After many-year work on military aircraft Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association (IAPA) now pursues a course of mastering civil aircraft production as well. The Association has analysed the present aircraft requirements and made a decision to build a multipurpose sufficiently economic aircraft of a wide versatility in application. The BE-200 aircraft can be effectively used for fighting forest fires, to carry passengers and cargo, serve as an air ambulance and search-and-rescue means, to patrol the 200- mile economic zone, service geological survey parties and expeditions, search for fish and sea ice conditions, detect oil spots in the sea and water areas, etc. The aircraft can be easily converted to fulfil different missions. The combination of its capabilities with high flying performance makes the BE-200 aircraft unique, having no rivals among aircraft all over the world.