The Ilyushin Il-276 is a medium-airlift military transport aircraft initially planned by the United Aircraft Corporation of Russia, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited of India. The two companies began the joint venture in 2009, when it was expected that each would be investing US$300 million in the project. The MTA was intended to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing fleet of Antonov An-32transport aircraft. It is designed to perform regular transport duties and also to deploy paratroopers. The aircraft was expected to conduct its first flight by 2017, and to enter service by 2018. In January 2016 it was announced that the India's HAL would no longer be involved in the project and that Russia would proceed with the project alone.
Design and development
In October 2009, former Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony made an official visit to Russia, during which the two countries formally incorporated the joint venture. The governments of Russia and India agreed to produce the aircraft for their respective armed forces and for friendly third-party countries, and to develop a civilian variant of the MTA in the form of a 100-seater passenger airplane, for which Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd – owned by the Indian government – will be the lead partner and principal integrator. The Indian portion of the MTA's serial production would take place at HAL's Transport Aircraft Division in Kanpur. India and Russia finalised arrangements to support the MTA's development with a contribution of US$300.35 million. Russia's United Aircraft Corporation and India's HAL will set up a subsidiary company to develop the aircraft. The new company, supported by US$600.7 million in funding, will begin work on developing the MTA immediately. HAL Chairman and Managing Director Ashok Nayak confirmed that India would acquire 45 aircraft and Russia 105. There would, however, be scope for exporting the aircraft, both for civil and military use, and more MTAs could be manufactured. In October 2012, HAL signed a preliminary design contract with UAC, stipulating that joint design work would begin in Moscow, involving 30 Indian engineers as well as UAC's design team. In February 2015, India cancelled its existing international tender on medium-lift military transport aircraft, formalising its intent to purchase the MTA. In March 2015, it was reported that international work sharing issues had slowed the MTA project's progress, though it remained underway. The aircraft is expected to be powered by Russian-made Aviadvigatel PD-14M turbofan engines attached to top-mounted wings, and will have a T-shaped tail. The cabin size would be similar to the Ilyushin Il-76, but will be half the length, supporting a maximum payload of of military or civilian cargo. The aircraft's maximum range is expected to be, and its top speed will be around. On 13 January 2016, Russian state media reported that Ilyushin had "frozen" the Russian-Indian project, and that Russia would assume full responsibility for detailed design and production of the aircraft. In October 2017, Russian newspaperIzvestia reported that in June 2017 the aircraft received new official name Il-276. Earlier in the Russian media the project MTA-SVTS was called Il-214. It was also reported that at the present the military department is in talks with Russian aircraft builders about timing of the program and creating the Il-276. It's already certain that Russia will need no less than 55 units of this aircraft.
