Overhaul of an An-2 for the Ukrainian Navy
Ukrainian military sources report about an An-2 aircraft undergoing a major overhaul for the service with the Naval Aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The repair works are being carried out in Vinnitsa by the OOO Viaz (Vinnitsa Aviation Plant, LLC) which is the only enterprise in Ukraine approved for the repairs of An-2 type aircraft.
The tender for its overhaul was announced back in June in the amount of USD 150.000 and the corresponding contract was signed in accordance with the Vinnitsa Chamber of Commerce and Industry in March 2020.
The An-2T, Bort 07 Yellow (construction number 1G6323) was actively operated by the military of the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade in Saki used for training. Until recently, it was the sole example of the An-2 type in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite its considerable age, the aircraft saw frequent use with paratroopers, special forces units and cadets of military universities undergoing parachute training, especially given its USD 500 flight hour cost compared to USD 2,500-3,000 of a Mi-8 or Mi-14PL/PS helicopter.
Since October 2019, Ukrainian Armed Forces are in possession of another An-2, this time of the An-2R civilian type. This particular aircraft (civil registration UR-40308) has been donated to the the 10th Naval Aviation Brigade by Mr. Yegor Shishkin, a resident of Nikolaev. The plane has first flown in 1986 and served its entire flying life in the Rivne United Air Squadron. It has been withdrawn from service in 2011, put into storage and after the outbreak of the war in Donbass in 2015 bought by Mr. Shishkin.
Prior to the handover, the specialists from the Saki brigade visited the storage site to assess the condition of the aircraft. Despite the rather poor appearance, all mechanisms of the An-2R are in working condition and the aircraft will be repaired at the Vinnitsa plant by 2021 for the estimated cost of USD 70,700.
This month, the naval aviation of the Ukrainian Navy also received two An-26 military transport aircraft, one of which has already arrived at the State Enterprise “Plant 410 CA” for repair and modernisation.
Photos: via mil.in.ua and m.vk.com