The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive the two prototypes of the Ilyushin Il-112V cargo plane in 2021, while the first production units should arrive two years later. The new twin-engine turboprop should eventually replace the Soviet-era An-24 and An-26 transport aircraft.
The Russian Ministry of Defense will be in charge of checking that the new aircraft is well suited to their needs. “We should transfer two prototype aircraft to the Defense Ministry for subsequent state trials by 2021 year-end and upon completion, we expect to supply first serially made aircraft to the Defense Ministry from 2023,” Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov announced.
The Il-112V is the first cargo plane entirely designed by the Russians since the fall of the USSR. It is powered by two UEC Klimov TV-117ST of 3,600 horsepower. The engine is a derivative of the TV7-117V powering the Mi-38 military helicopter. It can carry up to 5 tonnes of cargo and be configured for airdrop, personnel transport and parachuting, and medical evacuation.
Given that the aircraft is due to replace a large and varied number of Soviet-era transport planes by 2030, Manturov said the assembly line could reach an output of 15 Il-112V assembled yearly. Russia also intends to export the plane.