Russia's Sukhoi builds several pilot 5G fighters for expanded flight testing.

MOSCOW, February 13 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia's Sukhoi aircraft maker is
building several pilot fifth-generation fighter planes in order to expand
their flight-testing programme.

The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KNAAPO) has
made three pilot planes, one of which began flight testing on January 29
and made its second flight that lasted about 50 minutes on Friday. The
other two planes are intended for static tests, which Sukhoi began before
the first flight.
In order to speed up the flight-testing programme, some of the onboard
equipment to be used on the new aircraft is being tested on other planes.
International experience shows that it takes about three to four years
to test pilot samples before serial production is launched.

.RUSAL transfers over Rbl 16 bln for Boguchany HPP construction.

KRASNOYARSK, February 13 (Itar-Tass) -- RUSAL had transferred over 16
billion roubles as of the beginning of 2010 for the construction of the
Boguchany hydropower plant.
Boguchany Energy and Metallurgical Association (BEMO) Director Pavel
Ulyanov said at the VII Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum ion Friday that his
company remained the main strategic project for RUSAL, which plans to use
it in order to create its own environmentally friendly power-generation
capacities.
The Boguchany HPP with a rated capacity of 3,000 megawatts on the
river Angara is being built as part of a large investment project of the
Boguchany Energy and Metallurgical Association (BEMO) that also calls for
building an aluminum smelter with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes a year in
the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
The federal budget finances the construction of project
infrastructure. The first phase of the hydropower plant with a capacity of
600 megawatts should be commissioned in 2010. The plant is scheduled to
reach its estimated capacity in 2012.
The BEMO project calls for the construction of the 3,000-MW Boguchany
HPP and the 600,000 tonnes per year Boguchany aluminum smelter that will
be the power plant's main customer. The first phases of the hydro plant
and smelter were initially scheduled to become operational in 2010, and
they were supposed to achieve design capacity in 2012. But in February it
was announced that the opening of the smelter would be postponed until
2012 in light of the drop in demand for aluminium on international markets.

.XXI Winter Olympic Games opened in Vancouver.

VANCOUVER, February 13 (Itar-Tass) -- The XXI Winter Olympic Games
opening ceremony was held at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Vancouver, the eighth largest city in Canada on the western coast of
the country, will see its biggest triumph in its 186-year history on
Saturday when the XXI Winter Olympic Games open.
After an hour-long entertainment programme in the stadium that can
seat 55,000 people, the announcer declared the official opening ceremony
open. Canadian Governor-General Michaelle Jean, International Olympic
Committee President Jacques Rogge, and the leaders of the four Indian
tribes on the territory of which Olympic facilities have been built will
attend the ceremony. The Canadian flag will be brought in and the national
anthem will be played.
The Indian tribes' leaders will then address the participants, after
which the parade of the national team will begin.
About 3,000 athletes from more than 80 countries will compete in the
Olympic Games, which will be covered by about 10,000 journalists. After
the Olympic Games, Vancouver will host the X Paralympic Games for 1,000
athletes from 40 countries.
The Russian Olympic team consists of more than 170 people. Special
hopes are pinne4d on ice hockey, ski racing, bobsleigh, figure skating,
biathlon, skating, and tobogganing teams.

.New Kremlin envoy plans his own forum to generate ideas for N
Caucasus.

KRASNOYARSK, February 13 (Itar-Tass) -- Vice Prime Minister and
presidential representative to the North Caucasus Alexander Khloponin said
"we will have our own forum" in the North Caucasus to generate ideas for
the development of the region.
"The Krasnoyarsk Territory looked for different formats of its forums.
As a result, the region chose the format of discussion, which makes it a
generator of ideas that are then developed further," Khloponin said at the
VII Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum on Friday.
"The forum has two tasks. The first one is the task of self-education
of the elites in the Siberian region. It is very important for everyone -
business, authorities and the public - to hear the opinion of senior
officials from federal bodies regarding processes in the country. The
second task is the possibility to present interesting projects and ideas,"
he said.
Khloponin used to be the governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory before
his appointment as vice prime minister and presidential representative to
the North Caucasus.
"I will set the same tasks in the North Caucasus. The Krasnoyarsk
format of forums is innovations and private-public partnership. But we
will have to look for a different niche there. We are already looking for
it and will certainly find it," Khloponin said.
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