Aircraft manufacturers of Ukraine threatened to stop production due to a break with the Russian Federation

Peter Cook @flickr

Aircraft manufacturers of Ukraine threatened to stop production due to a break with the Russian Federation: 

Translated by google

Ukrainian aircraft manufacturers and the media note the depressing position of the industry after five years of self-isolation from Russia and call on Kiev to resume cooperation with Moscow. For example, Vladimir Semenov, director of corporate rights and investment projects at Motor Sich, called on the Ukrainian authorities to lift the sanction against a number of Russian enterprises. Otherwise, it will not be possible to resume production of aircraft in Ukraine.

We have already compiled a list, sent it to the Verkhovna Rada, the government, and the National Security and Defense Council - exclude 23 enterprises from the list of sanctions, give Antonov an opportunity to work. Only 23 enterprises. This will give an impetus. Do not want to - stop

- said Semenov. At the same time, the daily Ukrainian newspaper Den notes that the refusal of the Antonov company to cooperate with the Russians after the Maidan has called into question not only the execution of previously concluded contracts, but also the further production of aircraft in Ukraine as such. After all, aircraft designed by Antonov are largely dependent on components that were previously supplied from Russia. Moreover, the An-148 aircraft were fully manufactured in Voronezh. At the same time, negotiations of the Antonov enterprise with foreign companies did not lead to anything concrete. Over the past time, the Antonov enterprise has managed to assemble as many as two aircraft without components from Russia.

The first aircraft is the short-haul transport An-178 (based on the An-158) with a carrying capacity of 18 tons (to replace the obsolete An-12). His first flight took place on May 7, 2015 at the Gostomel airport. But in April 2017, the development program was actually stopped. Flight and certification tests were discontinued. In June 2019, the aircraft was introduced (as a model) at the Le Bourget air show (France). This did not stop the fearless policemen from Peru from ordering for themselves one copy of the An-178 for $ 65 million (including training pilots and personnel). The term of the contract is 2021. However, with a high degree of probability it can be assumed that this contract will not be completed on time.

The second aircraft is a demonstration copy of the medium-haul transport An-132D (modification of the An-32), created with the money of Saudi Arabia. However, due to political instability in this country and in the region, to realize this project, i.e. it has not yet been brought to its logical conclusion, and the prospects are frankly vague. In April 2019, the parties ceased cooperation.

On this, all the "achievements" of Ukraine over the past five years end. At the same time, from the bowels of the Antonov enterprise it was reported that more than $ 200 million is required to replace Russian components, which Kiev has not allocated.

Not a penny for this. Where do these planes come from? I can't do airplanes for nothing

- said the head of the enterprise "Antonov" Alexander Donets.

At the same time, the Ukroboronprom Group of Companies refers to the lack of an appropriate business plan for the Antonov enterprise.

Antonov An-178: Details

AN-132 Light Transport Aircraft: Details