JAKARTA. June 14 (Interfax-AVN) - A delegation of the Irkut Corporation has conducted negotiations with Indonesian legislators in Jakarta on delivering Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft to Indonesia to counter forest fires, an Irkut press-service official told Interfax on Tuesday.
"The Irkut Corporation's delegation, headed by Vladimir Sautov, Vice President for Marketing and Foreign Relations, has conducted negotiations with members of the Indonesian parliamentary commission on forestry and environment. The sides discussed the feasibility of Indonesia's procuring Be-200 amphibious aircraft for suppressing forest fires," the press-service official said.
According to the press-service, the Be-200 multi-role amphibious aircraft, designed and manufactured by the Irkut Corporation, may be employed for suppressing fires and conducting search and rescue operations. It is of paramount importance to Indonesia, which suffers an annual damage of about $400 billion, inflicted by fires, the press-service official said.
"Members of parliamentary commissions have expressed their interest in the new aircraft and proposed investigating the feasibility of procuring such aircraft even further," he said.
In addition to parliamentary commissions, the issue of promoting the Be-200 in Indonesia will be discussed during meetings with governors of various provinces, as well as heads of various ministries and departments, and the fire-fighting association.
The Be-200 multi-role amphibious aircraft is designed to suppress fires, patrol terrain, provide emergency assistance, conduct search and rescue operations, act as a medevac and air transport. In a single flight the aircraft is capable of taking up to 12 tonnes of water aboard in a skimming mode, deliver and spray it over the seat of fire, employing high precision navigation and flight control systems.
The Russian Emergencies Ministry, which signed a contract in 2001, was the first to order the Be-200. The contract envisions delivering seven Be-200ChS aircraft to the Emergencies Ministry by 2007. The first two Be-200ChS aircraft have already been delivered to the Emergencies Ministry.