India, Russia plan JV for transport planes

India and Russia plan to set up a joint venture (JV) for research, development and production of MTA transport aircraft, which is expected to be delivered after 2015, a top Russian executive said today.

MTA aircraft that could be used in transportation of military and civil cargo and aerial delivery operations would replace the AN-12, AN-32 and C-130, Alexey Fedorov, president, United Aircraft Corporation, said.

He said there was a 'preliminary purchase order' for the aircraft from India's ministry of defence.

"The technical requirements have been agreed in January 2007 and the protocol of intentions of signing the inter governmental agreement in the nearest future has been signed", he said at an international seminar on aerospace technologies here.