MOSCOW, May 21 (RIA Novosti) – Russia could manufacture replacement helicopter engines at a St. Petersburg plant if Ukraine’s aircraft engine maker Motor Sich leaves a joint project, the head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at the HeliRussia 2014 expo said Wednesday.
“Russia is fulfilling a program of import substitution, consisting of launching the production of helicopter engines at the Klimov OJSC in St. Petersburg,” Vladimir Kuzmichev said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Under the program, Russia will manufacture all the components and assemble the engines.
Ukraine’s Motor Sich is the main supplier of helicopter engines to Russia and is among the largest engine manufacturers for airplanes and helicopters worldwide.
Kuzmichev stressed that if the Ukrainian side quits cooperation with Russia on producing the engines, the country will be negatively impacted as Russian enterprises closely cooperate with Motor Sich.
Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said last month the terms for fulfilling the state arms program through 2020 could be postponed by two years in several areas amid the possible halt in cooperation with Ukrainian manufacturers.
Ukraine’s interim authorities have announced that Kiev is suspending deliveries of weapons and military hardware to Russia.
