Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd on Monday signed a three-way general contract with its Russian partners for developing military transport planes.

The signatories are Russia's United Aircraft Corporation - Transport Aircraft and HAL's equal joint venture with UAc - MTAL.

"The MRTA will be developed in the 15-20 tonne class jointly by Indian and Russian Agencies to meet the requirement of 100 aircraft for the Russian Air Force, 45 aircraft for the IAF and 60 for third countries. The total requirement [at] present is 205 [planes," a release said.

The teams will work in tandem in Moscow and India, a HAL release here said.

The aircraft will be used to transport cargo, troops; for paradropping supplies, to perform in low altitude parachute extraction system.

An inter-governmental agreement was signed a few years back to jointly design, develop and produce the MTAs.

The joint venture - Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd. - was formed among HAL, UAC-TA and Rosoboronexport.

HAL will design and develop its workshare of the MRTA (multi-role transport aircraft) at the Aircraft R&D Centre, Bangalore. Its Transport Aircraft Division at Kanpur will make the prototypes and later produce the planes. HAL is setting up new facilities for the MRTA at Kanpur.

HAL’s other R&D centres and manufacturing divisions will share the works related to development of systems, LRUs and manufacture of components, sub assemblies and composite structure.

Work on preliminary design will start immediately on signing the follow-up contract; The three parties have completed the discussions.

"The primary objective is to achieve self-reliance in design, development and production of aircraft of this size and also to manage the programme with international collaboration and large number of global suppliers," HAL said.

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