Ukraine delivers upgraded military transports to India

Despite Ukraine's military and political crisis with Russia, a state-owned company managed to deliver upgraded military air transports to India through the aid of European countries.

Ukraine’s Ukroboronprom and its Spectechoexport subsidiary have shipped upgraded An-32 transports to India despite Ukraine’s military and political problems.

Ukroboronprom, a government-owned organization, said the aircraft were allowed by “European partners” to transit their airspace late last month in their journey from Kiev to Kanpur, India. It did not, however, provide details on the route taken after the aircraft departed the Ukrainian capital.

The An-32, manufactured by Ukraine’s Antonov, was first produced in the mid-1970s. It is a twin-engine turboprop with a maximum speed of 329 miles per hour and a range of 1,553 miles. The planes were upgraded for India under a 2009 contract with an overall value of about $400 million.

Under the deal, a total of 40 An-32s were to be upgraded in Ukraine for the Indian military and more than 60 others in India.

The modernized aircraft feature collision warning equipment, collision-with-ground early warning equipment, satellite navigation, new radar and oxygen equipment. Under a separate contract between India and Motor Sich OJSC, aircraft engines of the An-32s have been upgraded.

“We are sure that our Indian partners are satisfied with a high quality of our work, conducted by Ukrainian enterprises,” said Yuriy Tereshenko, temporary director general of Ukroboronprom. “India was and remains a strategic Ukrainian partner in the area of military technical cooperation.”

Ukroboronprom did not detail the number of planes sent to India, but said delivery of the batch brings the number of An-32s modernized in Ukraine to 35.


Source: By Richard Tomkins, UPI News – 2 April 2014

Photo: Upgraded IAF An-32 transport planes - Serial:K3604, Unit: AHQ Communication Squadron, Location: Visakhapatnam, 2006-01 (Photo by Mrityunjoy Mazumdar / bharat-rakshak.com)


(2.04.2014)