BARANOVICHI, Belarus, April 5 (AVN) - The Baranovichi aircraft repair plant has been certified by the Belarussian Defence Ministry as ISO-compliant, Colonel Anatoly Brenko, the plant's chief, told the Military News Agency on Thursday.
The Baranovichi plant majors in repair and technical maintenance of the SU-27 Flanker and MIG-29 Fulcrum fighters and SU-25 Frogfoot attack planes. The plant has restructured its production capacity, introduced a number of new technologies and an automatic system of production process control. According to Brenko, this allowed the plant to start repair of laser range finders, gyros, electronic automatic equipment, and on-board weapons. The plant, working in conjunction with the Russian Sukhoi design bureau, has carried out an extensive modernisation of the SU-25's information/control field of the cockpit, which considerably enhanced the plane's combat abilities.
With its potential and capabilities, the Baranovichi plant is one of the best in the CIS. However, its production capacity has not been fully loaded. Belarussian Air Force cannot place big orders due to lack of money, whereas foreign contracts are hampered by high cost of components and spare parts, which have to be procured in Russia, said Brenko.