OREANDA-NEWS. On 26 August 2009 was announced, that Dmytro Kiva, General Designer of ANTONOV ASTC, spoke at the Second European Congress on Transport Aviation, which was held at MAKS-2009. Mr. Kiva told about present status of program of AN-70 STOL military transport and its further development. He noted, that the aircraft confirmed its wide ability in the program of Joint state test, main part of which had been already completed. In particular AN-70 confirmed its ability to take off and land at short runways, including unpaved airfields, with length of 600 m only and under such condition carry 20 t of cargo over a distance of 3000 km. The aircraft performs high-precision aerial delivery of paratroopers and freights.

On its characteristics, AN-70 overpasses all the existent analogues. For example, European A400M is inferior to it as for cargo capacity and cargo compartment volume. According to Mr. Kiva, “the ramp military airlifters are a field of high technologies where both Russia and Ukraine still have uncontestable competitive advantage as compared to other aerospace countries of the globe”.

At present, the partners on the program work on modernization of An-70 and its systems. Serial production of 5 airplanes of the initial batch was launched. Construction of the two first aircraft to be completed in 2010-2011.

On August 20, on the second day of the Congress, presentation of AN-70 was held. Participants of the Congress – representatives of Ministries and Departments, leaders and chief specialists of industry and cargo airlines surveyed the aircraft and appreciated innovative technologies implemented in its development. They paid a special attention to spacious cargo compartment of An-70 and its engines.