Kazakhstan to buy two new military transport aircraft from Russia

Russia and Kazakhstan will soon sign a contract for the supply of new military transport aircraft IL-76MD-90A, also known as IL-476.

An informed source in the military and diplomatic circles told Izvestia Newspaper, Russia, Kazakh Air Force should receive two new flying transporters.

“At the moment, the contract is in a high degree of readiness, it is planned to be signed in the next 1.5-2 months. Kazakhstan has a need in these aircraft as soon as possible, so approval comes quickly enough”, the informed source in the military and diplomatic circles told Izvestia. “So far, Kazakhstan has decided to buy two IL-76MD-90As. It has been unknown so far whether purchases of these planes will continue after this contract or not. The parties agreed that they would return to the issue of supply after the final performance of this contract”.

The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) confirmed Izvestia that negotiations withKazakhstanare under way, and in the course of the military-technical exhibition KADEX that was organized in Astana, Kazakhstan, this summer, IL-76MD-90A has attracted attention of Kazakh experts and military. In this regard, the UAC preferred not to comment this contract for the aircraft supply to Kazakhstan.

According to Izvestia, IL-476 equipment for Kazakh Air Force is somewhat poorer than that of similar machines for Air Space Forces (ASF) of Russia. In particular, two planes forKazakhstanwill have no President-S self-defense systems on-board, as well as an optic-electronic station, allowing to fly at extremely low altitudes at night and in adverse weather conditions.

Stanislav Pritchin, Researcher, Instituteof Oriental Studies of the RAS (Russian Academyof Science) stressed that development of relations with Kazakhstan was one of the important directions of the Russian foreign policy.

“Kazakhstan is our closest ally in the former Soviet Union and is one of the key partners in the framework of the CSTO and EAEC,” the expert said. “Security of Kazakhstan is very important for the Russian Federation, because we have the longest continuous state border in the world. We are very interested to have the most stable situation in Kazakhstan”.