Ukraine, Turkey to move to practical implementation of An-188 project

Ukraine and Turkey will soon move to the practical implementation of a joint project to create a military transport aircraft, the An-188.

The aircraft will be built by Kyiv-based state-run enterprise (SE) Antonov, which is part of state-run Ukroboronprom Concern.

The decision to launch the project was made during the international Eurasia 2018 airshow hosted by the Turkish city of Antalya last week, Ukroboronprom's press service said.

"The project of the military transport aircraft involves westernization of all components, the implementation of modern and reliable engineering solutions, as well as full compliance with NATO standards – both in terms of equipment and the use of the aircraft," it reported.

Under the project, this will be a promising military transport turbojet aircraft with a carrying capacity of up to 50 tonnes. It will be capable of carrying military equipment of all kinds, military and construction equipment, helicopters, up to 300 members of military personnel, as well as humanitarian cargo, pallets and containers.

"The An-188 will be capable of basing on different airfields, including air strips, and landing on short runways of only 600-800 meters in length. This greatly expands the number of airfields the aircraft can be used on, ensuring the high efficiency of the new aircraft," Ukroboronprom said.

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In addition, the project involves using modern cost-effective turbojet engines, providing not only high speed but also a significant range of flight.

As reported earlier, SE Antonov unveiled the Ukrainian-Turkish project of the An-188 during the Eurasia 2018 airshow.

UNIAN memo. SE Antonov is Ukraine's major and only manufacturer of transport, passenger and special-purpose aircraft. Among the most recognizable projects are the An-32, An-148, An-158, An-74, An-124, An-70, and An-225 aircraft.