Moscow: India and Russia are to invest USD
600 million to set up a joint venture (JV) to produce a medium
lift transport aircraft for their armed forces.
While Bangalore based state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics
Limited (HAL) will fork out USD 300 million, Russia's United
Aircraft Cooperation (UAC) will invest a similar amount for
the joint venture which will start rolling out the aircraft by
2017.
Voice of Russia radio said the joint venture coming up
with fifty-fifty equity would develop the aircraft at
Aviastar-SP plant based in Ulyanovsk city on Volga.
The Indian Air Force is expected to order at least 35 and
Russian Air Force as many as 100 medium lift transport
aircraft.
In its basic configuration the new transport aircraft
will have a payload capacity of 18.5 tons of cargo and can fly
up to a a distance of 2500 km in any climatic conditions.
The aircraft is being designed to also operate from high
altitude mountain airstrips, according to information posted
on UAC website.
India hopes that the new medium lift transport aircraft
will replace its ageing fleet of 104 AN-32 aircraft. Though
India has signed a contract worth USD 398 million for the
upgradation of these aircrafts between this year to 2017, the
new plane will replace it.
PTI