Flight Daily News

ILA 2008: Russia on target for helicopter production

Russia’s Oboronprom subsidiary, Russia’s Helicopters, said at ILA yesterday that its production rate has grown from 120 helicopters last year to 165 in 2008 and will increase to more than 200 in 2009.

Oboronprom director Dmitry Petrov said the integration process that began in 2004 has led to creation of a more effective structure of the helicopter industry in Russia, leading to an increase in sales.

The most important change was “to turn from sales of helicopters to that of its whole cycle, that covers construction, sales, after-sales support and then recycling,” he said. Permanent services and customer support centers are being opened in India, China and Latin America, as well as across Russian territory.

Apart from the strategic union with AgustaWestland, covering sales of its helicopters in Russia, their maintenance and license production, Oboronprom is negotiating with Eurocopter on “co-development of new helicopters,” Petrov said.

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