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In the early 1950s, the USSR military transport aviation needed an aircraft that would meet modern requirements. The most advanced Soviet military transport aircraft at that time was the Il-12D, created on the basis of the civilian Il-12. At the same time, the United States was actively using the specialized C-119 transport aircraft, serial production of the "classic" C-123 military transport aircraft began, and Lockheed was developing a new generation of turboprop aircraft - the C-130. On April 17, 1953, the Minister of Defense Industry of the USSR D. F. Ustinov, having familiarized himself with the materials of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) on the assembly of two prototypes of the C-130, wrote a resolution: "To Comrade Khrunichev. Please negotiate." This became the impetus for the creation of a domestic specialized military transport aircraft with a turboprop engine. In the post-war years, the USSR had several projects of specialized transport aircraft. From 1944 to 1948, the R. L. Bartini Design Bureau worked on the T-108 and T-117 piston VTS projects, as well as the T-200 project with a combined power plant. However, these projects could not be implemented because the Bartini Design Bureau was closed.