MOSCOW. May 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The tender for a medium- range military cargo plane for the Russian air force will probably be held in August or September, Lieutenant General Viktor Denisov, commander of the military transport aviation, told reporters in Moscow on Monday.
"As far as I know, the tender for the medium-range cargo plane will take place in August to September, or some time later. This is a very serious issue and the Defense Ministry is taking it under control," Denisov said.
The Russian air force needs a new medium-range plane because production of the AN-12 Cub was curtailed in the mid-1970s.
The maximum take-off weight of a medium-range military cargo plane must not exceed 65-75 tonnes, fuel and cargo included, Denisov went on.
"The AN-70 plane does not fit into this class any longer," he said, commenting on the fate of the Russian-Ukrainian AN-70, which was designed as a medium-range cargo plane in line with Russian Air Force requirements.
According to Denisov, various aircraft-building companies are ready to compete for the medium-range cargo plane production contract. Among them are the Tupolev JS, the Antonov aircraft research and production corporation, the Sukhoi aircraft holding company, the MIG aircraft corporation, and the Ilyushin aircraft corporation.