Russian Helicopters Delivered 189 aircraft to Asia-Pacific Region in the Past Three Years

Mi-35 from Russian Helicopters (Source: Rostec)

Russian Helicopters, part of State Corporation Rostec, continues to supply helicopters across the Asia-Pacific region, including India. Over the past three years 189 commercial and military aircraft were delivered, which includes Rosoboron export contracts. In 2014 deliveries increased by 11% on 2012, and today more than 1,400 Russian-built helicopters operate in the region.

“Over the last year alone the fleet of Russian helicopters in the Asia-Pacific region has grown by 40 aircraft, from 1,366 in 2013 to 1,406 in 2014”, said Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev. “We plan to further strengthen our position in the region not just by supplying aircraft, but also by expanding our after-sales service programme for the Russian-built helicopters in the region.”

In autumn 2014 Russian Helicopters was granted the right to provide direct after-sales maintenance services for the Russian-built military helicopters. Russian Helicopters now also has the right to supply components and spare parts for military helicopters to foreign partners, as well as to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services and form joint ventures directly with foreign companies. All this means the company can provide maintenance services significantly faster and develop advanced high-tech after-sales support systems more efficiently.

The most popular model in the Asia-Pacific region is the Mi-8/17 series. As of 2014 Russian Helicopters had produced about 12,000 of these aircraft, a world record for twin-engine helicopters. Today Russian-built helicopters have a presence in more than 100 countries.

In Malaysia, where the LIMA 2015 international exhibition was held, Russian commercial helicopters are used for search-and-rescue and firefighting. Interest in the company’s aircraft is continuing to grow, thanks to the reliability and technical capabilities of Russian helicopters. In 2015 Russian Helicopters is presenting new commercial aircraft, with the multirole Mi-171A2 and Ansat models on display.

The Mi-171A2 is the latest evolution of the Mi-8/17 series. The helicopter makes use of the latest materials and technologies while drawing on the many years of operating experience of these helicopters around the world. It is a reliable and resilient aircraft with advanced equipment that enables it to fly any mission anywhere on Earth. Currently the Mi-171A2 is undergoing flight testing.

The light Ansat is one of the most in-demand classes of helicopters with lifting capacity of up to 1.5 tons. This model has attracted particular interest from Malaysian governmental bodies and the private sector.

Visitors to the Rosoboron export stand had the opportunity to see the Mi-35M, Mi-171Sh and Mi-17V-5 military helicopters. The multirole gunship Mi-35M can destroy enemy anti-tank positions, provide support to ground forces, land troops, perform CSAR missions, and transport cargo inside the transport cabin or on an external sling. The aircraft combines a great experience of the military use with the latest developments in helicopter-building. The Mi-35M is in service with the Armed Forces of Russia, Brazil, Azerbaijan and other countries.

The advanced Mi-171Sh and Mi-17V-5 military-transport helicopters are among the most intensively used military aircraft in their class. These helicopters draw on all of the experience of Russian helicopters in various “hot spots”.