MOSCOW. Feb 26 (Interfax-AVN) - The upgrading of the third and last long-range radar monitoring and control aircraft A-50EI ordered by India from Russia will be completed in the summer, Interfax was told by the Taganrog-based Beriev Aircraft Company.
"One of the aircrafts is already flying in India. The second is to be moved from Israel to India in March and we, that is the Beriev complex, should deliver the third A-50EI to Israel by the middle of the year," Nikolai Lavro, Beriev's First Deputy General Designer, said.
India's order for three advanced airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) is carried out by Beriev that is responsible for the carrier derived from the Ilyushin Il-76MD military cargo aircraft and by an Israeli company that supplies the airborne early warning and control radar system for the aircraft.
Lavro said that talks are under way on the additional delivery of nine more units - three under a fixed contact and six as an option.
If Rosoboronexport arms trader signs a new contract for the delivery of A-50EI with India, work will continue in cooperation with Israel, Lavro said.
"The Ilyushin Il-476 heavy military cargo aircraft will serve as the platform for the new A-50EI the serial production of which is being launched at the Ulyanovsk Aviation Plant," he said.
In 2003 India signed a trilateral contract with Rosoboronexport on the delivery of three A-50EI Russian-made aircraft and with Israel on the installation of the ELTA Electronics Industries Phalcon early warning radar system.