Contract concluded to design super-heavy transport plane as An-124 Ruslan's replacement - Ilyushin report
MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax) - A contract has been concluded to design a super-heavy transport plane as a replacement for Ukraine's Antonov An-124 Ruslan, PJSC Ilyushin said in its annual report.
"The pre-contractual phase of the super-heavy military transport plane R&D project is over, and a contract for accomplishing the third-to-fifth phases of the project has been signed," the report, which was published by the Center for Disclosure of Corporate Information on Tuesday, said.
According to the report, Ilyushin explored options of designing the new military transport plane in 2018.
It also continued to modernize, repair, and extend the service life of An-124 planes, alongside repairing D-18T engines.
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) President Yury Slyusar told Interfax in August 2018 that the corporation was discussing the concept of the prospective military transport plane with the Russian Defense Ministry.
Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said earlier that Russia will begin experimental development of the new super-heavy transport plane as An-124 Ruslan's replacement, after 2025.
Russia stopped An-124 production in 2003, but continued profound modernization and effort to maintain the planes' airworthiness. The Ulyanovsk Aircraft Plant built a total of 36 An-124 jumbo jets.