You're reading: Rogozin says Russia is preparing for re-equipment of Arctic air fleet

NOVOSIBIRSK - The aviation equipment intended for use in the Arctic will be written off the inventory, there is no point modernizing it, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said at the Novosibirsk forum Technoprom 2016 on June 9.

“All equipment that was previously intended for use in the Arctic zone – the planes Antonov An-24, An-26 and An-72 designed by the Antonov Design Bureau is on its last legs. Their resource is expiring, 2-3 years, and they will be written off the inventory in any modernization, it’s impossible to continue mending them. Plus, our relations with Ukraine are such that we can no longer develop our relations with the Ukrainian aviation industry,” Rogozin said.

He said that, despite that, Russia has enough time to launch the production of new planes, including on ski chassis, that are ready to work in harsh Arctic conditions.

Specifically, the Nizhny Novgorod plant Sokol will begin producing a modernized version of the Ilyushin Il-114 plane in 2019.

“The Il-114 has a range ability of 2,000 kilometers. It’s a turboprop plane capable of achieving our tasks on the Arctic. We are also talking about planes of lower class for 18 passengers, L-410 in a new modification (L-610), their range ability will be some 450 km, but they will achieve their tasks,” Rogozin said.

He also said the light military-transport plane Il-112B will be created for the military, “which can also be successfully used in our Arctic interests.”

The 4th international technological development forum Technoprom 2016 “New Reality. Synergy of Technologies and Spaces” organized by the Novosibirsk region’s government, is held in Novosibirsk on June 9-10, 2016.

Interfax is a strategic information partner of Technoprom 2016.