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Russia and India at odds over MTA powerplant | IHS Jane's 360
A dispute between Russia and India over the type of engine to power the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) is threatening to derail the co-development project, it was revealed on 16 December.
With both countries having signed the preliminary design contract for the twin-engined airlifter back in 2012, progress is being stymied by a failure to agree on the powerplant to be fitted, the Indian Economic Times newspaper reported.
According to the publication, Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) wants to adopt a modified version of the Aviadvigtel PS-90A-76 turbofan that already powers the Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid' platform, while representatives from India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are insisting that a totally new engine that features full authority digital engine control (FADEC) be developed instead. Russia is saying that this FADEC requirement has been added too late, and that it is not needed anyhow.
"The PS-90 does not have FADEC but the necessity of such a system was not there in the technical specifications initially. It was added later. The technical requirement [for performance] are fully satisfied with the PS-90 engine," the president of UAC Yury Slyusar told the Economic Times , adding; "So the official status is that we have finished the advanced preliminary design stage over a year ago [and] that has to be accepted by the Indian side. We hope they accept the design and move forward".
With neither side seemingly willing to budge on this issue, the Economic Timesreported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will raise the issue when he visits Moscow later this month to try and find a solution that can get the programme back on-track. If the impasse continues, Russia may proceed with the project unilaterally, the report states.
Assuming it does get built, the MTA is expected to have a payload of between 15 and 20 tonnes and a range of some 2,500 to 2,700 km, which will put it in the same class of airlifter as the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules (22 tonnes) and the Embraer KC-390 (both 23 tonnes).
A dispute between Russia and India over the type of engine to power the Multirole Transport Aircraft (MTA) is threatening to derail the co-development project, it was revealed on 16 December.
With both countries having signed the preliminary design contract for the twin-engined airlifter back in 2012, progress is being stymied by a failure to agree on the powerplant to be fitted, the Indian Economic Times newspaper reported.
According to the publication, Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) wants to adopt a modified version of the Aviadvigtel PS-90A-76 turbofan that already powers the Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid' platform, while representatives from India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are insisting that a totally new engine that features full authority digital engine control (FADEC) be developed instead. Russia is saying that this FADEC requirement has been added too late, and that it is not needed anyhow.
"The PS-90 does not have FADEC but the necessity of such a system was not there in the technical specifications initially. It was added later. The technical requirement [for performance] are fully satisfied with the PS-90 engine," the president of UAC Yury Slyusar told the Economic Times , adding; "So the official status is that we have finished the advanced preliminary design stage over a year ago [and] that has to be accepted by the Indian side. We hope they accept the design and move forward".
With neither side seemingly willing to budge on this issue, the Economic Timesreported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will raise the issue when he visits Moscow later this month to try and find a solution that can get the programme back on-track. If the impasse continues, Russia may proceed with the project unilaterally, the report states.
Assuming it does get built, the MTA is expected to have a payload of between 15 and 20 tonnes and a range of some 2,500 to 2,700 km, which will put it in the same class of airlifter as the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules (22 tonnes) and the Embraer KC-390 (both 23 tonnes).