MOSCOW. Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian Navy will rely on modernization of the operational IL-38 May and TU-142 Bear planes until a new patrol plane is developed on the basis of competition, a competent source in the Defense Ministry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.
"The project of the future patrol plane will be chosen on the basis of a feasibility study of the entire life cycle of the plane. Terms of the competition will be equal for the project of the TU-204P plane and other contenders," the expert said.
A Defense Ministry commission including experts from the Air Force and Navy initially decided that the TU-204P, a derivative of the TU-204 passenger plane, will become the future patrol plane. The decision was made with the goal to save funds for research, development and test projects.
"However the Navy has no funds for research, development and test projects, let alone mass production of the plane, the TU- 204P development program was suspended," the source said.
"The demand for the new patrol plane will rise circa 2007- 2010 due to writing off old aircraft. Earlier it was planned to create a new patrol plane (TU-204P) by 2010. Lack of funds for procurement of mass-produced TU-204P planes made it necessary to focus on modernization of operational IL-38 and TU-142 planes," the source noted.
According to him, commissions choosing winners of competitions have been ordered to take into account availability of investors and additional funding sources.
"The Defense Ministry does not have enough funds to finance research, development and test projects and launching of the aircraft's mass-production in full. From the Defense Ministry's point of view, both domestic entities and potential foreign customers can be among investors," the source said.
The United States has modernized its Orion planes (analogue of the IL-38) for the sixth time, he noted.
"For the IL-38, it will only be the second modernization stage, and its service life is far from over," the source concluded.