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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

New Wings Promised for An-70

6 October, 1998 - 00:00

The President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin ordered Prime
Minister Yevhen Prymakov to include the manufacture of the Russian-Ukrainian
middle cargo plane An-70 into the Federal Program for Domestic Aviation
Development, and secure its stable financing (including non-budget funds).
He also assigned his government to pay off (despite the crisis) the debt
for already fulfilled development stage and field testing using federal
budget funds.

Employees of the Antonov plant were extremely surprised by this decision.
You bet they were, after the Russian side promised to cover 80% of the
project's expenses (Ukrainian part was to pay 20%), but the plant only
received 8% financial support. For this reason, the plant has every right
to claim full responsibility for the construction of two An-70 planes,
since it had to earn extra money for the project on its own (international
transport, engineering, pilot training, etc.). A source at the plant reported
to The Day that European expert groups should be submitting suggestions
for further project development by October. It is expected that our An-70
will become the new prototype for the next generation of European planes.
The only thing left is the tender. Interfax-Ukraine reports that project
inspector and Russian presidential aide Yevhen Shaposhnikov has spoken
with Ukrainian and German representatives about the possible participation
of Germany and other Western European countries in the project.

 

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