Russian Helicopters, part of State Corporation Rostec, has signed an agreement with RN-Aerokraft to deliver two Mi-171 and two Mi-8AMT helicopters for use by oil company Rosneft.

The helicopters will be used in Rosneft’s operations to develop and service offshore and onshore projects.

“Strategic cooperation between Rostec and Rosneft in important spheres such as developing offshore fields is an example of how major natural resources projects can create demand for the latest technologies, support demand for Russian industrial products, and allow us to tap into the potential of Russian engineers and scientists,” said Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov. “Rostec is able to meet this demand in full. It is particularly important given that use of advanced Russian technology to develop hydrocarbons deposits is a guarantee of Russia’s energy security, which is an important factor in the Russian economy as a whole and in the final analysis national security as well.”

The passenger Mi-171s will carry teams of shift workers and cargo to onshore oil and gas sites.

“This will be the first time that helicopters of this type have been produced in Russia. There are no similar aircraft operating on the Russian market today. Russian Helicopters has created a unique aircraft that is fully able to cope with a wide variety of challenging tasks to service offshore projects,” said Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev. “To develop modern technologies we use successful solutions that have been tried and tested in practice, as well as the latest advances in aircraft building. It should be noted that each Mi-8AMT helicopter will be equipped with advanced on-board avionics.”

The new hi-tech Mi-8AMT has been developed in part based on recommendations from the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers for fitting out a medium helicopter in maritime configuration. These multifunctional aircraft will be used for carrying shift teams, search and rescue support and emergency evacuation of staff from offshore platforms and vessels.

Mi-8/17 helicopters are renowned and in demand around the world for their reliability, adaptability, and ease of use and maintenance. Russian Helicopters is working with leading oil and gas experts to improve the capabilities of existing helicopters and create new aircraft prototypes.

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 organizations, 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 recognized brands such as Avtovaz, Kamaz, Russian Helicopters, and VSMPO-AVISMA. Rostec’s organizations 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.