Russia and Italy to promote training aircraft

Russia and Italy intend to promote the joint venture, Yak-130 training aircraft on the international market, a RIA Novosti correspondent was told by Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin's secretary.

On Tuesday, Alyoshin met with representatives of the Italian aerospace holding company, Finmeccanica. Giorgio Braccdeli, chief of the Aermacchi concern, and Giorgio Zappa, chairman of the board of directors of the Italian companies Alenia Aeronautica, Alenia Spacio and Telespacio, were present at the meeting.

"We regard co-operation with Italian companies in aerospace projects as fairly promising for Russia," Alyoshin said during the talks.

Yak-130 is being developed as a training aircraft, but it can also be used as an attack plane. Recently, the Yak-130 won a contract with the Russian Armed Forces.

Also discussed at the meeting was Russia and Italy's co-operation in manufacturing satellites and space systems, communication satellites and systems for a distance reconnaissance of the Earth.

The talks also covered the construction of unmanned aircraft and the development of navigation systems for transpolar flights of civil aviation planes.

The participants in the meeting told a RIA Novosti correspondent that flights across Russia's territory were one of the most promising world projects, as they considerably reduce the flight time.