Voronezh-based enterprise will start production of two new tanker aircraft derived from Il-96-400T jets for Russian Ministry of Defense in 2015, TASS reports with reference to VASO (Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Company) CTO Alexander Anokhin.

According to him, there is a lot of work to do, but “the enterprise has implemented even more serious projects before, for example, development of passenger airliner derived from cargo aircraft”. “The production should be completed in 2018 and we believe that we would deliver the jets on schedule,” Anokhin added.

Commander-in-Chief of the Russian air forces, Viktor Bondarev, told journalists at Aviadarts-2014 that the armed forces consider wide-body Il-96 aircraft as a platform for development of tanker and cargo aircraft. He added, “It is a huge liner able to transport large cargo”.

Il-96 is a passenger wide-body medium- and long-haul aircraft developed by Ilyushin design bureau in late 1980s. The jet performed its maiden flight in 1988; its mass production was started 1993 by VASO.