12:00 25.10.2012

Ukraine, Russia start state resource test of D-27 engine for An-70 aircraft

3 min read

Ukraine and Russia have started state resource tests of the D-27 turbofan engine for the An-70 military transport aircraft, a source in the defense sector has told Interfax-Ukraine.

The source said that the tests of D-27 engine are carried out with the participation of representatives of the defense bodies of the two countries, the state research and test center of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Russia's Baranov Central Institute of Aviation Motor Development.

"During the preliminary resource tests, the D-27 engine has performed completely to its specifications," the source said.

He said that the tests will be finished in November and defense bodies of Ukraine and Russia will use the engine in 2013.

Zaporizhia-based Ivchenko-Progress Enterprise designed the engine. The enterprise said that the engine's operating life is at least 50 years.

In 2011, Ivchenko-Progress Enterprise and Russia's Federal State Unitary Enterprise Gas-Turbine Engineering Research and Production Center Salut signed a protocol of intent on the creation of a joint venture on the parity basis to produce D-27 engine for An-70 aircraft. The agreement on the creation of JV was planned to sign after approving production and industrial specifics of cooperation. Until 2020 it is planned to produce around 320 engines.

In August 2009, Kyiv and Moscow agreed on cooperation in the creation, joint mass production and supply of An-70 military transport aircraft and the An-70T airlifter with D-27 engines.

Russia's state defense program foresees the procurement of 60 An-70 aircraft by 2020.

At present, the An-70 is being tested after the upgrade of on board equipment and the engine. Then it is planned to start the second stage of the joint Ukrainian program of state tests of An-70 with the participation of defense ministries of Russia and Ukraine, which are to be completed in Q1, 2013.

The state program on the development of armament and military machinery of Ukraine for 2012-2017 foresees supplies of two An-70 aircraft to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in 2014.

The An-70 aircraft beats all existing competitors as of today in terms of its technical specifications. For example, the European A400M cannot compete with it in terms of the weight-lift ability and cargo hold size: the maximum weight-lift ability of the An-70 is 47 tonnes, while the declared weight-lift ability of the A400M is 37 tonnes; the cargo hold size of an An-70 is 425 cubic meters, while that of the A400M-is 340 cubic meters. In addition, the price and operating costs of the An-70 are half those of its European competitor. According to European experts, the cost of the A400M is EUR 145 million at present.

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