OREANDA-NEWS. Chairman of the European Union Military Committee General Henri Bentegeat highly assessed the potential of the Ukrainian Antonov Design Office stating that "the EU is very interested in using the reliable Antonov aircraft", reported the Official website www.kmu.gov.ua.

In the course of his visit to the Design Office the general was familiarized in detail with the capacities of the heavy transport An-124-100 Ruslan, which, according to Mr. Bentegeat is well-known and in demand in Europe.

The Design Office presented the capabilities of the firefighter An-32. The plane is capable of performing all the tasks stipulated by the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center, including on deliveries of humanitarian cargoes, evacuation and fire-fighting. It proved its might during the wildfires in Albania.

By close 2007 Ukraine will bring out the first new regional passenger An-148 and intends to manufacture 24 such aircraft per year.