What about the long range Maritime Patrol Aircraft?

This is an operational gap and we are conscious about it. We are working at it. We are upgrading our IL-38s. We are buying some more of those. We are looking at upgrades of TU-142 aircraft which have a much longer range. We have not yet found a satisfactory aircraft which meets our requirements. As you are aware the American are phasing out their P3C Orions and are keen that we buy them. I am personally not in favour of them.

I hope the Russians sent a proposal for a patrol a/c based on the Tu-204 which they initially had intended. I’d personally like to see that happen rather than goinin for something based on Boeing or Airbus.

thread for IL-38 & P-3 successors
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=33393

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here is the Yakolev’s Tiltrotor one, but the tilt-rotors mean more maint …

http://www.yak.ru/ENG/PROD/new_rpv.php