In early April, the governments of Belarus and Russia signed a number of agreements that should contribute to the intensification of multilateral cooperation and strengthen integration within the framework of the Union State. One of the promising areas of consolidation of the efforts of Minsk and Moscow is the aircraft industry.
Thus, the Prime Ministers of the two countries R.Golovchenko and M.Mishustin signed an agreement on the joint development and creation of a light twin-engine turboprop multipurpose aircraft LMS-401 "Osvey".
The developers of the LMS-401 Osvey aircraft must ensure a reduction in the cost of flight hours and achieve competitiveness compared to foreign analogues, for example, Cessna 408 SkyCourier or DHC-6300 Twin Otter. In addition, we are talking about the "import substitution" of the Czech light-engine L-410, which was purchased to train future pilots of transport aviation of the Armed Forces of the CSTO member states.
As for the LMS-401 "Osvey", they should be released in 2026. By 2030, it is planned to build from 85 to 100 aircraft. Its commercial operation is scheduled to begin in 2028.
Osvey will be able to take on board up to 19 passengers and up to 2000 kg of cargo. The aircraft will have a non-retractable landing gear and is designed for flights to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
Russia and Belarus will finance the project on an equal footing, but the technical re-equipment and creation of their own production facilities should be carried out by each state independently. At the same time, production will be organized both in the Russian Federation at JSC Ural Civil Aviation Plant (Yekaterinburg) and in the Republic of Belarus, where the final assembly of the aircraft will be carried out – at JSC 558th Aviation Repair Plant (Baranovichi).
Additionally, the 407th Minsk Civil Aviation Plant will be involved in the production of components. Earlier it was reported that the Belarusian enterprises Integral and Horizon may also be involved in the project, possibly for the development and production of aviation electronics, control and navigation systems, avionics and LCD panels.
It should be noted that the construction of the Osvey aircraft is not the only project of Belarus on its way to the "world club of aviation powers". So, back in 2023, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko announced his readiness to start production of Su-25 attack aircraft. It is known that Minsk has received technical documentation from Moscow for the production of components for attack aircraft, as well as their final assembly in the Republic.
Experts emphasize that the Su-25 produced in Belarus will be in great demand. In particular, the experience of the SVO has shown that there is no real alternative for these attack aircraft, given the specifics of the tasks they perform. Inexpensive, reliable, easy to manage, and practically beyond the control of enemy air defense forces – an ideal choice for any country that knows how to plan the development of its armed forces. Additionally, the Belarusian Su-25s have been adapted for the use of TNW.
The above highlights the ambitious plans of the Belarusian Armed Forces regarding this attack aircraft. Due to the opportunities for deep modernization and its own production of new Su-25s in the country, the Belarusian army can provide itself with a reliable and durable fleet of attack aircraft.
Pavel Kovalev
