"It is planned that we will receive the Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft, which will be used as a rescue and firefighting airplane, by the end of 2019 academic year," Kozhin said in an interview with the Russian military's official newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda.
He also revealed that amphibious helicopters for search and rescue operations will be created for the Russian Navy in 2031-2050, when the third stage of the Russian Navy's aircraft modernization will be ongoing.
The Be-200 was designed by the Beriev Aircraft Company and built by the Irkut Corporation, both part of the Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The aircraft can hold 12,000 liters (3,170 gallons) of water and is able to transport 42 tonnes of cargo.
READ MORE: Russian Envoy to US Honors Imperial Russian Navy Sailors Buried in California