Russia, Kazakhstan to jointly produce Il-103M utility aircraft.

Russia`s Ilyushin Company (a subsidiary of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC)) and Kazakhstan`s Kazakh Aviation Plant (KAZ) are planning to establish in Kazakhstan a manufacturing facility to build upgraded Ilyushin Il-103M light utility aircraft under license, according to the press department of the UAC.

Ilyushin Il-103 light utility aircraft
(Credit: Ilyushin)

"At the 15th Interregional Cooperation Forum held in Petropavlovsk [the Republic of Kazakhstan], Russia and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding [MoU] on the manufacturing and market promotion of the Il-103M light utility aircraft. The sides are planning to establish a joint venture [JV] that will provide manufacturing, sales and after-sales support," the corporation said in a statement.

"The establishing of the JV is scheduled for 2019, and the first serial aircraft will be delivered to the customer in 2022," said Ilyushin`s Director General Alexey Rogozin.

The Il-103M is an upgraded variant of the Il-103 plane that was certified in Russia in February 1996. According to Ilyushin, the baseline aircraft is 8 m long and 3.135 m high and has a wingspan of 10.56 m. It is powered by a single IO-360ES prop engine with a power output of 210 hp, producing a cruise speed of 180-225 km/h and a range of up to 750 km. The Il-103 has a maximum take-off weight of 1,310 kg and a maximum payload of 350 kg.

The Republic of Korea (ROK) is the biggest operator of the Il-103, with 23 aircraft being in service.