Ukraine is considering the prospect of reviving its own aircraft manufacturing by establishing joint production of aircraft with India. According to Valentyn Badrak, director of the Center for Army Research, such cooperation would attract significant funding that could be directed towards the development of long-range air-to-air missiles with a range of up to 200 km.
This is reported by Finway
India as a Strategic Partner in Military-Technical Cooperation
Valentyn Badrak emphasizes that India is gradually reducing its cooperation with the Russian Federation and increasingly orienting itself towards the United States and European countries. This trend makes it an important strategic partner for Ukraine in the field of military-technical cooperation. Currently, New Delhi is interested in joint production of aircraft engines with Kyiv and may become a buyer of modern military transport aircraft such as the An-178 in the future.
Reviving Aircraft Manufacturing and New Projects
Experts believe that the production of An-178 aircraft can be organized directly on Indian territory, which would effectively restore the lost potential of Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing. It is worth noting that since April 2015, after Antonov joined the state concern Ukroboronprom, no new aircraft have been built.
“During his visit to Kyiv in August 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted on the establishment of joint defense enterprises in India,” the expert recalled.
The implementation of joint projects with India could provide a powerful impetus for the revival of the Ukrainian aviation industry and the development of new types of weapons.