In recent years the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region has gained renewed strategic global importance, a trend primarily fueled by the rise of China’s military and its expansionist aims. Chinese influence is now felt in many parts of the globe, chiefly through its economic reach, but also militarily on a more regional basis. That includes growing threats against Taiwan and military expansion into the South China Sea, where the People's Republic of China has constructed several airfields and military facilities on occupied reefs in the disputed Spratly Islands.
China’s navy is also growing at an accelerated rate, with two aircraft carriers—Liaoning and Shandong—now in service and a third undergoing sea trials. The latest, Fujian, is a larger vessel in the 80,000- to 100,000-tonne class and is equipped with three electromagnetic catapults for aircraft launch. Both Russia and particularly North Korea continue to pose real and unpredictable threats, especially in the north of the region.
As a result of China’s military growth, the Asia-Pacific nations have responded with a greater emphasis on the improvement of their military equipment. The West has also shifted its emphasis to the region, with both the U.S. and UK stating a realignment of global interests to counter what they see as a near-peer threat. While the wars in Ukraine and Palestine have served as reminders that Europe and the Middle East continue to be strategically important regions and that Russia remains a major threat to Europe, those conflicts have not halted the shift in emphasis to the Pacific.
For U.S. air forces, that has seen a bolstering of deployed forces in the region and the prioritization of deliveries of stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters to Pacific Fleet units in the case of the Navy and Marine Corps.
Australia
Australia is the primary military nation in the southern APAC region, and it dominates the southern oceans. With little in terms of direct threats, Australia has relatively modest forces, but they are equipped with the latest U.S. hardware and can project power over long distances. Australia has played a growing part in international operations, such as over Iraq and Syria, and in 2021 forged the AUKUS security partnership with the U.S. and UK in response to Chinese growth.
The Royal Australian Air Force is almost exclusively equipped with U.S.-supplied aircraft. The “legacy” Hornet fleet has recently retired, and today airpower is vested in the Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler, and a growing number of Lockheed Martin F-35As. Boeing 737 AEW&C Wedgetail radar platforms and Airbus KC-330 tanker/transports support those fleets, while the airlift fleet consists of Boeing C-17As, Lockheed Martin C-130Js, and Leonardo C-27Js.
The first of up to seven Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude long-endurance RPAs will join Boeing P-8A Poseidons on maritime patrol this year. Four Gulfstream MC-55A Peregrine electronic intelligence-gatherers set for delivery soon will bolster ISR capability. The training fleet has been overhauled with the delivery of Pilatus PC-21s to augment the BAE Systems Hawk advanced jet trainer fleet.
In the meantime, the Australian Army has 40 Sikorsky UH-60Ms on order, having divested itself of the NH Industries MRH-90 Taipan assault transport helicopter following a crash that led to a fleet grounding. It also has ordered 29 Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardians to replace its fleet of Airbus Tiger ARH attack helicopters.
Given the capabilities and age of Australia’s air fleet, further major procurement appears unlikely for some time.
Brunei
Despite some attempts to acquire combat jets in the 2000s and 2010s, the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAF) remains a largely rotary-wing force, with the Sikorsky S-70i as its primary assault helicopter. Brunei has ordered Airbus C295MWs—reportedly four—to boost its transport and patrol capability, the first two of which the manufacturer handed over last month. The RBAF has flown a
single CN235 in those roles for some time. A single Airbus CN235 provides transport and a maritime search capability, while the air force uses Pilatus PC-7 Mk IIs for pilot training. The RBAF also operates a few Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack UAVs for patrolling territorial waters.
Cambodia
In recent times the Royal Cambodian Air Force operated some MiG-21 fighters, but they and its Aero L-39 trainers no longer operate. The air force now flies a small number of aircraft and helicopters acquired from European and Chinese sources. It conducts training on Tecnam P92 light aircraft, while the transport force operates a pair of Xian MA-60s. The main helicopter types are the Mil Mi-8/17, and the Harbin Z-9 (license-built Dauphin).
China
Over recent decades China has changed its air force focus from quantity to quality. The massed ranks of J-4/5/6/7s (MiG-15/17/19/21s) have given way to smaller numbers of much more capable aircraft, which it has acquired from Russian and domestic sources.
The evolution of China’s aviation industry to meet the demands of the change of emphasis has been impressive and today provides the West with a truly near-peer adversary. However, China has also continued to procure some hardware from Russia and operates some types of Western origin, notably in the rotary-wing arena.
Several hundred of the older Chengdu J-7s, Hongdu Q-5, Shenyang J-8s, and Xian JH-7s remain in service with both the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and Naval Air Force (PLANAF), but their numbers are dwindling as more modern equipment gets delivered. The Chengdu J-10 is a fourth-generation multirole fighter that is supplanting the J-7s, while the heavy fighter regiments are increasingly equipped with derivatives of the Sukhoi Su-27 and two-seat Su-30. China has acquired those fighters directly from Russia and from domestic production as the J-11 (Su-27) and J-16 (Su-30). The Chinese industry has advanced locally produced aircraft considerably in terms of capability. Moscow also has supplied the Su-35.
Another warplane of Russian origin, the Xian H-6, traces its design to the Tupolev Tu-16 swept-wing bomber. Despite its original design dating back to the late 1940s, the H-6 remains in production and is China’s primary strategic bomber, with perhaps as many as 200 in service. The H-6, which the PLAAF uses for carrying stand-off missiles, poses a major threat to the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carriers.
The PLANAF largely mirrors the PLAAF in terms of aircraft types, with J-7s, J-8s, H-7s, and J-10s equipping its shore-based fighter units. Carrier-borne airpower comes in the form of the J-15, a development of the Sukhoi Su-33.
As China’s aviation industry has grown in capability, and so has its ambition, manifested in several major programs for stealthy aircraft and UAVs. The first manned stealth aircraft to enter service—in 2017—was the Chengdu J-20, a twin-engine heavy fighter that first flew in 2011. Today, intelligence estimates suggest delivery of more than 200. The PLANAF, too, plans to operate a stealthy fighter from its third carrier in the form of the Shenyang J-35, an aircraft in the F-35 class that first flew in 2012.
Of greater strategic importance, however, is the Xian H-20, a stealthy subsonic strategic bomber that was first announced in 2016. Believed to be in the class of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider, the H-20 is expected to make a first flight imminently.
China’s aviation industry also has blossomed in many other areas and now provides all of the PLA’s fixed-wing trainers and much of its transport capability. The highlight comes in the form of the C-17-like Xian Y-20, of which its manufacturer has built more than 50. Xian also has developed a tanker version of the Y-20 to augment a handful of Ilyushin Il-78s and converted H-6 bombers. Apart from high-end types such as the J-20, China widely promotes its aircraft in export markets.
Indonesia
After several years of indecision and difficulties in securing deals, the Tentara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU, Indonesian air force) recently has become one of the APAC region’s biggest spenders. A long-running saga to replace the service’s Northrop F-5 fighters resulted in a competition between the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16, Saab Gripen, and Sukhoi Su-35. The Sukhoi was declared the winner in 2015, but by 2020 the deal had been abandoned.
In the meantime, Indonesia announced it would buy F-16 Block 70/72 fighters, and then considered acquiring Austria’s Typhoon fighters. Finally, it signed a new fighter order in February 2022 covering a total of 42 Rafales. The Indonesian air force signed a firm order for the final batch of those aircraft in January this year.
Rafales are due to enter service in 2026. The TNI-AU considered acquiring Mirage 2000-5s from Qatar—itself taking Rafale deliveries—as an interim measure, but it shelved that plan last month on financial grounds. For now, the TNI-AU relies on F-16C/Ds acquired from the U.S., and a small mixed fleet of Sukhoi “Flankers,” consisting of the Su-27SK, 27SKM, 30MK, and 30MK2.
While the Rafale deal represents a significant boost for the TNI-AU’s combat power, the service also has signed a letter of understanding concerning the acquisition of 24 Boeing F-15EX Eagle II fighters. The U.S. State Department approved the potential sale in February 2022.
Further bolstering of the fighter force will result from Indonesia’s involvement in the South Korean KF-21 Boramae multirole fighter program, in which it controls a 20 percent stake. The TNI-AU plans to acquire 50, which will likely carry the designation F-33 in Indonesian service. The nation maintains strong ties with South Korea, having previously acquired the KAI KT-1 turboprop trainer and T-50 advanced jet trainer. Recently purchased Grob G120TPs provide basic training.
Away from the fighter requirements, Indonesia also has ordered two Airbus A400M airlifters, with another four on option. It also has ordered Lockheed Martin C-130Js, first delivery of which it expects imminently. The air force has received new H225M utility helicopters from Airbus, while Indonesia acquired eight AH-64E Apaches for the army.
Japan
Facing threats from China, Russia, and North Korea, Japan has been a stronghold of Western defense since the 1950s and remains an important element in the U.S. force structure, with a Navy carrier and Marine amphibious forces based there. The nation itself has built a formidable self-defense force with its air wing (JASDF) playing a critical role in deterring attack and invasion.
In the long-term Japan has joined the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), which Italy, Japan, and the UK forged in December 2022. Japanese industry expects to play a major role in producing a fighter that could enter service in the mid-2030s, having already built and flown the X-2 Shinshin advanced fighter technology demonstrator. Japan envisions the GCAP as a replacement in the force structure for its Mitsubishi F-2 development of the F-16, of which around 60 operate on joint air defense and anti-ship duties.
For now the primary JASDF procurement program centers on the Lockheed Martin F-35, of which it has ordered 157 initially to replace the last of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms. Initial operating capability was declared in March 2019, and two squadrons have now been equipped. While the initial order for 42 consisted solely of F-35As, a large follow-on batch included 42 of the F-35B STOVL version, to be based at Nyutabaru in the country’s southwest. From there they can deploy to various remote locations on Japan’s western islands. The JASDF expects service entry of the B model in late 2025.
Japan also plans to send its F-35Bs to sea aboard the two Izumo-class vessels, which were built as helicopter-carriers but now are undergoing conversion to act as aircraft carriers. JS Izumo first underwent modification with strengthened deck and other equipment. In October 2021 U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs operated from its deck for the first time.
Sister ship JS Jaga was subsequently modified to the full configuration with a squared-off bow section. It entered sea trials in September 2023. Izumo will have the full modification applied in late 2024. Plans call for USMC aircraft to perform all of the initial operations prior to the JASDF’s F-35Bs becoming operational.
Another major program is the update of some of Japan’s Mitsubishi-built Boeing F-15J/DJ fighters. Japan bought 213 of these Eagle fighters from 1980 to form the backbone of its air defense force and to replace aging Lockheed F-104J Starfighters. In February 2022 the government announced a program to update 68 of them to the Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) configuration with APG-82(V)1 AESA radar and expanded weapons carriage. The centerline weapons pylon will also be capable of carrying large air-to-ground weapons.
The JASDF is strengthening its support forces through the acquisition of four Boeing KC-46A tanker/transports to add to a similar number of KC-767Js, while it recapitalizes the airborne early warning fleet through the replacement of Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeyes with E-2Ds.
Two procurement programs are under way for the Japan Ground SDF (army) in the shape of 14 Bell Boeing MV-22 Ospreys, and 150 examples of the Subaru-Bell UH-2, a license-built derivative of the Bell 412. The Japan Maritime SDF’s main ongoing purchases concern the Kawasaki P-1 maritime patroller, which is replacing the sizeable Kawasaki-Lockheed P-3 Orion fleet, and the ongoing of the SH-60 Seahawk fleet to SH-60K standard.
Laos
The small Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates mainly helicopters, the most important type being the Mil Mi-8/17. Fixed-wing equipment is limited to four Yakovlev Yak-130 advanced trainers delivered from Russia at the end of 2017, and Xian MA60/600 transports from China. It uses a number of light aircraft for training, including the Ilyushin Il-103 and the Chinese Shijiazhuang LE500.
Malaysia
Since the retirement of its Northrop F-5 and Mikoyan MiG-29N fighters, the Tentara Udajra Diraja Malaysia (RMAF, Royal Malaysian Air Force) has relied on a small combat force consisting of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKMs and eight Boeing F/A-18D Hornets, plus some aging BAE Systems Hawk Mk 208s.
The RMAF sought a new fighter to replace the MiGs and F-5s, evaluating the three “euro-canards” (Gripen, Rafale, and Typhoon) and the Super Hornet, but the allocated budget proved insufficient. In February 2023 came an announcement that Malaysia had ordered the Korean Aerospace Industries FA-50 Block 20 to answer a light combat aircraft requirement. The service expects the first to arrive in 2026.
Another long-standing requirement called for a new maritime patroller, which an order for two ATR 72MP answered. Airbus CN235s modified for maritime surveillance augment the ATRs. Airlift capability centers on four Airbus A400Ms, supported by C-130Hs, of which four are configured as tankers.
Myanmar
The Myanmar Defence Force relies on Russian and Chinese hardware, with a combat aircraft force consisting of Hongdu A-5s, Chengdu F-7s, and Mikoyan MiG-29s. A batch of Chengdu/PAC JF-17s is being delivered, while at least two of six Sukhoi Su-30SMEs ordered from Moscow have been delivered. Among the trainer fleet are Guizhou FTC-2000Gs and Yakovlev Yak-130s.
Some Western types are on strength, primarily procured during a period of increased democracy in Myanmar. They include Grob 120 trainers and ATR 72 maritime patrol aircraft.
New Zealand
In 2001 the New Zealand government decided to axe the country’s small combat fleet and, with it, its jet trainers. Since 2006 the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s main combat operation has involved maritime patrol, undertaken by Lockheed P-3 Orions. It retired the last of them last year as Boeing delivered four P-8As. New Zealand has ordered the Lockheed Martin C-130J to replace the aging fleet of C-130Hs, and the Beechcraft T-6C forms the backbone of the training fleet. Helicopters include the Leonardo AW109 and NH Industries NH90 for army support, and the Kaman SH-2G Seasprite for naval duties.
North Korea
The closed country has found difficulty in procuring new combat aircraft in recent times, and its air force is almost universally equipped with aging Soviet and Chinese hardware. The most modern fighter available to the Korean People’s Army Air Force is the Mikoyan MiG-29, of which about 25 are on strength. A larger number of MiG-21s and MiG-23s augment the MiG-29s, as do Sukhoi Su-25s. Older Chinese-built MiG types (F-5/MiG-17) and F-6 (MiG-19) remain in use, but the most numerous type is the Chengdu F-7 (MiG-21), with more than 100 in use.
The rotary-wing force is dominated by Mil types, including Mi-24 gunships, and by as many as 80 McDonnell Douglas MD 500s acquired via a German intermediary in the 1980s.
Papua Niugini
PNG’s modest Defence Force has operated a number of aircraft for patrol and utility transport duties. In 2016 the PNGDF ordered four Pacific Aerospace P-750s for maritime search and patrol duties, along with two CT/4 Airtrainers.
Philippines
The Philippines occupy a strategically important position facing China across the South China Sea. After many years of focusing on internal security, with an inventory of counter-insurgency (COIN) types such as the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco to match, the Philippine Air Force more recently has prioritized territorial defense and has procured equipment accordingly, despite limited budgets.
In 2012 the Philippines chose its first combat jet equipment in the form of the KAI FA-50PH, the first of 12 being delivered in 2015. Subsequently, the country began the search for a more capable fighter and favored the Lockheed Martin F-16. In 2021 the U.S. State Department approved a sale of 12 F-16Vs but their $2.4 billion price tag has presented a problem and the sides haven’t finalized a deal. The Philippines examined acquiring secondhand F-16s, while Sweden has offered a deal involving Saab Gripen C/Ds.
At the same time, the internal security issue remains an important one in the Philippines. The country ordered six Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucanos in 2017 to form the cutting edge of the light attack/COIN fleet, while it accepts delivery of a large batch of Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawks to modernize the army’s assault capability. It has also taken delivery of six Turkish Aerospace T-129 attack helicopters.
Singapore
As the best-equipped of the Southeast Asia air arms, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has a powerful combat fleet of 40 Boeing F-15SGs and 60 F-16s. The latter is in the process of being upgraded to F-16V standard with APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar and enhanced weapons capability, including the Rafael Python 5 air-to-air missile. Deliveries began in June 2021.
Singapore’s main new aircraft procurement program concerns the Lockheed Martin F-35B, which it nominated as the F-16’s successor. In 2019 it ordered four, the first of which is scheduled for delivery in 2026. The initial aircraft will remain in the U.S. for initial training and combat evaluation at Ebbing ANGB in Arkansas, selected as the U.S. training base. Singapore exercised an option for a further eight aircraft early last year. The choice of the STOVL version of the F-35 would suggest possible operations from dispersed austere locations.
Singapore’s small land mass and squeeze on airspace have required the RSAF to conduct its training overseas. From the end of the decade, plans call for a permanent detachment of F-15SGs to be based at Andersen AFB on Guam.
It is likely that Singapore will look to replace its Fokker 50 Enforcer II maritime patrol aircraft at some point, but a 2017 upgrade addressed obsolescence issues and no official procurement plan is in place. Similarly, it has upgraded the Lockheed C-130B/H fleet, which is not in urgent need of replacement, although Lockheed Martin is pitching its C-130J and Airbus the A400M.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea (ROK) has enjoyed the full support of the U.S., and its armed forces are well-equipped. The nation’s aerospace and defense industries are highly developed and produce a growing number of indigenous systems for both domestic and export requirements.
Late last year South Korea signed a deal for an another 20 Lockheed Martin F-35As to add to the 40 it had already bought. They have all been delivered and are operational—minus one lost in a birdstrike incident—with two squadrons.
While the F-35 is the spearhead of the ROK Air Force, the service also commands a large force of Boeing F-15Ks and Lockheed Marin F-16C/Ds, the latter updated to F-16V standard with AESA radar. The indigenously developed KAI FA-50 also adds a light fighter/attack capability.
KAI leads the ambitious KF-21 Boramae new-generation fighter program being undertaken with Indonesia as a minority partner. Both single- and two-seat KF-21s remain in flight test. The ROKAF has stated plans to acquire 120.
The ROKAF already operates four Boeing E-7A Peace Eye airborne early warning aircraft and has launched a requirement for four additional AEW platforms. A follow-on order for the E-7 is one option, but Saab has pitched its Globaleye in a Korea-specific configuration. L3Harris has teamed with Korean Air and IAI Elta to offer a system based—like that of the Saab offer—on the Bombardier Global 6500 airframe. The ROKAF also operates Hawker 800s and a pair of Dassault Falcon 2000s for reconnaissance and electronic warfare tasks.
Tanker and transport capabilities have recently gotten a boost with the adoption of the Airbus A330 MRTT, while in December Embraer announced that the ROKAF selected its C-390 Millennium to fulfill its Large Transport Aircraft requirement. The decision would seemingly put an end to KAI’s competing MC-X jet transport project. Training is largely conducted on aircraft of local origin: KAI’s KT-100 light aircraft, KT-1 turboprop trainer, and T/TA-50 advanced/lead-in jet trainer.
Domestic products also are coming to the fore in the army and navy inventories. The ROK Army is buying up to 200 KAI Light Attack Helicopters (based on the Airbus Dauphin) and over 200 KUH-1 Surion utility transports (based on the Super Puma). A marinized Surion development, the MUH-1 Marineon, equips the Marine Corps. The army’s attack helicopter force now includes Boeing AH-64E Apaches, Bell AH-1 Cobras, and MD Helicopters MD500s, with the latter pair due to be replaced by the LAH.
Boeing P-8s have recently replaced long-serving Lockheed P-3 Orions with the ROK Navy. The rotary-wing force includes various Sikorsky S-70 variants and the Westland (Leonardo) Lynx Mk 99 ASW helicopter. South Korea approved a plan in December to replace the Lynxes with, most likely, the Sikorsky MH-60R. It also continues to evaluate the NH90, and KAI might also offer an ASW version of the MUH-1.
Taiwan
The country most directly at risk from potential Chinese aggression, Taiwan maintains as well-equipped an air arm as its budget and geopolitical restrictions will allow. Its own aerospace industry, led by AIDC, has developed a capability for designing and building equipment for the country’s air force, as well as undertaking work on types from overseas.
In December the last of Taiwan’s 141 Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs to be modified to the AESA radar-equipped F-16V standard completed its flight trials. The aircraft will form the Republic of China Air Force’s main aerial defense against aggression and will be joined starting next year by 66 similar new-build F-16C/D Block 70s. Along with a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, the F-16s can carry the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile.
Partnering the F-16 in the air defense mission is the Dassault Mirage 2000-5Ei, of which more than 40 have entered service. Over 200 of the locally designed AIDC F-CK-1 augment the fighter lineup, most having undergone a recent equipment upgrade.
The last of the AIDC-assembled Northrop F-5Es retired at the end of last year. They were mainly used as fighter lead-in trainers, but the 66 new AIDC AT-5 Brave Eagle trainers now undergoing delivery have assumed that role. The type is based on the airframe of the F-CK-1. The last RF-5E Tigergazer reconnaissance aircraft remain in service for a while, although Taiwan is replacing them with F-16s equipped with the MS-110 reconnaissance pod and by General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardians.
Taiwan’s army aviation operates a sizeable force of Bell AH-1W gunships that augment around 30 Boeing AH-64E Apaches. The Republic of China Navy had the Sikorsky MH-60R on order to refresh its anti-submarine warfare capability, but affordability issues postponed the deal, leaving the service to soldier on with earlier S-70s and a few ASW-configured Hughes 500s.
Thailand
In October the Royal Thai Air Force issued a request for proposals for a new fighter that could replace its older Lockheed Martin F-16s from around 2028. Unsurprisingly, most consider the front-runners the latest F-16 Block 70/72 version and the Saab Gripen E/F. Both the F-16 and Gripen (in C/ form) are the mainstay of the RTAF’s current fighter force. South Korea’s FA-50 and new KF-21 also represent potential candidates for the Thai requirement
Thai air arms have traditionally operated a disparate fleet of many types, and that practice continues today. The Gripen C/Ds are primarily an air defense asset, working closely with two Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft supplied as part of the same deal. Thailand procured F-16A/Bs in five batches between 1988 and 2005, and the fleet includes some in the Block 15 Air Defense Fighter configuration. A number have undergone updates.
Augmenting the principal combat types are ex-Luftwaffe Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets, and around 30 Northrop F-5E/Fs recently upgraded to the F-5 TH Super Tigris standard, the last of which was re-delivered in February 2023. Thailand has procured new light attack capability in the shape of eight Beechcraft AT-6TH Wolverines, part of a deal that also includes 12 of Textron's T-6C Texan II trainers.
Timor-Leste
The eastern part of the island of Timor gained independence from Indonesia in 2000 and formed a small defense force the following year. In 2013 a law was passed to allow the creation of the Núcleo Aéreo (air component). A single Cessna 172P became the first equipment, which has since been joined by a Cessna 206.
Vietnam
Since the retirement of the last war-era Cessna A-37s and Northrop F-5s, the Vietnam People’s Air Force has acquired its combat aircraft from Russia. Today, the two main types are the Sukhoi Su-27/30 and Su-22M4. A warming of relations has led Vietnam to consider Western fighter types from the U.S. and Europe, and last year the possibility opened of the nation acquiring Lockheed Martin F-16s.
The sizeable trainer fleet includes Yak-130s and Aero L-39s. In 2021 the VPAF placed an order for 12 Aero L-39NGs from the Czech Republic and reached an agreement with the U.S. covering the supply of 12 Beechcraft T-6 Texan II turboprop trainers. Delivery of the first three T-6s is due imminently, with the full fleet to have been handed over by 2027.
The air force also operates Western equipment for transport duties (C295 and NC-212i), as does the navy. The latter also flies six Viking Air Twin Otter/Guardian 400s on transport and patrol duties, as well as two Airbus H225M helicopters alongside its Russian Kamov Ka-28s.