Russian Helicopters to Deliver More Than 40 Helicopters to Latin America

March 28, 2014
It has signed contracts with countries across Latin America in 2013 for 41 helicopters to be delivered in 2014-2016.

Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of State Corporation Rostec, signed contracts with countries across Latin America in 2013 for 41 helicopters to be delivered in 2014-2016. The Latin American market is one of the largest and fastest growing anywhere in the world, and Russian Helicopters sees it as a strategic priority for growing its global market share.

"We have traditionally had strong positions across Latin America, and are continuing to work on strengthening them further," said Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev. "2013 was a record-breaking year for us in terms of contracts signed, which represents fair reward for our hard work."

As of the start of 2014 there were more than 400 Russian-built helicopters operational in Latin America. Russian Helicopters dominates in the segment of commercial helicopters with maximum take-off weight of 10-20 tons, accounting for 77% of the regional fleet. Russian-built helicopters also account for 42% of military helicopters across Latin America.

Russian Helicopters' most popular model in the region is the Mi-8/17 series, with more than 300 helicopters delivered to date. The military Mi-17V-5 and Mi-171Sh operate in the region alongside commercial models including one of the latest versions, the Mi-171A1.

Ka-32 series helicopters including the latest Ka-32A11BC have been successfully deployed on fire-fighting missions, construction work and transportation of cargo on an external sling in Peru, Colombia, Brazil and Chile.

Military helicopters delivered to the region include the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 series. Russian-built military helicopters are in service in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. The Peruvian and Mexican militaries also use the super-heavy Mi-26, which can accommodate up to 82 airborne troops with full equipment or up to 20 tonnes of cargo inside the cabin or on an external sling.

Russian Helicopters is currently showcasing its products at the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE 2014) in the Chilean capital, Santiago. The company's display, including the multirole coaxial Ka-32A11BC, can be found at stand D70.

Russian Helicopters, JSC is a subsidiary of UIC Oboronprom, which in turn is a part of State Corporation Rostec. It is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. Russian Helicopters is headquartered in Moscow. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world. Its helicopters are popular among Russian ministries and state authorities (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Control Ministry), operators (Gazpromavia, UTair), major Russian corporations. Over 8000 helicopters of Soviet/Russian make are operated in 110 countries worldwide. Traditionally the demand is highest in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Russia, and CIS countries. Russian Helicopters was established in 2007. In 2013 its IFRS revenues increased 10% to RUB 138.3 billion. Deliveries reached 275 helicopters.

UIC Oboronprom, JSC is a multi-profile industrial and investment group established in 2002. It is a part of Russian Technologies State Corporation. Its main tasks include: helicopter engineering (Russian Helicopters, JSC) and engine-building (United Engine Industry Corporation managing company).

Rostekhnologii State Corporation (Rostec) is a Russian corporation established in 2007 in order to facilitate the development, manufacturing and export of high-technology industrial products of military and civil purposes. Today it comprises over 663 companies, which form 8 military-industrial and 5 civil industry holdings. Rostec's subsidiaries are located in 60 regions of Russia and supply their products to over 70 countries worldwide. In 2012 revenues of the Corporation amounted to RUB 931 billion, net profits were RUB 38.5 billion and total taxation exceeded RUB 109 billion.