17 June 2004 00:09
RUSSIA TO EARMARK OVER $1MLN FOR AN-70 PLANE DEVELOPMENT IN 2004
MOSCOW. June 15 (Interfax) - Russia will allocate about RUB30m ($1m) for developing the AN-70 military transport in
2004, Leonid Terentyev, Director General of the Medium Transport Plane international consortium, told Interfax-Military
News Agency on Tuesday.
"The Russian side will most likely earmark about RUB30m ($1m) for the AN-70 development in 2004. Russia is
unlikely to provide more funds in 2004," Terentyev said.
He noted that the upcoming meeting of the intergovernmental Russian- Ukrainian commission was unlikely to achieve a
radical breakthrough with regards to the AN-70 program.
According to Terentyev, the meeting will be held in the next one to two months.
Russia originally planned to buy 164 planes and Ukraine 65 planes,
which corresponds to 72 and 28 percent of the R&D value. The plane's
"The exact date of the meeting will be defined by the two governments," he said.
He also noted that there were all necessary decrees, decisions, and orders for fulfilling and completing the AN-70
research and development.
The program for the AN-70 STOL aircraft has been implemented together by Russia and Ukraine on the basis of two
intergovernmental agreements of June 24, 1993, and May 19, 1999. The state customers of the aircraft are the Russian and
Ukrainian defense ministries, and the head contractor is the Antonov Corporation.
mass production will be handled by the Polyot production association in Russia's Omsk and by the Aviant aviation
plant in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry signed the contract for the delivery of the first five AN-70s for the
Ukrainian Air Force in April 2001.
The aircraft also enjoys international attention - from China, India, and some other Asian Pacific nations.
The AN-70 is powered by four D-27 engines developing 14,000hp each. The aircraft with a take-off weight of 130t is
capable of airlifting up to 47t of cargo. Its maximum cruising speed is 750-800kmph. The plane's service life is
20,000 flights or 45,000 flight hours or 25 years in operation.
[Interfax] |
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