Well I imagine this will kill any competition to the A-400M (if and when it gets the go-ahead) from the AN-70.
JDW - 27 Jan:
Col Gen Vladimir Mikhailov, commander-in-chief of the Russian Federation Air Forces (RFAF), used a 15 January press conference in Moscow to launch a scathing criticism of the Russian/Ukrainian An-70 transport aircraft.
Although around $3.5 billion has been spent on the project over the last 16 years, the official noted that "382 failures, including 52 engine stops, happened during 386 hours of flight" and described these results as unsatisfactory. "The An-70 was intended as a replacement for the An-12, but the project began growing and unnecessarily neared the class of the Il-76," Gen Mikhailov said. Russia needs an aircraft with a cargo capacity of around 20 tonnes to replace the An-12, but the An-70's normal payload of 35 tonnes and maximum payload of 47 tonnes puts the aircraft outside this class.
"We have to admit that an error has been made and choose another aircraft," said the air force chief, identifying Russia's proposed Tu-330 and Il-214 projects as possible An-12 replacements. The Tu-330 concept shares 70% commonality with the Tu-204 airliner, while the Il-214 is a collaborative effort with India, which will provide 47% of the aircraft's development costs.
Gen Mikhailov went on to describe the modernised Il-76MF as both cheaper and "about 2.8 times better" than the An-70. The RFAF has around 220 Il-76s, most of which are in the MD configuration and are suitable for upgrade to the enhanced standard, new-build examples of which could also be acquired.....
...Plans to manufacture an initial five aircraft for each country from 2002-04 are now viewed as unrealistic because the RFAF is no longer funding the project, said Leonid Terentyev, director of the Russian-Ukrainian Medium Transport Aircraft consortium.......