Russia AF military-transport plane fleet to be 25% renewed by 2015.

MOSCOW, January 10 (Itar-Tass) - By 2015 the fleet of
military-transport aviation planes of the Russian Air Force will be
renewed almost by one-fourth, Commander of the Military-Transport Aviation
of Russia Lieutenant-General Viktor Kachalkin told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

"It is planned soon to complete the development and begin purchases of
light and medium military-transport planes. The light Ilyushin Il-112V and
medium military-transport planes of the new generation are being developed
to this end. Unlike their predecessors they will have wider possibilities
for the transportation and airlift delivery of samples of armaments and
military equipment, higher fuel efficiency and lower cost of life cycle,"
said the commander.
"By 2015 it is planned almost by one-fourth to renew the fleet of
military-transport aviation planes," he promised.
General Kachalkin also said that the Il-76 planes will remain the main
transportation means of the Russian Air Force until 2020. "In the
2015-2020 period the backbone of the military-transportation planes fleet
will consist of Il-76 planes both in terms of number and combat
capabilities (about 70 percent)." "About 60 percent of these planes will
undergo modernisation for the improvement of the navigation and
communication equipment and improvement of endurance characteristics," he
added.
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