MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - Uruguayan President Jose Mujica has finalized an offer from China for the donation of two Harbin Y-12 turboprop aircraft.
Originally, the donation was only to be for a single aircraft, but the Uruguayan Air Force declined the offer due to the complexity of the aircraft. By offering two, the deal was much more appealing to the service. The donation is said to be China's way of lobbying to have the Air Force select the LIFT Hongdu L-15. The service is looking to buy between six and 12 of the type, but so far, the Yak-130 appears to be the favorite.
The Harbin Y-12 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engines and has the capacity to transport 17 passengers and two crewmembers. It has a weight of 2,800 kilograms with a max weight of 5,300 kilograms, a max speed of 328 kilometers per hour, and a range of 1,300 kilometers with a service ceiling of 7,000 meters.
