The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant of the Russian Helicopters Holding Company (Rostec State Corporation) has handed over the final helicopter packages within the first stage of Mi-8AMT/Mi-171E civil helicopters production localization in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The delivery was carried out within the framework of a trilateral agreement between the NC Kazakhstan Engineering JSC, the Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 JSC, and the Russian Helicopters for organization of large-unit assembly of Mi-8AMT/Mi-171E helicopters. The contract signed in 2019 provides for the delivery of 17 helicopter packages until 2023, four of them were handed over by the holding in 2021.
The assembly and adaptation of helicopters to the customer’s requirements is implemented at the Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 in the city of Almaty, as it holds expertise in the repair and life cycle maintenance of Mi-8 helicopters in the Central Asian region.
The plant is certified by Kazakhstan and international authorities for the repair, modernization, and maintenance of Mi-8/171 helicopters. Today, the company has significantly expanded its competence in the final assembly, painting, and retrofitting of machines in accordance with the customers’ requirements. This form of cooperation demonstrates high level of trust and industrial cooperation, and Russian Helicopters are ready to continue developing this partnership with Kazakhstani colleagues.
Six Mi-8AMT helicopters assembled by the Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 in the framework of the production localization in the Republic of Kazakhstan have already been tested in flight and handed over to the operator — the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Another Mi-171E helicopter is in the process of assembly.
The key customers of Mi-8AMT/Mi-171E helicopters in Kazakhstan are the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the National Guard of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Helicopters are designed for transport of passengers and cargo, emergency rescue operations, forest protection, fire-fighting, air ambulance services, and law-enforcement tasks.
Kazakhstan has been a long-standing partner of the Russian Helicopters Holding Company, several dozen Mi-8 helicopters are in operation in this country. In addition, the Republic became the first foreign operator of the Mi-171A2 helicopter.