BERLIN. May 6 (Interfax-AVN) - Organizers of the ILA 2002 international aerospace show regret that the Russian MIG aircraft corporation will not demonstrate its MIG-29MRCA multifunctional fighter at the show due to unsettled state debts.
MIG's decision not to exhibit the fighter and the IL-103 multipurpose plane at the show that opened in Berlin on Monday resulted in both moral and financial damages. The two aircraft were insured for EUR120m (USD109.79m), and the corporation paid for the area of their stationing and performance of flights. In addition, a large amount of fuel was spent on preparations for demonstration flights in accordance with requirements of the show's organizers. One flight requires about three tonnes of fuel, and the price of one tonne is about EUR1,100 (USD1,010).
"We carried out very serious preparations for the ILA 2002 show; we are extremely upset to learn that we will not be able to demonstrate capabilities of our fighters in the sky over Berlin," test pilot Pavel Vlasov, who was supposed to pilot the MIG- 29MRCA, told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The new modification of the MIG fighter would have been among highlights of the show, Vlasov said.
Participants in the show believe that Russia must settle its alleged debt to Switzerland's Noga company as soon as possible. Otherwise, Russian state-owned enterprises and organizations will not be able to exhibit their products abroad. Participation of Russian military hardware in the Farnborough International 2002 air show and Defendory International 2002 exhibition is already dubious.
Noga sues the Russian government for food and commodities worth USD1.5bn that it supplied to Russia in the early 1990s. It has made several attempts at seizing Russian aircraft and other state-owned assets abroad. The first attempt was made at the Le Bourget air show in France in June 2001 when the company tried to seize Sukhoi and MIG aircraft.