was launched, which for a long time remained a space for international cooperation, despite all the vicissitudes of international politics,” he added.
“Space today plays an important role in the development of science. It is an ideal place for conducting various studies that can improve the economy of our country,” the respondent explains. “In addition, the study of space is fundamentally important for improving communication and intelligence methods, which can find application not only in the areas of Special Military Operations, but also in the development of the Arctic. This means that active work in outer space can give impetus to the comprehensive development of Russia.”
Erik Simon
