Zhukovsky (Russia) (AFP)
Civil aviation and combat aircraft, drones and helicopters, the Russian aviation industry presents its novelties at the MAKS show in Moscow but struggles to forget the setbacks of many of its flagship products.
After welcoming the Russian President Putin and his Turkish counterpart Erdogan the day before, this major aviation forum will return Wednesday in the heart of the matter by presenting for the first time the medium-haul aircraft MC-21, whose entry in service has been delayed several times.
This was an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to boast on Tuesday of the country's "high export potential" and its "unique traditions in aircraft construction that allow Russia to remain among the jewels of the aerospace industry", as well as "innovative projects such as the majestic MC-21 aircraft and the Mi-38 and Ka-62 helicopters".
The MAKS-2019 will also show the first results of the incorporation of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) group, which brings together the main Russian civil and military aircraft manufacturers (Sukhoi, Antonov, Tupolev ...), within the public conglomerate Rostec .
Announced at the end of 2018, this operation must be finalized in 2020 and is supposed to solve the numerous organizational and financing problems that slow down the development of new aircraft.
Meanwhile, the MC-21 has the heavy task of reviving the disappointed ambitions of Russian civil aviation and to forget the debacle of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SS-100), launched in 2011, the first civil aircraft designed in Russia since the fall of the USSR, whose sales abroad are almost zero.
It tackles a much bigger market as it has to compete with the flagship models of Airbus and Boeing, the A320 and the B737. But the MC-21 has not stopped meeting obstacles since its first test flight in 2017.
While initially due to be commissioned in late 2018, the date has been postponed several times, with the group now announcing the start of mass production by the end of 2020.
Like the SS-100, the aircraft is designed in part with foreign parts, including essential composite materials imported from the United States by a Russian company targeted since September 2018 by sanctions.
Rostec has since been working on finding Russian suppliers and producing its own engine. The first batch of aircraft should be equipped with US engines Pratt & Whitney, which will be the case of the three versions presented Wednesday.
- disappointed ambitions -
Since the 2014 Ukrainian crisis, Western sanctions, especially American sanctions, have been steadily getting stronger against the Russian economy, especially against its defense industry.
In addition to sectoral measures, the sanctions target Rostec and his influential boss, Sergei Tsehemzov, deemed close to President Putin.
"For military aviation, we can say that development companies and major manufacturers are doing well," said Oleg Panteleiev, director of the specialized agency Aviaport. It is also on the defense side that the MAKS will present the most novelties, featuring the new Russian fighter Su-57.
"For civil aviation, the main problem is not the situation of the sector, but the restrictions of sale," he adds.
"The USSR was selling planes both domestically and to the socialist countries, today the geography of deliveries has shrunk, we have to compete with foreign builders who have a much greater potential for promoting their planes." , says Mr Panteleiev.
To solve the problems of civil aircraft, "it is necessary to continue to invest, including to complete a (Russian) engine." But given the small number of aircraft delivered, "it's difficult to finance." see that foreign partners do not want to invest. "
The SS-100 had also had a difficult journey. This aircraft, assembled with many Western parts, a source of pride in its launch, has had limited success beyond Russia, mainly due to heavy maintenance costs and reliability issues.
Problems dramatically highlighted when an SS-100 ignited early May during an emergency landing in Moscow, killing 41 people. If bad weather and piloting errors are the cause of the crash, the SS-100 could be fatal.
© 2019 AFP