The Arctic helicopter meets the requirements for operation in adverse Arctic weather conditions and the Far North to the maximum degree possible. It is being developed for operation in low temperatures and limited visibility conditions, including during polar nights.

The aircraft is being created on the basis of the last modification of the Mi-8AMTSh-V military-transport helicopter, which features new Klimov VK 2500-03 gas turbine engines, a more powerful TA-14 auxiliary power unit and an upgraded avionics suite.

RIA Novosti quoted Aleksey Putintsev as saying, “This is a special upgrade of the Mi-8 for northern latitudes. First of all, we plan to produce it for military units stationed in the Arctic. A prototype has been put into production, and currently the helicopter’s fuselage has already been completed. We plan to begin testing this winter so that after testing the client can make a decision about whether to make a purchase.”

The helicopter can be deployed to address needs in the Arctic as well in the oilfields.

RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS HOLDING is one of the world leaders in the helicopters industry. It is the only developer and manufacturer of helicopters in Russia. It was founded in 2007. The holding is comprised of five helicopter plants, two design bureaus as well as enterprises for the production and service of parts as well as a service company that provides post-sales support in Russia and abroad.