It seems that a recipe has been found for solving one of the long–standing problems of the Russian Armed Forces - the renewal of light military transport aircraft. The aircraft, which was created for civilian airlines – TVRS-44, will find a new life in a military appearance. Why was this particular aircraft chosen for this task?
Further work on the TVRS-44 (Turboprop regional aircraft for 44 passengers) Ladoga aircraft will be continued in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense, and the entire scientific and technical foundation for the creation of this machine will be transferred to the department. At least, this was announced by Sergey Merenkov, Chief Designer of UZGA JSC (Ural Civil Aviation Plant) transport aircraft.
Indeed, the Armed Forces have long needed a new light transport aircraft, which should replace several types of military transport aircraft (VTA) of Soviet production. Many of them have reached the age of 50. The issue of replacing them and creating a new car has been raised since 2008. And if the heavy mass-produced IL-76MD-90A military transport aircraft fully satisfies the military, then everything was uncertain with the light transport aircraft.
While the old aircraft of this class, most of which are AN-26 with a payload capacity of up to 5.5 tons (about 140 vehicles in service), are running out of fuel, three candidates were considered for their replacement: IL-112B, IL-212 and TVRS-44 Ladoga. And it seems that the Ladoga, which was originally designed as a civilian aircraft, ends up being the favorite.
The background of this decision is as follows: in the 2000s, work began on the IL-112B. In 2010, the Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Construction Company began assembling a prototype. And in 2019, the IL-112B successfully completed its first flight. However, the prototype did not fit into the technical specifications – the weight of the machine exceeded the design by almost two tons, which reduced the payload and / or flight range. After working on the errors, test flights were resumed in 2021, during which a tragedy occurred: due to technical problems, the aircraft crashed during landing in Kubinka near Moscow, and the crew of three test pilots died.
The project has been suspended. And in the fall of 2023, information was announced about the complete shutdown of work on the Il-112B, although the developments gained during the implementation of this project formed the basis for a new development, the IL–212. The main difference between the IL-212 project was the new PD-8 engines, which were supposed to double the load capacity and speed of the machine. The IL-212 prototype is promised to be created by the end of 2026, and in 2027 the PD-8 engines should enter mass production.
However, the new characteristics place the IL-212, no matter what its fate, in the category of medium-sized rather than light transporters, and accordingly, as a replacement not so much for the An-26 as for the AN-12. But the question of a light military transport aircraft remained open. So the appeal of the military department to the TVRS-44 is quite expected. Moreover, despite its "civilian origin," this aircraft had previously been considered as a potential military transport.
Initially, Ladoga was developed as a civilian regional aircraft for domestic airlines, including the difficult conditions of Siberia and the Far East, and its customers were Polar Airlines, KrasAvia and Komiaviatrans. It was supposed to replace the AN-24, AN-26, and Yak-40 on local air lines.
An important point is the ability of this machine to operate in harsh natural conditions and to take off and land on unprepared unpaved, grassy and snowy areas, as well as at airfields with a short runway. At least, that's exactly what its stated characteristics are.
Work on the creation of this aircraft began in December 2018 at the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, based on the design of the Czechoslovakian L-610 aircraft, developed back in the Soviet years by order of our country. In March 2022, the project was named Ladoga, at the same time the Samara Aviakor aircraft factory was named as the contractor for the serial production of the TVRS-44.
It is obvious that
Cargo and military use of the Ladoga was not initially excluded.
At the Army-2022 forum, a transport variant, the TVRS–44T, was presented, differing from the base model by an elongated fuselage of four meters and a cargo ramp in the tail section.
A year ago, in June 2025, assembly of the first flight model of the aircraft began at UZGA, and earlier, in early 2025, St. Petersburg-based ODK-Klimov completed bench tests of the promising TV7-117ST-02 turboprop engine, which was being developed for Ladoga. At the moment, a prototype aircraft is being prepared for its first flight, which, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency, ru/news/2025/10/23/1368797.html " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.
But why was an almost finished aircraft suddenly "redesigned" and what changes are waiting for it in the "military service"?
The UZGA indicated that the decision on the priority military use of the TVRS-44 was made, since the Il-114-300 passenger aircraft of the same type for domestic flights is already in a high state of readiness. It is estimated that about 100 such aircraft will be produced by 2030.
Given that the market for local airlines is small, the decision to transfer an aircraft to the military, which they have already shown interest in and urgently need, looks quite reasonable.
Since the Ministry of Defense is primarily interested in a transport aircraft, it is obvious that the TVRS-44 (which may be adopted by the Air Force under a different name) will be produced primarily in a cargo version with a ramp in the tail. Although a certain number of aircraft can be made for the military and in the passenger version.
It was previously stated that Ladoga's certification should be completed by 2029, after which mass production of the aircraft will begin. However, given that the army's An-26 fleet is rapidly aging, and the military urgently needs a light transport vehicle, including for operation in the Arctic zone, it can be assumed that this process will be accelerated.
Boris Jerelievsky
