In September 2015, Kazan Helicopters, a Russian Helicopters company (part of State Corporation Rostec) celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding.

Kazan Helicopters traces its history back to 4 September 1940, when Leningrad Aircraft Plant No. 387 was founded. It was evacuated to Kazan at the start of the Great Patriotic War, and there it merged with Components Plant No. 169. During the war the plant produced more than 11,000 Po-2 biplanes for the front – every tenth warplane was produced at this plant.

The launch of series production on the Mi-1, the first Russian-made series-produced helicopter, was a turning point in the plant’s history. The Mi-4 followed – the first military transport helicopter for the USSR’s Armed Forces. Boasting the same configuration as the US Sikorsky S-55, the Mi-4 had double the cargo capacity of its US counterpart. For over 20 years, this was the main troop-lift helicopter for Warsaw Pact countries. The legendary Mi-8/17 helicopters, which are among the most mass-produced helicopters in global aviation history, were the plant’s flagship models. These helicopters are operated in over 100 countries. Today, Kazan Helicopters produces the latest configurations of commercial and military helicopters in the Mi-8/17 series: Mi-8MTV-1 (Mi-171-V), Mi-8MTV-5 (Mi-17V-5) and the Mi-172.

“Kazan Helicopters is a key enterprise in the sector, delivering full-cycle helicopter production. It was here that the first light Ansat helicopter was produced, and here that the latest multirole Mi-38 will be brought into series production,” said Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev. “I am confident that the experience accumulated and the vast research and industrial potential will see these plans realised, lending new momentum to the further development of Russia’s helicopter industry.”

The Ansat light helicopter is an unparalelled development made at the plant, incorporating a balance of traditional and innovative technical solutions. The Ansat has a number of competitive advantages over other models in its class. The company’s latest development – the medium transport multirole Mi-38 helicopter – is currently in the final stages of certification testing and is being readied for series production at Kazan Helicopters. This helicopter offers great operational autonomy, does not need to be kept in a hangar, is economical to operate and has enhanced systems and components capacity. The Mi-38 cargo capacity, flight speed, a roomy transport cabin and higher fuel efficiency.

Kazan Helicopters has received numerous awards recognising its achievements, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, the Order of the October Revolution, and the International Golden Mercury Award. The company has been named Russia’s best exporter.

Kazan Helicopters – is a Russian Helicopters company, which produces Mi-8/17 helicopters that are operated in over 100 countries worldwide. A wide range of configurations of these helicopters are produced: transport, passenger, search and rescue, troop-lift, among others. A medium Mi-38 helicopter is being readied for production. Since 1997, Kazan Helicopters has been certified to develop helicopter technology: today the light twin-engined Ansat helicopter is in series-production.

Russian Helicopters, (part of State Corporation Rostec), is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. Russian Helicopters was founded in 2007 and 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. In 2014 its IFRS revenues increased 22,8% to RUB 169,8 billion. Deliveries reached 271 helicopters.

State Corporation Rostec is a Russian corporation founded in 2007 for the purpose of promoting the development, production and export of hi-tech civilian and military industry products. It comprises 700 organisations, nine of which have now been formed as holding companies of the military-industrial complex, five of them are involved in civil industries and 22 are directly controlled. Rostec’s portfolio includes recognised brands such as Avtovaz, Kamaz, Russian Helicopters, and VSMPO-AVISMA. Rostec’s organisations are located in 60 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and supply their products to the markets of more than 70 countries. The revenue of Rostec in 2013 amounted to RUB 1.04 trillion. The tax deductions into the treasuries at all levels exceeded RUB 138 billion.