Peru’s Interior Ministry has invalidated a $63 million bid to acquire an An-74 transport plane after discovering a fraudulent scheme using forged documents and offering non-existent aircraft.
According to a report by the specialized site Pucará Defensa and confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, intermediaries with ties to the Russian Federation were using Aero Express FZE, registered in the United Arab Emirates, as a front for the sale.
The fraud came to light through joint work between the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Antonov. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sibikha said the company had submitted false information to prove its ability to supply the Peruvian government with aircraft.
Fake documents and lack of official license
An investigation by Peruvian authorities confirmed that the documents submitted by Aero Express FZE, including the manufacturer’s representation, were forged. The company did not have any official license from Antonov, which held exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the An-74.
As a further warning, it was revealed that mass production of the new An-74 has already been halted for more than 10 years, making the delivery of a new or fully certified aircraft highly impractical.
In response to this evidence, Peru’s Ministry of Interior immediately invalidated the tender results and completely eliminated the possibility of continuing the contract.
C-27J Spartan emerges as a potential replacement
With the cancellation of the contract, the Italian-made C-27J Spartan transport plane has emerged as the top candidate to replace the An-74. The aircraft has been in service with the Peruvian Air Force since 2015 and is widely used for logistics support, tactical transport, and remote operations.
Adoption of the C-27J is considered a low-risk option as it has already been integrated into the domestic aircraft fleet, a maintenance support system has been established, and production continues.
The incident highlights the challenges faced by countries modernizing their air forces in the face of rampant international sanctions, fragmented industrial supply chains, and sanctions evasion through intermediaries.
Source and image: Pucará Defense | Militarnyi | Wikimedia. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editorial team.
