July 15 (SeeNews) - Serbian general aviation aircraft manufacturer Utva plans to launch this year serial production of its U75 Sova aircraft, the head of the company's research and development (R&D) division, Aleksandar Petrovic, said.
"We signed contracts on the production of aircraft and the provision of other aviation services to a Dubai-based company. Utva 75, as a good and reliable airplane from which the Sova originates, will be used as the basis for the new plane," Petrovic said in a video file posted on the website of news agency Tanjug on Sunday.
Utva signed in June a 1.26 million euro ($1.42 million) agreement for the production of two double-deck aircraft with Dubai-based company Smart Link, but the agreement envisages more deliveries in the future, Tanjug said.
"The expected price of Sova is from about $250,000 to $300,000, depending on the equipment," Petrovic said.
Sova is an upgraded version of the basic Utva 75 airplane, intended for initial training, sport flying and tourism. Optionally the airplane can be used for reconnaissance, aero-photo shooting, and other operations. It can also carry weapons if furnished with appropriate equipment, according to data from the website of Serbian state-owned intermediary company for the import and export of defense-related equipment Yugoimport-SDPR.
Yugoimport-SDPR owns a 99.6% stake in the capital of Utva. The general aviation aircraft manufacturer operates a factory in Pancevo, northern Serbia.
($ = 0.8864 euro)