The heads of the Russian Helicopters holding (part of Rostec) and the Emirati company AJ Holding LLC have signed an agreement on the establishment of a joint venture Alpha Aviation LLC, the press service of the Russian state corporation reports.

The firm will be engaged in the promotion and sale of domestic civilian helicopter products abroad. 

“The joint venture is also responsible for organizing the maintenance of Russian helicopters in the region,” says the Rostec website.

"Expansion of the line"

Alpha Aviation LLC will specialize in promoting Russian rotorcraft in the Middle East market.

According to Andrey Boginsky, General Director of Russian Helicopters, the format of the joint venture will expand its presence in an extremely important region for the holding.

“In the person of AJ Holding, we got a reliable partner for the promotion of our civilian technology in the Middle East,” the press service of Rostec quotes Boginsky.

According to the head of the holding, in fact, Alpha Aviation LLC started operating a few months ago.

The first result of the activity was the conclusion of a contract for the supply of two Mi-171A2 helicopters to Peru and the signing of a deal for the sale of four Ansat aircraft and one Mi-17-1V to the police of the Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah.

The agreements were signed during the 17th Dubai Airshow 2021 international aerospace exhibition, which is taking place these days.

In the nearest future, Alpha Aviation LLC plans to sell more than 20 civilian helicopters of various types, including Ansat, Mi-171A2, Ka-32, Mi-38.

According to experts, the emergence of a joint venture with the UAE was another step towards expanding the presence of the Russian Federation in the Middle East market.

Russian Helicopters makes no secret of their ambitions to promote domestic products in this region.

“In this region (Middle East. -

RT

), we expect that we will sell a fairly large amount of equipment here.

About 10 helicopters a year.

This is an essential thing for us, ”Andrey Boginsky said on November 16 in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel on the sidelines of Dubai Airshow 2021.

In the future, according to the head of the holding, the volume of deliveries of rotary-wing aircraft will increase.

Thus, by the end of 2029–2030, "with the support of operating leasing," the company intends to export about 140–150 units of civil aircraft.

It is known that in the future, the UAE should be delivered 100 light helicopters VRT-500 and a similar number of rotary-wing drones VRT-300.

Rostec aims to promote this machine in other countries of the Persian Gulf.

  • Helicopter model VRT500

  • © Rostec

The VRT-500 is still under development.

Experts expect that after the completion of the design work, the machine will have a high degree of automation of control processes and will be able to fly in almost any weather conditions.

According to experts, the interest of the countries of the Middle East in Russian rotary-wing aircraft is caused primarily by unpretentious operation, as well as a reasonable ratio of price and quality.

In addition, the domestic industry is constantly improving the capabilities of helicopters and strives to adapt them to international standards.

For example, the Ansat light multipurpose helicopter, serial production of which is deployed at the Kazan Helicopter Plant, has a design that allows it to be quickly transformed into both a cargo and a passenger version with the ability to transport up to seven people.

Russian Helicopters are currently working on expanding the functionality and flight characteristics of the Ansat.

In December last year, an upgraded version of this machine took to the skies for the first time.

She received an improved fuel system and the ability to install an additional tank.

As a result, the flight range increased from 505 to 800 km.

In addition, the proportion of composite materials in the structure increased by 15%, which led to a decrease in weight and also favorably affected the flight performance of the Ansat.

“Due to the modernization of the tail unit, the track stability has been improved.

In addition, Ansat-M has received the latest avionics, which allows it to fly in conditions of zero visibility, "says Rostec.

Another modification of the Ansat is a rotary-wing aircraft with a high-comfort cabin in the style of the Aurus brand.

It is also offered to foreign customers.

The helicopter was designed to carry two VIPs and three accompanying persons.

  • Multipurpose vehicle "Ansat"

  • © Rostec

In a commentary on RT, aviation expert Dmitry Drozdenko said that an important competitive advantage of the Ansat family is the most spacious cabin in its class.

“Ansat has the largest cabin volume in its class.

In this regard, it surpasses the American Bell models and the Franco-German Eurocopter.

The latest modification of Ansat meets international requirements.

Moreover, there is a VIP version of Ansat Aurus.

The expansion of the line contributes to the promotion of Ansat, - Drozdenko is sure.

"Modern classic"

Experts associate great export prospects, including in the Middle East, with the Ka-32.

Today the car is used in South Korea, China, Japan, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal.

The machine has earned a reputation as one of the best in fighting forest fires and fighting fire in high-rise buildings.

The Ka-32 is a civil development of the Ka-27 shipborne anti-submarine helicopter.

The car has been upgraded several times.

The latest version is the Ka-32A11M.

This vehicle is equipped with new VK-2500PS-02 engines, an improved fire extinguishing system and a "glass" cockpit, where control devices are made using LCD displays.

The main advantages of the Ka-32 lie in the coaxial rotor layout.

It provides the vehicle with increased maneuverability, hover stability and crosswind stability.

“The Ka-32 is an absolutely irreplaceable vehicle, especially in urban conditions and in megalopolises.

Its modernization is necessary for delivery to current operators and new customers, ”Drozdenko noted.

According to the expert, the Mi-38 heavy-class single-rotor machine will also be in demand in the Middle East market.

In the cargo version, the payload of the helicopter is 5 tons, in the passenger version - 30 people, the flight range is 880 km, the cruising speed is 250 km / h, the flight range with additional fuel tanks and a cargo weighing 2.7 tons is 1200 km.

“The Mi-38 helicopter can operate in a wide range of climatic conditions, including maritime, tropical and cold climates.

Thanks to the technical solutions used, the Mi-38 helicopter surpasses other helicopters of its class in terms of carrying capacity, passenger capacity and basic flight performance, "the Russian Helicopters reads.

Drozdenko believes that various modifications of the legendary Mi-8 multipurpose vehicle, including the Mi-171A2, are relevant for the Middle East.

The holding calls this helicopter a "modern classic".

The company considers its advantages to be high flight performance, "a wide range of tasks performed" and new generation equipment.

  • Helicopter Mi-171A2

  • © JSC Russian Helicopters

As Drozdenko emphasized, the Middle Eastern operating countries need aircraft that can withstand temperature drops, work reliably in hot weather, in conditions of strong winds and dust storms.

That is why they are interested in domestic rotorcraft of different classes.

“A standard helicopter turboprop engine does not tolerate dust well.

In addition, Western technology requires storage in hangars.

At the same time, all domestic helicopters are safely stored in covers under the open sky.

This unpretentiousness, I think, is highly valued in the Middle East and not only, ”Drozdenko explained.

In a commentary on RT, honored military pilot, deputy editor-in-chief of Aviapanorama magazine, Vladimir Popov, said that Russian civilian helicopters "may be somewhat inferior, for example, in elegance and comfort" to Western models, but surpass them in "operational reliability" and are not inferior in flight performance.

“There are well-proven helicopter options.

It can be said unambiguously that these are Mi-38 and Ansat.

Our helicopters can withstand the harshest climatic conditions and are of good quality onboard equipment.

This technical equipment ensures the speed and efficiency of our civilian vehicles, ”Popov summed up.