To protect its economic interests at sea, Indonesia plans to purchase 8-15 Be-103 amphibian aircraft from Russia, said Boris Bergman, deputy general director of the Sukhoi Company, according to Aviation News from Russia on AVIA.RU on Dec. 10.

He said the Sukhoi Company arranged a presentation of Be-103 for the Indonesian Minister of Fishery and Sea Transport. Indonesia doesn't plan to use Be-103 for passenger carriage, but as a special-purpose aircraft, reports aeroinfo.com.cn.

He added that in the future Be-103 will be used in its special-purpose modification. A purchase of this aircraft may be repaid very quickly owing to its tangible economic effects where it operates in the interests of customs, forest protection and other special-purpose services.

According to Mr. Bergman, the Be-103 ideally fits Indonesia and other countries of Southeast Asia. He said the company will deliver 20 Be-103 aircraft to China. It also plans to sign a contract with Brazil for delivering eight of the aircraft.

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The Be-103 is an amphibian aircraft, jointly developed and produced by the Beriev Aviacomplex at Taganrog and the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Gagarin Aircraft Complex. It is mainly intended for short-distance aviation lines, such as in the areas of Siberia, the Fast East, in the northern parts of the European part in Russia and coastal and island countries as well as rivers, lakes and other small areas that the other transportation facilities are difficult to reach.

It is suitable for many transportation tasks, such cargo and passenger transportation, administrative business liaison, emergency medical aid, risk rescue, mail delivery, ecological monitoring of waterways (sampling if necessary), aerial photo-taking, commercial tourism, forestry monitoring and protection, and marine and economic zone patrol. For military purpose, it can be used for command and reconnaissance, such as the installation of weaponry and military operation.

There are six crewmembers for Be-103 aircraft (one pilot and five passengers or two pilots and four passengers) with a covering distance of 1,100 kilometers and a cruising speed of 240 kilometers per hour. The plane can flight at night with seaworthiness, sea state, measuring two-wave height (0.6 m). Each costs some 1 million US dollars.

By People's Daily Online