KIEV, September 30 (AVN) - A correspondent of the Military News Agency learned from the first deputy constructor of the air technical-scientific complex Dmitry Kiva that AN-70 Russia-Ukraine military airfreighter has completed 50 percent of the necessary state tests
Basic versiont of AN-70 has a turbofan engine and is considered one of the best planes in the world. It can transport up to 35 ton cargo atr the distance of 5,000 km. According to the experts before 2013 Ukraine will need about 65 AN-70 while Russia about 164 AN-70. A new version of AN-70 costs fifty million US dollars.
Kiva added that constructing a new AN-7X airfreighter for the Europe on the bases of AN-70 depends on France because this country had not yet agreed to co-work with Russia and Ukraine. Germany on the contrary is prepared for co-operation. The results of the tender for the European airfreighter will be published in the beginning of 2000. According to the experts AN-70 has the highest chance to win this tender. In this case the program of European airfreighter will cost about eight hundred and fifty million euro. The design of the new plain will demand from European countries about six and a half billion euro.