Vladimir Karnozov/MOSCOW
Russia's Ministry for Emergencies (MChS) is planning to take delivery of two Kamov Ka-226 helicopters in the second half of 2002 and up to three Beriev Be-200 amphibian twinjets by the end of next year.
The aircraft will supplement the ministry's 41-strong fleet, according to Lt Gen Rafail Zakirov, chief of the MChS air arm. The Be-200 will be allocated to fire-fighting, search-and-rescue, rescue team delivery and medical evacuation duties, while the Ka-226 will primarily be used over large cities on medical, patrol and ecological monitoring operations.
The new aircraft will be equipped with advanced night flying systems to have round-the-clock capability. "We shall rescue people day or night, so the night flight capability is important to us," Zakirov says, admitting that fulfiling this requirement necessitates installation of western avionics, leading to an increase in the acquisition price, set at $18-25 million each for the Be-200 and $1-1.5 million for the Ka-226.
MChS anticipates the new aircraft will considerably boost the overall capability of its fleet and eliminate the shortage of medium-sized aircraft. Zakirov says: "We have mastered and perfected technologies of using heavy aircraft and helicopters, but we clearly lack smaller machines."
MChS decided not to buy two Antonov An-74 twinjets and instead acquire additional Be-200s, on top of the seven aircraft ordered in 1997, as the newer machine promises higher performance, it says. MChS plans to offer Be-200 services to Greece following a year of operational trials and crew training.
Source: Flight International
