You're reading: Russian-Ukrainian An-70 could be built in Ulyanovsk

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is ready to launch the production of the new Russian-Ukrainian medium-class transport warplane Antonov An-70 in Russia, if the Russian Defense Ministry places an order, UAC President Alexei Fyodorov told Interfax-AVN.

"In principle, the military wants to buy these planes. If the decision is made UAC will be ready to make them at its assembly facilities," Fyodorov told an international machine-building forum in Zhukovsky near Moscow.

The An-70s will most probably be assembled in Ulyanovsk, whose Aviastar company has been chosen to be the main producer of aircraft of this class, he said.

The development of the An-70 has entered its final stage, Fyodorov said. "The basic flight and technical characteristics need to be finally confirmed and the order defined," he said.

Large investment will have to be made to launch the production of these planes in Russia, he also said.

Russia and Ukraine have been working on the An-70 operational-tactical short take-off and landing transport warplane under the intergovernmental agreements, signed in 1993 and 1999. The plane is being developed by Antonov Corporation, based in Kyiv. It will be powered with D-27 engines to be made commercially by Motor Sich in Zaporizhia, Ukraine.