ROY'S RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT RESOURCE

Il-76 Sale to China Will Permit Assigning Russian VPK Enterprises Manufacturing Parts for this Airplane  with Orders

As a highly placed informed source has reported, the Chinese Ministry of Defense plans the purchase of approximately 35 - 40 Il-76 military transport aircraft at the Tashkent aircraft plant.  In the source's opinion, in the event of the successful realization of the negotiations underway for the delivery of the Il-76 to China and the conclusion of a contract, OAO Il'yushin AK will receive a definite percentage for every airplane sold independent of the price of the airplane established by the contract.  The airplanes being delivered by the Tashkent APO are equipped almost 90 percent with Russian-manufactured parts, which also will assure the maintenance of jobs and will give a definite volume of the work load to Russian VPK enterprises, who are building the parts for the Il-76.

At the same time the source reported that the Il-76MF airplane with a payload increased to almost 60 tonnes (vs. 47 tonnes for the Il-76) and intended for the replacement of the Il-76 aircraft fleet, in conjunction with the complexities of the financing will not be transferred for joint state tests until the middle of the year.  These tests will continue for 9 months at the minimum. 

According to specialists, the aircraft plant in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) is series producing the the Il-76 military transport for the air force and the Il-76 transport airplanes for the airlines.   In all approximately 920 - 950 airplanes have been built.  The cost of the airplane fluctuates from 15 to 25 million dollars.

Source:  07.05.01, Finmarket Agency