Ukraine’s Armed Forces plan to order up to eight new An-74 multipurpose transport jets to start replacing its aging An-26 fleet, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleh Uruskiy

Ukraine’s Armed Forces plan to order up to eight new An-74 multipurpose transport jets to start replacing its aging An-26 fleet, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleh Uruskiy writes on Facebook. The orders would go to Kharkiv State Aircraft Production Enterprise, a manufacturer that has not completed a plane since 2014. However, the factory has six An-74s on its assembly lines, about 70-90% complete, reports Defence Blog. Four planes would go to Ukraine’s Air Force for transport and four would to the Navy for maritime patrol. Between 1985 and 2004, the factory made 62 An-74s. The need to upgrade Ukraine’s military transport became clear last September when a 43-year-old An-26 crashed near Kharkiv, killing 26 Air Force cadets and instructors.