MOSCOW. Feb 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian-Indian Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) program will be stepped up when approved by the Russian government, Sergei Tsivilyov, a senior executive with the Irkut Corporation, told Interfax-Military News Agency Tuesday.
"The Russian government must issue a special statement that the program of developing an aircraft on the basis of the Ilyushin Aircraft Company's IL-214 concept is a Russian program with an equal Indian participation. The R&D on the aircraft and its acquisition must be governmentally included in Russia's future armament program," he said.
He added, "the Russian work on the MTA will be boosted when the issue is settled with the government."
Tsivilyov said that so far Irkut had invested in the MTA no more than USD2m, while the entire program is estimated at about USD300m.
"To step up work on the MTA, Irkut should know whether the Russian Air Force is determined to procure the aircraft," he said.
He emphasized that India had previously stated that it would procure 50 such planes. "If the Russian Air Force declares the procurement of about 50 aircraft, India will buy another 100 vehicles," Tsivilyov went on.
He said that the MTA has its own niche, and by the time it will be produced commercially (2010-2011), the AN-26 Curls, AN-12 Cubs, AN-32 Clines and other below-20-tonnes carriers will be decommissioned, and there will be no other option because the AN- 70 and the IL-76 Candid are heavier.