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Russian Air Force to Start Buying New Transport Aircraft Next Year

Posted on: Friday, 31 March 2006, 18:00 CST

Text of report by Russian news agency Interfax-AVN website

Moscow, 30 March: The Russian Air Force will start buying new transport aircraft in 2007-2008 to replace the An-12 and An-26, its commander-in-chief, Vladimir Mikhaylov, said today.

"Part of our transport fleet, meaning the An-12s and An-26s, is obsolete and will soon come to the end of its service life. To meet the Air Force's needs for a replacement, the plan is to complete development and start procurement of light transport aircraft by 2007 and medium ones from 2008," Mikhaylov said in a report delivered today at a meeting with foreign military attaches accredited in Moscow.

To this end the Il-112V new-generation light military transport aircraft is being developed, which will replace the An-26 and have an enhanced ability to transport and disembark light armaments and hardware. It will also be more fuel-efficient and have lower costs throughout its lifecycle, Mikhaylov pointed out.

"To replace the An-12 we are working on a promising medium military transport aircraft, and India has shown interest in this development," Mikhaylov said. He pointed out that delivery of cargoes, armaments and hardware within regions and between theatres of operation was the factor governing this aircraft's specifications. It would also need to be capable of transporting weapons and hardware based on the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle and BMD-3 infantry assault vehicle, delivering cargoes within a shorter time span, and have world-class fuel economy. And it would have to able to use 80 per cent of aerodromes within the Russian Federation.

"These qualities should be achieved with minimal aircraft dimensions and costs, which in the current economic climate is particularly important," Mikhaylov said.

He added that the Il-76 would comprise 70 per cent of the Russian transport fleet until 2015-2020 in terms of numbers and capacity.

The fleet presently includes the An-124 and An-22 heavy lifters, the An-12 medium transport and the An-26 light transport. The purpose of Russia's Military Transport Aviation is to ensure mobility of the Russian Federation Armed Forces and disembarkation of airborne troops, to perform transport, assault and specialized duties, and provide everyday vital services for the combined units of the Russian army.

Source: BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union

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