Russia has canceled its flagship MAKS air show again, citing security risks and waning international interest, reflecting the war’s impact on military prestige and domestic morale.
History is repeating itself, as it often does in Russia. On Tuesday, the head of Russia’s state-owned military-industrial conglomerate told reporters the biennial MAKS International Air Show has been grounded. The 2023 event was postponed to 2024, and last year, Rostec announced it would be again pushed back to late July of this year.
That’s not happening, however.
“MAKS 2025 will not take place. The event has been rescheduled to next year. You can see what a situation we are currently living in,” Sergey Chemezov, Rostec director general, told reporters, according to state news agency Tass.
Why Did Russia Cancel MAKS?
The biennial event, officially known as the Mezhdunarodnyj aviatsionno-kosmicheskij salon (“International Aviation and Space Show”), began in 1992 and has been held every other year since 1993 at the Gromov Flight Research Institute’s airfield in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow. It quickly became Russia’s largest and most significant air show, attracting nearly half a million attendees and international participation.
Although it began primarily as an entertainment event rather than a trade event, in recent years, Rostec has used the MAKS Air Show to highlight some of the Kremlin’s notable aircraft. In 2011, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) unveiled the prototype of its Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation stealth fighter.
Three of the six days were open to the general public and featured aerial demonstrations from the Russian Knights, who flew the Sukhoi Su-27. The 2021 show included the Su-57 performing aerobatic maneuvers, while the Sukhoi Su-75 Checkmate was also unveiled.
Problems with Previous MAKS Air Shows
The 2013 event, the last one held before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, generated $21 billion in deals for the Russian aerospace sector. However, the air show has declined in recent years, failing to attract as many foreign participants as possible.
No MAKS Air Show has occurred since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and it is unlikely the show will go on as long as the war continues. This past weekend’s drone strikes on remote air bases deep within Russia likely highlight the security concern.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) had suggested in 2023 that the show was likely to be canceled due to the threat of a drone strike. There would also be reputational damage and fallout if fewer international delegations attended. Given these factors, the decision was made to postpone the show again, with it now scheduled for 2026. That might be the soonest that Russians can return to the show!
Russia Displays the Su-57 to Foreign Countries
Although the Su-57 won’t conduct a crowd-pleasing aerial demonstration for a hometown crowd, Russia’s Rostec and Rosoboronexport have taken the export model on a road show over the past year. It has also appeared at air shows in Egypt, China, India, and Brazil over the past year, albeit with mixed results.
The jet was widely mocked on Chinese social media last November, and the aircraft sent to India reportedly experienced engine trouble, forcing it to land in Iran. The Kremlin has sought to find foreign buyers, but Algeria is the only country to have signed a contract for the Su-57.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/Andrey 69.
