I was recently on business at the MAKS 2001 airshow near Moscow. While I did not go over to the weapons displays, I was really impressed with the flight displays and current level of quality engineered into the latest civil aircraft. As an A&P with 22 years in the aviation business, and a comprehensive background including inspection, overhaul, management, line maint, avionics - LMP release authority, etc., > I inspected several of their aircraft very closely for quality standards and compliance. "Awesome", is my feeling about the Be-200 and Tu-204/214 especially. There are many other examples in helicopters, general aviation, etc. I have developed respect in a place I once reserved for "other" feelings.
Policy-makers over here need to understand we do not live in a vacume, and that a market economy in Russia is now driving economic decisions, as well as funding systems development. Aircraft currently in production in Russia are designed to ICAO standards accepted by authorities world-wide. The Sukhoi flight exhibitions gave a very sobering impression of the direction they took several years ago toward greater aerodynamics and improved performance characteristics of their aircraft. Vectored-thrust engines allow maneuvers previously unobtainable by any aircraft, including all of our current fighter forces. Russia is going to sell - successfully - these new aircraft to all buyers, while the more expensive technologies made here (eventually) will prove unobtainable by foreign countries due to extreme expense. The largest problem is that Russia's customers will include many former US customers for fighter aircraft, and that even our air forces will not be equipped with the next-generation aircraft (JSF) for many years. NOW there is a vacume!
Worse, now that all the '80s and '90s b/s rhetoric about "stealth" technologies is being proven questionable, we are left with a procurement plan and unmarketable fleet of aircraft that will place us BEHIND Russia and some other nations in the defense marketing sector.
The time is now to get a "TRANSPOLAR" Free Trade Agreement WITH Russia, and realise a market system is ruling the sea and air. Trade is the strategy we need to employ. Not weapons-first dipolomacy.
BTW, I voted for GWB, and am very happy about it. Go to hell, mass-media!
9 Posted on 09/10/2001 06:13:53 PDT by Yougottabekidding
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>The time is now to get a "TRANSPOLAR" Free Trade Agreement WITH Russia, and realise a market system is ruling the sea and air. Trade is the strategy we need to employ. Not weapons-first dipolomacy.
Именно так должен действовать Запад (i.e. США "как лидер свободного мира") если ДЕЙСТВИТЕЛЬНО хочет добиться ДОВЕРИЯ и интеграции России (что часто декларируется) в мирохозяйственную систему. Пока же в основном царит политика диктата и мелких пакостей ради мелких же (в государственном масштабе, но крупных для конкретных выгодополучателей) экономических интересов частных структур.