Sochi. May 27. INTERFAX-The Russian Defense Ministry needs a much larger number of military transport planes and helicopters, President Vladimir Putin said.
"According to the data provided, the Ministry of Defense needs a much larger number of military transport aircraft and helicopters," Putin said on Thursday at a meeting with the leadership of the Defense Ministry and representatives of the defense industry. According to him, the high readiness of the fleet largely determines the mobility of troops and the possibility of their rapid transfer over long distances.
"For our country, with its vast territory, the largest territory in the world, this is of particular importance for our army to be compact, as we always say, but effective. This is also important for successful amphibious operations, " the President said.
In his opinion, the Russian Federation has some successes and good groundwork in this area. "With the use of domestic components, the technical serviceability of the AN-124 super-heavy transport aircraft is maintained. The state tests of the IL-112B light transport vehicle are being completed, and two such aircraft are planned to be delivered this year, " the president said. -Production of IL-76 is resumed on a new technological basis. By the end of the year, five production IL-76MD-90A aircraft should be transferred to the troops."
