Ukraine's AN-132D takes historic first flight

April 3 (UPI) -- Ukraine's defense industry marked a milestone after AN-132D, the first plane built without Russian components, took its first flight on Friday.

The plane, a multirole military transport aircraft, was designed and built by Ukroboronprom subsidiary Antonov. In a statement announcing the flight, company officials note the project was completed quickly after the program launched in May 2015.

The program marked a geo-political departure for Ukraine, which previously relied on Russian exports for its military projects.

The AN-132D is built in conjunction with several Western industrial partners from Britain, Germany, France, Canada and the United States. Industrial partners included Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS and Dowty Propellers.

The AN-132D's first flight comes months after Ukraine's state-controlled defense manufacturer formally rolled out the aircraft in December. The event was attended by Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and Saudi Prince Turki bin Saud bin Muhoammed Al Saud.

The AN-132 is designed to move cargo over short and medium ranges. It features a cruising speed of 310 miles per hour, and 9.2-ton payload capacity.

Kiev expects to have between 260 and 290 of the planes built by 2035.