NEW DELHI. Dec 2 (Interfax-AVN) - Joint development of a multifunctional transport aircraft (MTA) will become a qualitatively new step in Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation, Bharat Verma, a leading Indian military expert and publisher of the Indian Defense Review magazine, said on Monday.
"I personally view the MTA program as a mature project of long-term Indian-Russian collaboration in the aviation sphere," Verma told Interfax-Military News Agency. "This project combines many factors. First, in this particular case we have two national programs combined. The IL-214 transport aircraft is the most advanced cargo plane in Russia, while the HAL corporation since the 1980s has been working on its own transport concept. Second, in this case we have the similar designing, engineering and administrative staff still working on full implementation of the SU-30MKI project. I mean, the same people are in HAL, Rosoboronexport and IAPO Corporation," he said.
"Creation of prototypes and flight tests are slated for the period before 2006 and marketing of the product is planned for 2007. According to the estimates, the initial stage of MTA development may cost USD300-350m, and its financing will be carried out on the basis of parity," Verma said.
"According to some indications, both sides are considering the setting up of a joint venture in the form of joint-stock company, closed type, to be converted into a joint-stock company, open type, at a later stage," the expert stressed.
The MTA project provides for designing a two-engined high- wing monoplane that will replace outdated AN-12 Cub, AN-26 Curl and AN-32 Cline planes.
Experts say that the demand for planes of that kind amounts to 70-80 items in India and several hundred items in Russia.