Irkut Offered to Bid
The 8th Lima-2005 show of aircraft and marine machinery closed in the Langkawi Island, Malaysia, December 11, 2005. Commander-In-Chief of Malaysian Air Forces, General Nick Ismail Nick Mohamad, who apparently liked Russia’s Yak-130 operational trainer, offered to Irkut Corp. to put up the aircraft for a tender. The matter in hand is delivery of up to 30 planes for $600 million, said Konstantin Popovich, chief designer at Yakovlev Design Bureau.
Unlike other air shows, the deals are rarely clinched in Lima. And even if any contracts are made, their budgets never match the $20 billion posted by results of Dubai Airshow-2005 held in November. In Langkawi, the sole agreement was concluded between European EADS and the Air Forces of Malaysia for a total worth of ˆ200 million.
The Langkawi show is famous for pre-contract activities, including performance of combat potential of the machinery, said a source with Rosoboronexport. As to Lima-2005, Russia apparently staked on a light Yak-130 operational trainer. Put in the service with Russia’s Air Forces, the plane undergoes certification tests now, but Irkut Corp. (where Yakovlev Design Bureau is a member) forwarded a plane for Lima-2005, where it turned out the only plane of Russia performing at the demonstration flights.
Moscow proved right in calculation. Malaysian Vice PM and Defense Minister Mohamad Najib noticed the plane at the very opening. Commander-In-Chief of the Air Forces, General Nick Ismail Mohamad suggested Irkut put up Yak-130 for the tender to be held in January or February.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 12, 2005
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