NEW DELHI: Differences between India and Russia on a key project to jointly develop a military transport aircraft MTA ) are widening, with a high level intervention likely during Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's visit to Moscow later this month to get things back on track.Officials in both countries have shared with ET that the MTA project - which plans to develop a new 20 ton transporter to replace the ageing Indian fleet of An 32 aircraft with a $ 300 million investment from each side - is on thin ground with Moscow now planning to go ahead alone if the Indian side does not come on board.The main point of contention is the engine for the new generation transporter. Sources in India have told ET that the air force is insisting on a new generation engine with a full authority digital engine control ( FADEC ) system to give adequate power to the new plane.However, due to delays in the project, Moscow is now going ahead with a different engine, the PS 90 that powers its new generation IL 76 transporters for the MTA project. The Russian side believes that the new variant of its PS 90 engine will offer adequate performance for the aircraft and a FADEC power plant is not necessary.With both sides not budging, the MTA project has been stuck for a year, with all other work, including the preliminary design stage stitched up. The Russian side also says that the requirement of a FADEC was put up by the Indian air force at a later stage and for the performance required, the system is not needed."The PS 90 does not have FADEC but the necessity of such a system was not there in the technical specifications initially. It was added later. The technical requirement (for performance) are fully satisfied with the PS 90 engine," President of Russia's overarching United Aircraft Company (UAC) Yury Slyusar told ET.Russian experts have analyzed other available engines for the project, including western ones but insist that the PS 90 is the best solution and would provide commonality with India's upgraded IL 76 fleet."So the official status is that we have finished the advanced preliminary design stage over a year ago but that has to be accepted by the Indian side. We hope they accept the design and move forward," Slyusar says.Officials in India however insist that the PS 90 would not be adequate in meeting the long term requirements of the air force, given that the MTA would remain n service for almost three decades. A possible solution to the stalemate is being considered and may be fleshed out during high level discussions that are expected during the Modi visit. One could be going ahead with the project with the development of an engine complaint to Indian requirement taking place concurrently.