MiG however, focusses on the MiG-29K and leave the Tu-334 at home (450 words)

Published: 1/23/2001

The Russian aircraft and associated government bodies are launching a campaign to promote Russian aerospace products in India and on the 5th of February, producers including Ilyushin, Tupolev and Myasistechev will make a presentation in Delhi, prior to the opening of Aero India 2001 on the 7th of February. At Bangalore the first production example of the Su-30MKI, soon to be built under licence by HAL in India, and the naval MiG-29K will be exhibited. The latter being displayed after the agreement to buy 20 of the aircraft, for a reported $35m a unit, at the end of 2000, for the ex-Russian Navy aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, and further planned light aircraft carriers. The MiG-29K is to be flown from Zhukovsky, where it is to undergo brief testing before flying to Bangalore. Mikoyan is reported to be taking a large team to Bangalore, to rectify any problems revealed during the testing. Given that the timetable in Moscow will not allow sufficient time for correction before the flight to India and the public display of the aircraft at the show. A significant appearance for the aircraft in front of its new customer. Surprisingly given India's position as a key potential market, MiG is not taking the MiG AT advanced jet trainer suggesting that the distant hopes of purchase by the Indians may be receding and more surprisingly the Tu-334. The reason for the Tu-334's absence may be in part ascribed to the long delays in the demonstration of the aircraft (the only working prototype) to Pulkovo and other North Western airlines originally planned for November 2000, due according to sources to a litany of woes including technical problems with the aircraft: equipment delivery delays; installation of re-designed air tuning for the new engines; replacement of faulty landing gear components. The presentation has been rescheduled for the middle of February. The recent agreement between India and Russia, for joint development of the Il-214 twinjet for civil and military use, is also reported to have caught Tupolev and RSK MiG off guard. Which is surprising in itself as discussions have been taking place between the various parties for some time, but in fairness to MiG and Tupolev, many Indian /Russian cooperative efforts are characterized by their length of negotiation with little result. The view was that the Indians would prefer the flying Tu-334 over the planned Il-214, particularly after the recent embarrassing delays in its domestic aircraft programmes was also seen as a strong advantage of the Tu-334. It appears however; the military's interest in the rear loading Il-214 in its planned cargo variant, may have carried the day for Ilyushin as it seems to be primarily military interest in a replacement of the IAF's fleet of An-32s that is currentl y driving the programme's development.

Article ID: 2315