Russian Air Force to receive 48 Il-476 heavy transport planes February 5, 2013 - 21:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Russian Air Force's Military Transport Aviation (MTA) will receive a total of 48 Ilyushin Il-476 heavy transport planes by 2020, rather than the previously stated 39, its commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Benediktov said, according to RIA Novosti. The Russian Defense Ministry said last October it had signed a contract worth about 140 billion rubles ($4 billion) with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for the delivery of 39 Il-476 planes by 2020. “The MTA will receive its first series-produced [Il-476] planes by 2014, and a total of 48 by 2020,” Benediktov said. The Il-476, (also known as the Il-76-MD-90A) is a significantly modernized variant of the Il-76 Candid transport plane, featuring a fully-digital flight control system, new avionics and PS-90A-76 engines with improved fuel efficiency systems. A prototype of the plane carried out a maiden flight from the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk in September and will undergo a comprehensive test program for another year. The Russian military has not received significant numbers of new large transport planes in the past 20 years. Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news Human Rights Watch: more Afghan women imprisoned for "moral crimes"  Human Rights Watch says many are jailed for running away from home, often from forced marriages or domestic violence.Benedict Cumberbatch’s Julian Assange biopic to open in Oct The drama centers on the relationship between Assange and Domscheit-Berg, which became increasingly fraught as WikiLeaks' influence grew.Disney greenlights new "Star Wars" animated series "Star Wars Rebels" takes place between the events of "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith" and "Episode IV: A New Hope".Shanghai Film Festival jury announced The fest announced that Oliver Stone will be receiving an Outstanding Achievement honorary award at the festival this year. |
