Russia Attempted to Sell Fake An-74 Aircraft to Peru via UAE

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Peru canceled a $63 million tender for the purchase of an An-74 aircraft.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Antonov State Enterprise, a front company from the UAE affiliated with the Russian Federation was exposed, according to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Pucara Defensa.

Russian intermediaries attempted to sell a non-existent aircraft using forged documents.

The decision to invalidate the procurement results was made after it was discovered that Aero Express FZE had provided false information to confirm its ability to deliver the aircraft.

The investigation established that the documentation regarding the right to represent the manufacturer’s interests was falsified. The company did not have any official permits from the Ukrainian Antonov plant, which is the sole legal owner of the license to build this model.

An additional risk factor was that serial production of new aircraft has not been carried out for more than ten years.

What will Peru buy to replace the An-74?

After the contract with the UAE company was canceled, the Italian C-27J Spartan transport aircraft became the main contender for replacement. This model has been successfully operated by the Peruvian Air Force since 2015 for logistical support and operations.