African, Asian States Interested in Buying Modernized Russian Il-76 Planes

Sputnik News

08:41 20.06.2016(updated 08:45 20.06.2016)

According to the managing director of aircraft-maker Aviastar-SP, African and Asian states are expressing interest to procure Russia's Ilyushin Il-76-MD-90A heavy military transport aircraft.

SAMARA (Sputnik) – African and Asian states are expressing interest to procure Russia's Ilyushin Il-76-MD-90A heavy military transport aircraft, the managing director of aircraft-maker Aviastar-SP said.

"We are receiving calls and appeals over this aircraft. It shows a wide geography of interest among costumers. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) members, Southeast Asian and African states express their interest. That is why this aircraft has very good [export] prospects," Andrey Kapustin told RIA Novosti in an interview.

The Aviastar-SP enterprise is part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), which is engaged in exports issues, according to Kapustin.

The enterprise has started to construct five Il-76-MD-90A planes in 2016 and the deliveries of three planes to the Russian Defense Ministry are scheduled for 2017, Kapustin added. The mass production of the aircraft will start after a technical modernization program is finished at the Aviastar-SP plant.

The Il-76MD-90A is a modernized version of Russia's world-famous Il-76 transport aircraft, featuring a fully-digital flight control system, new avionics and PS-90A-76 engines with improved fuel efficiency systems. The aircraft was designed for transportation of troops, heavy and large-size machinery and cargoes, as well as for landing of military personnel, hardware and cargoes by parachute or landing way.

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