Russian government decided that a 130-seat aircraft (designated Sukhoi Superjet NG) must be added to the product line of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Vedomosti reports with reference to the Deputy Minister of Indistry and Trade, Yuri Slusar.  

The financing of this project will be started in 2016. The required amount of financing will be defined after the completion of research, which is being carried by UAC using its own funds, the Deputy minster noted. A representative of UAC confirmed the information: «At present the project does not require significant investments. About 300 million rubles are allocated for it annually». 

«The NG project will become a connecting link between Sukhoi SuperJet 100 manufactured by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) and MS-21 developed by Irkut Corporation», — the UAC’s representative added. The center section of SuperJet 100’s airframe will be stretched and used in the design of NG. The rest components will be more like ones used for MS-21. Irkut has dropped the idea of developing a 150-seat MS-21-200 aircraft.  

Thus the smallest member of MS-21 Family will have 180 seats, while the SuperJet NG will be positioned in 90-160 seat segment. It is possible that UAC will be manufacturing all the aircraft under a single brand in future. 

NG will derive MS-21’s composite wing and engines of the PW 1000G Family (instead of PD-14), a source close to UAC noted. SaM146 engine manufactured by NPO Saturn in cooperation with Snecma (France), which powers SSJ 100 jets, does not have enough thrust for 130-seat aircraft. It will be used only for SuperJet Stretch version seating 115 passengers (SSJ has 90-110 seats). The first serial Stretch should be put into operation in 2016 and the first NG — in 2019-2020, the source said. 

Technical solutions developed in the network of MS-21 and SuperJet projects will be incorporated in the design of NG significantly lowering the cost of its development (about several hundred million dollars), the source added. For example, about $8 billion dollars will be invested in MS-21 project ($3,5 billion – from the federal budget and the rest $4.5 billion – from the Irkut Corporation’s own funds).