India, Russia launch multirole transport aircraft project

India and Russia have begun work on their multi-role transport aircraft (MTA) programme after several rounds of negotiations between officials from both countries.
Hindustan Aeronautics, India's state-owned airframer, has signed an agreement with Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport and United Aircraft to form a Bangalore-based joint venture for the programme, paving the way for the companies to begin preliminary design work.
"The MTA is a 15-20t payload capacity aircraft which would meet the requirement of the Indian air force and the Russian air force," says HAL. "The project has been approved by both the government of India and the government of the Russian Federation."
Around $600 million will be spent on the aircraft's development, with India and Russia to share the investment equally and HAL and UAC to have a 50:50 stake in the workshare.
The companies plan to manufacture 205 of the aircraft, which will have a cruise speed of 430kt (800km/h), a range of up to 1,460nm (2,700km) and a service ceiling of 39,400ft (12,000m).
The twin-engine MTA will have "state of the art features such as fly-by-wire, full authority digital engine control, modern avionics and glass cockpit", says HAL.
Agreement to proceed with the military transport is expected to be the first of two major agreements this year between Russia and India, which have had a decades-long defence relationship.
16/09/10 Siva Govindasamy/Flight Global

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Categories: Foreign Sep 2010, New Sep 2010