Russia needs An-124 «Ruslan» aircraft and modernized Il-76s. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin at a combined direct line and press conference at the Gostiny Dvor.
According to him, the creation of such aircraft requires high-tech production and extensive cooperation between different enterprises.
Are aircraft like «Ruslan» needed? Overall, yes, and the modernized Il-76 is also needed — we will develop everything, everything is needed, it is very important. There are issues here that require additional solutions, and there are many additional issues, but we will definitely deal with all of this.
It is worth recalling that a few weeks ago, the authorities of the Ulyanovsk region announced plans to build new transport aircraft — Il-106 «Elephant» and Il-276, which could become a direct replacement for «Ruslans» and a lighter version of the Il-76, respectively.
Aviation expert Roman Gusarov, in an interview with «The First Technical», suggested that in the near future it is definitely not worth waiting for these transports.
Also, the head of the Aviaport agency, Oleg Panteleev, in an interview with «The First Technical», emphasized that reviving the production of the An-124 in Russia is pointless, since when designing a new aircraft and for comparable costs, you can get a more modern version of it.