LO AND BEHOLD

Elements of Russia's defense and commercial aerospace industry are making some progress, albeit painfully slow. Another fifth-generation fighter effort is getting underway, this time with Sukhoi rather than MiG in the lead. MiG, meanwhile, is trying to push ahead with series production of the Tupolev Tu-334 regional airliner. Both in the military and commercial sectors, Russian industry continues to face demanding challenges. In the following report, Aviation Week & Space Technology considers changes in the commercial marketplace, and looks at technologies that may yet eventually be utilized on some of the country's next generation of combat platforms and weapons.

The Soviet-era moniker of the 2nd Central Scientific Research Institute is a title that hardly sets the imagination racing; however, it has played a key role in Russian low-observable research for the past three decades.

The institute, or TsNII as it is abbreviated in Russian, is tasked with examining the application and development of Russian low-observable (LO) technology, while also considering the stealth characteristics of foreign platforms.

Traditionally most closely associated with the now defunct Russian air defense force (PVO), since subsumed within the air force, the institute has been involved in the design and development of systems from all the services, both tactical and strategic. In the case of its work for the PVO, this was primarily driven by establishing requirements for Russian air defense systems. In particular, the institute looked at determining the radar cross-section characteristics of potential threat platforms.