Military tests of Il-112 light transport aircraft will be started in 2019; deliveries of the vehicle will be started the same year, TASS reports with reference to General Designer of Ilyushin Company, Nikolai Talikov.

“Deliveries of production Il-112 transport aircraft may be started in 2019. Its military tests will also be started in 2019,” he said.

Earlier Deputy Minister of Defense, Yuri Borisov, said that the first Il-112 aircraft should perform its maiden flight in 2017. The armed forces expect VASO to start mass production of Il-112 in 2019; at least 35 vehicles of the type should be delivered to Russian Ministry of Defense.

Il-112 light transport aircraft (payload – 6 tons) should replace An-24 and An-26 vehicles. Ilyushin Company won the tender for development of the light military-transport aircraft in 2003. Initially, deliveries of Il-112 should have been started in 2006.