MOSCOW, June 7 (AVN) - Russia has extended service life of 1,315 frontline aviation planes, 364 military transport aircraft and 2,540 engines since May 2000, the headquarters of the Air Force chief of armament said on Thursday.
As much as 83 percent of aircraft remain operational thanks to extension of their service life, a headquarters spokesman told the Military News Agency. Planned and current repairs will enable to ensure inter-repairs operation of up to 75 percent of aircraft and 60 to 80 percent of engines.
According to the spokesman, 1,124 aircraft, over 200 systems of flight information processing, about 9,000 components and blocks of on-board equipment have been commissioned after repairs since May last year. In the past six months the production volume of Air Force repair facilities has grown 17 percent, in particular, thanks to mastering repairs of L-36 Albatros and SU-24 Fencer planes, as well as NK-12 engines.
About 6,000 aircraft of 35 types and 80 modifications are in the inventory of the Air Force. About 50 percent of them have been in service for over 15 years, over 20 percent for 10 to 15 years, about 30 percent from five to 10 years and only less than one percent less than five years. The share of aircraft in running order varies from 40 to 82 percent depending on the type of aircraft. On the average, this figure has declined 10 percent since May 2000, the spokesman said.