MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The state bidding commission set up to analyze projects of new trainer planes for the Russian Air Force will sum up results of its activity on March 15, a source competent in the aircraft-building industry told Interfax- Military News Agency on Wednesday.
The commission completed consideration of MIG-AT and YAK-130 projects on February 22. The projects had been submitted by the MIG corporation and the Yakovlev design bureau respectively.
As soon as the winner is named, a decision will be made on state funding of research and tests related to further development of the project, the source said.
Upon completing the work at the competing enterprises, commission members will start drafting a joint conclusion on the considered projects. The Air Force is expected to endorse the document in late March. The main function of the plane will be announced at the same time. Apparently, it will be a light combat and training plane that will be also used as a trainer, the source said.
The YAK-130 and MIG-AT were designed to participate in an Air Force competition announced in the early 1990s. Foreign partners were engaged in the design; several French companies helped develop the MIG-AT and an Italian company took part in the design of the YAK-130.
The cost of R&D and tests related to development of each plane totals about USD200m. The price of the MIG-AT and YAK-130 on the global market will amount to USD12m-15m per item.
Flight colleges and regular regiments of the Russian Air Force need at least 200 trainers and light training and combat planes. The demand for planes similar to the YAK-130 and MIG-AT makes 800 to 1,400 on the global market.