You're reading: Defense Ministry ready to fund An-70 project

The Defense Ministry of Ukraine is planning to transfer Hr 454 million in 2012 for the construction of an An-70 aircraft, according to the head of the ministry's finance department, Ivan Marko.

"We are planning to spend Hr 454 million on the construction of an An-70 aircraft. This program will be fulfilled. The Defense Ministry of Ukraine will secure the level of funding considering the calculations in the Ukrainian-Russian project," Marko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He added that the sum is envisaged by the draft national budget in the provision on the ministry’s expenditures.

In general, the draft document envisages Hr 2.9 billion for the development of armaments and military equipment.

"The structure of the defense budget for 2012 will be much better than in 2011, as the funding of armaments and military equipment development was significantly increased," Marko said.

As reported, after a long break, the program for the creation and mass production of the An-70 aircraft has resumed.

The program of the construction of the An-70 medium transport aircraft is being implemented jointly with Russia.

The research and development and experimental work on the program will come to an end in 2012, and mass production is to start in 2013.

Earlier, the state-run Antonov Plant said the abovementioned work on the program could be postponed due to a lack of project funding from the Ukrainian government.