Similar to the Beriev A-40. Prototype 85 per cent complete at TANTK, Taganrog, by September 2000, at which time only Rb19.5 million assigned of Rb307 million required to complete development. By January 2002, Beriev was reporting that this prototype was an A-42P patrol and SAR variant; power plant quoted as two Progress D-27 propfans, each rated at 109.8 kN (24,690 lb st), which description applies to Beriev A-45. In this form, A-42P has MTOW of 96,000 kg (211,650 lb), combat load of 8,500 kg (18,739 lb) and range of 6,209 n miles (11,500 km; 7,145 miles). Main sensor suite to be Leninets Novella (Sea Dragon). Domestic needs are up to eight for military use and up to four for MChS civil protection agency; export interest (A-42PEh) from Canada, Chile, China, Finland, South Korea and Thailand. Announced in April 2002 that funding of A-42 to completion would begin in 2005, at earliest.
In mid-2002, Beriev was continuing promotion of an A-40Eh export version of the original aircraft as well as predicting a return of official interest to the A-40, which the Russian Navy abandoned in 1996, in favour of a maritime patrol version of Tupolev Tu-204 airliner.