AN-148
The Ukrainian An-148 first took to the skies in December 2004. Certification is supposed to be completed in the first half of 2006. From the project's inception, serial production of the aircraft was awarded to the Voronezh Aircraft Factory (VASO), and Ukranian Aviant. But after the presidential elections in Ukraine, and a subsequent cool-off in bilateral relations, VASO shelved the project. Only recently the An-148 has received the green light. In late November 2005, VASO and Antonov ASTC concluded a license agreement for launching the aircraft into commercial production in Russia in 2006.
Sukhoi and Antonov could avoid being rivals, if Sukhoi launched the production of 95-110-seat longer-range RRJ aircraft (3,000 km-5,000 km), while Antonov produced the 70-80-seat planes of shorter range (1,000 km-2,000 km). Russia is definitely interested in the An-148 project, because Russian enterprises produce 69% of the aircraft component parts.
In Russia, the Ilyushin Finance Co, (IFC) is in charge of aircraft sales, operational and financial leasing. It already has tentative agreements with Russian companies for the purchase of 54 aircraft. The Ukrainian airline Aerosvit wants to buy 10 An-148's from the Voronezh assembly plant, and Kazakhstan, another seven. VASO plans to assemble about 250 aircraft in 10 years.
The license agreement gives Russia the right to develop the basic An-148 version into a military transport, special aircraft, cargo and cargo-passenger planes. In expert estimate, the Russian armed forces and other power structures may require up to 200 such aircraft for the maritime patrol service, units of radio-electronic warfare, radio-technical and tactical reconnaissance, the airborne command center, and as a refueler.
Importantly, the An-148 program will keep VASO busy in the near future.
