On September 8th 2014 the Deputy Minister of Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, Vladimir Artamonov, and President of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), Mikhail Pogosyan, signed an agreement to increase the efficiency of using new aviation technologies in the network of emergency response and expand the functional capabilities in terms of using indigenous aircraft to protect and rescue people, press-service of EMERCOM reports.
«The agreement assumes creation of tactical and economic conditions for delivery of 8 Sukhoi SuperJet 100 (SSJ 100) aircraft and 6 upgraded Il-76 transport aircraft to aviation units of EMERCOM in 2016-2025. Moreover, head of Re-Equipment and Contracts Directorate of EMERCOM, Beslan Gogokhia, and President of UAC, Mikhail Pogosyan, signed state contracts. Under these agreements 2 SSJ 100 liners will be delivered to EMERCOM in 2015», - press-service of EMERCOM reports.
In order to use the aviation efficiently in the network of relief and medevac operations carried out in Russia and other countries, the units of EMERCOM must operate state-of-the-art aircraft. The ministry thoroughly analyzed the performance of aircraft manufactured in Russia and foreign countries. On the basis of the ministry’s objectives EMERCOM elaborated performance specifications for production and deliveries of short-haul aircraft, the press-service added.
By means of purchasing SSJ 100 liners the ministry adds state-of-the-art aircraft with a convertible layout to its fleet; these vehicles allow fulfilling all the EMERCOM’s tasks, including: transportation of EMERCOM’s response teams and humanitarian aid to disaster areas; medevac operations (aircraft will be fitted with medical modules meeting the highest standards and allowing medics to provide medical aid to a patient during flight); radiological and chemical reconnaissance (aircraft will be fitted with special equipment – thermal imaging device and dosimeter, which allows monitoring the radiation environment).
«Special search equipment allows searching for ground and surface objects, points of fire outbreak via monitoring of ground and water surface. In order to manage the units of EMERCOM efficiently during operations, the aircraft will be fitted with equipment, which allows controlling the EMERCOM teams as well as holding videoconferences with National Emergency Management Centers (NEMCs) and administrations of regions, where the rescue operation is carried out. Under the signed contract UAC will also deliver ground support, test and control equipment; train flight and maintenance personnel as well as cabin crews of EMERCOM at Zhukovsky-based state-of-the-art training center fitted with cutting-edge simulators and other equipment. The maintenance personnel will be trained to operate the aircraft and prepare it for the flight», - the ministry’s press-service added.
