Greek Jet Trainer Requirement
Is First Export Target For MiG-AT

Invitations for Requests for Proposals expected from the Greek Defense Department later this year for about 40 new advanced jet-trainers are seen by the Franco-Russian MiG-AT partnership as a potential initial breakthrough for their joint marketing efforts.

Speaking to the press at Le Bourget on Sunday, MiG Russian Aircraft Company general director and general designer Nikolai Nikitin said that Greek requirements (to replace Rockwell T-2 Buckeyes) are sufficiently urgent to expect a decision by early 2002. The MiG-AT consortium is geared to achieve initial deliveries within about 15 months of contract signature, to meet Greek timescales, although a launch order for about 50 aircraft would be necessary to offset preliminary R&D investment.

Nikitin said that as the first production standard advanced jet trainer to feature fly-by-wire flight-controls programmable to simulate different combat aircraft, and glass cockpit technologies, the MiG-AT was currently unique. Marketing efforts are also continuing in India and elsewhere, including the Middle East and Latin America.

Over the past nine years, MiG-AT development and flight-testing of two prototypes has reached the final stages of Russian certification clearance, which will incorporate many of the airworthiness requirements of French military standards. The French government is also backing Snecma and Thales by making up to 400 million francs in credits available for their joint MiG-AT trainer program with MiG RAC.

In addition to five Larzac 04-R20 turbofans provided for development and technical assistance, MiG has already bought 30 engines from French production for its first 15 ATs, said Thierry Hurtes, Snecma Military Engines export sales director. Snecma's approximately 25% share in the MiG-AT program also includes agreement with Klimov for their in-house technical support, and potential licensed production, plus possible joint development to increase Larzac output from 3,175-pounds-thrust to 3,748-pounds-thrust. This would match the power of the Soyuz/Chernyshev RD-1700, now being developed as a possible alternative for Russian air force Russian MiG-ATs, if ordered.

According to Marketing Director Marc Sorel, Thales' MiG-AT partnership, amounts to around 15% of investment in the basic aircraft of around $12-13 million, including provision of its advanced technology Topflight modular avionics suite. This is based on a new computer, dual laser-gyro INS, and dual MFD 55 multi-function liquid-crystal color displays in each cockpit. Production, in partnership with Elektroavtomatika and Ramenskoya Avionika in Russia, is scheduled to start after certification, in early 2002. Some $8 million more will be needed to complete MiG-AT R&D investment. Potential MiG-AT sales estimates are based on securing about 25% of forecast global requirements for around 1,500 aircraft in this category.