The launch of serial production of the updated version of the world's most lifting Mi-26T2V helicopter is scheduled for 2021. Andrey Boginsky, general director of the Russian Helicopters holding, told reporters about it. According to him, flight tests of the upgraded vehicle are continuing today.

“Our first task today is to complete tests under the contract concluded with the Ministry of Defense of the Mi-26T2V in order to receive the letter O1 (start of serial production. - RT ) in the first half of next year,” Boginsky said.

Also, according to the top manager, the issue of creating an Arctic modification of the Mi-26T2V, the potential customer of which is the Ministry of Emergencies, is currently being discussed. The appearance of this version of the helicopter should be unified with the model for the RF Ministry of Defense.

“As soon as we complete work on the Mi-26T2V, we will move on to this story more closely. We also showed this idea to colleagues from the Ministry of Emergencies. Our task is to try to unify the looks for the military and the Ministry of Emergency Situations, ”Boginsky said.

The Mi-26T2V, like the previous models of this unique domestic helicopter, is capable of taking on board up to 82 paratroopers and carrying cargo with a maximum weight of 20 tons. The flight range of the car is 800 km, the cruising speed is 255 km / h.

Expanding capacity

The heavy transport Mi-26T2V first took to the skies in August 2018. A significant event took place at the Rostvertol enterprise (Rostov-on-Don). Commenting on the aircraft's debut flight, Anatoly Serdyukov, director of the Rostec aviation cluster, expressed confidence that the helicopter will be in demand both in Russia and abroad - in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

“The Mi-26 is a unique machine. No production helicopter in the world can compare with it in terms of carrying capacity. The modernization significantly expands the potential of its application, ”added Serdyukov.

The Mi-26T2V project is being implemented in the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense and was included in the state armament program until 2027. At the moment, the military is planning to purchase ten rotary-wing vehicles. The first production model of the Russian Aerospace Forces should receive in 2021.

  • Mi-26T2V at the Army forum
  • © Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation

As Boginsky said earlier, the state tests of the helicopter will last throughout 2020. The Mi-26T2V must confirm its high performance at four test ranges.

The updated machine is adapted for flights in any region, including those with difficult physical, geographical and climatic conditions. INholding claim that the Mi-26T2V is capable of performing tasks in case of enemy fire and information countermeasures. As the experts explained, we are talking about the ability of the vehicle to defend itself against enemy missiles and to resist jamming by enemy electronic warfare (EW).

The carrying capacity of the helicopter remained the same - 20 tons, the number of crew members also did not change - five people. The modernization affected primarily the electronic stuffing.

"The machine (Mi-26T2V. - RT ) is equipped with a modern integrated complex of avionics NPK90-2V, which provides helicopter piloting day and night with automatic flight along the route, exit to a predetermined point and landing approach", - said in the materials Russian Helicopters.

According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Mi-26T2V is equipped with the Vitebsk airborne defense system (export name - President-S), which protects the carrier from being hit by anti-aircraft missiles and ammunition with infrared homing heads.

The BKO consists of equipment for detecting laser radiation, which is carried out by the enemy, an ultraviolet direction finder of the fact of missile launch, an optical-electronic suppression station, a device for ejecting false thermal targets and a control system. This equipment is made in the form of blocks that can be placed inside the fuselage of the helicopter or on external attachment points.

According to Rostec, President-S is a highly effective means of defense - in previous tests, not a single missile fired from a portable anti-aircraft complex was able to hit helicopters equipped with BKO data.

In addition, the Mi-26T2V is equipped with a digital flight system and color liquid crystal multifunctional indicators, which, according to the manufacturer, significantly reduced the workload on the crew. The improvements also affected lighting equipment, navigation systems, satellite communications and emergency rescue devices.

“We tried to take into account all the wishes of the customer, embodying them in the Mi-26T2V project. The modernization will significantly expand the operational capabilities of the machine. I am confident that the Mi-26T2V will take a worthy place in the armed forces of our country, ”Boginsky said in December last year.

In July 2019, in an interview with RIA Novosti, the general director of Russian Helicopters admitted the possibility of an Arctic version of the Mi-26T2V. From the words of Boginsky it follows that the aerospace forces and the navy may be interested in such a machine.

As the head of the holding noted, it can take about two years from the receipt of the technical assignment to the production of a prototype of such a helicopter. It is assumed that the polar version of the Mi-26T2V will be produced in transport and landing versions.

  • One of the representatives of the Mi-26 family
  • © Alexey Ereshko / Russian Helicopters Press Service

“It (Mi-26T2VA) will have a number of specific characteristics: an insulated fuselage, a heating system for main units, additional emergency rescue equipment, a heated bathroom, special equipment for cooking and heating food,” Boginsky explained.

In a commentary on RT, military expert Dmitry Drozdenko said that the Mi-26T2V can be used in the Arctic without special modernization. Nevertheless, the creation of a polarized version of this helicopter will make the operation process more comfortable for the crew and engineering personnel, the analyst said.

“The difference between the Arctic versions and the conventional ones is, first of all, in that they prevent oil thickening and mechanical damage to structural elements in the cold. The development of the Arctic modification of the Mi-26T2V will not require large investments, since Russia already has ready-made solutions to protect aircraft from the effects of extremely low temperatures, ”says Drozdenko.

"Universal machine"

In an interview with RT, Dmitry Dyakonov, chief designer of KB-602 at the Moscow Aviation Institute, noted that the Mi-26 family has significant potential for modernization. According to him, the aerodynamic layout and design of this helicopter are so perfect that they can be used for the next several decades.

“The Mi-26, like the Mi-8, can be called a helicopter of all times and peoples. Thanks to the talent of Soviet designers, it will be used in Russia and other countries for a very long time. The next modernization of the Mi-26 is aimed at ensuring that this unique machine keeps up with the scientific and technological progress in the field of avionics and the creation of new materials, "Dyakonov explained.

The expert is confident that the Mi-26T2V, along with the previous models, has a good export potential. According to Dyakonov, the car is in demand in different regions of the world, where it is necessary to transport super-heavy oversized cargo or a large number of people. Earlier Mi-26T2 were purchased by Algeria and Jordan.

According to experts, the family of these unique helicopters significantly outperforms Western and American heavy rotorcraft. The key advantages of the Mi-26, in addition to the record carrying capacity, were named by the experts as unpretentiousness, reliability and relatively low operating cost.

“The Mi-26 is a versatile machine with amazing characteristics that can be used in any natural and climatic conditions. This is not only the transportation of troops and cargo, but also fire fighting, rescue and evacuation work. There is no such technique in the West. The United States has the competence to create heavy-class helicopters, but in terms of price-quality ratio, the overseas aircraft are inferior to our Mi-26, "Drozdenko summed up.