MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax-AVN) - The third BE-200 amphibian will be handed over to the Russian Emergencies Ministry in April 2005, a source in the defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"Initially, there were plans to supply the Emergencies Ministry with three BE-200 aircraft in 2004, including one in December. However, the date of supplying the third plane was moved to April 2005," he said.
According to him, the Emergencies Ministry received two aircraft in 2004 and another two will be delivered in 2005, namely in April and December.
Speaking of the manufacturing capabilities of the Irkutsk-based aircraft plant, he said that the enterprise can build six BE-200s a year.
The contract between the Irkut Corporation, that includes the Irkutsk plant as its structural element, and the Russian Emergencies Ministry is estimated at about 5 billion Russian rubles ($178.9 million). It was signed in May 2000. According to the agreed documents, the plant shall deliver seven BE-200 aircraft to the Emergencies Ministry. The first amphibian was handed over in mid-2003.
The main group of 3 BE-200CHS will be deployed at the Moscow region's Ramenskoye airfield to protect European part of Russian from fires. It will also be employed in case of emergency in the Southern District within the framework of the agreement of Black Sea countries that provides for cooperation in ecological and humanitarian actions.
Another two amphibians will be based in Krasnoyarsk covering Siberia. The third group of two more aircraft will be operated from Khabarovsk throughout the whole Far East.