The contract on the first stage of MTA multi-role transport aircraft development was signed by MTAL, a joint-venture between Russia and India (customer), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and UAC-Transport Aircraft (contractors), press-service of United Aircraft Corporation reports. AEX.ru

"The signing of this contract gives an official start to design activities performed in accordance with the technical specifications approved by Indian and Russian Ministries of Defense (MoD) and also opens the financing of this work. Control over the fulfillment of requirements specified in the technical specifications on all the stages of this project will be exercised by the representatives of Indian and Russian MoDs", - the corporation noted.

The contract was signed by CEO of MTAL – N.C. Agarwal, CEO of UAC-Transport Aircraft (UAC-TA), S.V. Velmozhkin, and Director (Design & Development) of HAL,Shri T Suvarna Raju.

"The long and complicated preparatory phase of the first joint project of Russia and India in the area of transport aircraft is finally over. The project assumes development of the new aircraft “from the ground up” on a parity basis. A large group of Indian engineers will arrive in Moscow soon to work on the project together with the Russian specialists. All the engineering facilities required for their work have already been prepared by UAC-TA", - UAC explained.