You're reading: Antonov Enterprise’s specialists awarded Russian Government Prize

The Russian government has awarded a team of specialists of Antonov State Enterprise (Kyiv) its prize in science and technology for 2012 for the development of the program of the An-124-100 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft, the enterprise's press service reported.

The government of the Russian Federation issued a resolution on February 27 to award the 2012 Prize in Science and Technology to President and General Designer of Antonov State Enterprise and Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Dmytro Kiva and leading specialists of the enterprise – chief designer Oleksandr Semenets, chief designer Henrikh Onhirsky (posthumously), and deputy chief of the division Anatoliy Yeretin, together with specialists of Russian research institutes for the comprehensive research and implementation of an efficient concept of maintaining airworthiness of the An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft and the extension of its service life to 10,000 flights, 50,000 flight hours and 45 years, the press service told Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.

“These figures are higher than those of the U.S. C-17 and C-5M transport aircraft, whose service life is 30,000-45,000 flight hours,” the enterprise said.

The An-124-100 Ruslan, with capacity to carry 150 tonnes, was developed by aircraft maker Antonov in the late 1970s and had its maiden flight in 1982. Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines and Russia’s Volga-Dnepr airlines are the world’s leading operators of the An-124-100.

Since 2003 Antonov, Motor Sich (Zaporizhia) and Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr have been working on a gradual program to develop and build a modernized version of the plane for the world market. Since 2006, partners have been participating in the NATO SALIS (Strategic Airlift Interim Solution). In December 2012, NATO prolonged the contract for leasing of Ukrainian and Russian Ruslan aircraft until December 31, 2014.

According to different estimates, the mass production of the new modernized Ruslan aircraft will start after 2015-2020.