Russia Doesn’t Want Ukrainian Engines
Military and Industrial Commission has recommended to government to arrange production of helicopter engines at Ufa Motor Enterprise. So far, the engines have been manufactured large-scale at Motor Sich of Ukraine.
Chaired by Russian Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov, the Military and Industrial Commission has recommended to cabinet to arrange at Ufa Motor Enterprise the large-scale production of VK-2500 and VK-800 helicopter engines, a source at the commission said on condition of anonymity.
“By decision of Defense Ministry, the production of components for military machinery made in CIS will be transferred to Russia,” confirmed representatives of Defense Ministry, adding they plan to install VK-2500 engines on Mi-28N and Ka-52 helicopters, while the less powerful VK-800 will be used at Ansat helicopters.
VK-2500 is an upgraded variant of TVZ-117VMA engine, which is basic for all attack and combat-transport helicopters of Mi and Ka types.
So far, VK-2500s have been manufactured by Motor Sich of Ukraine. Russia has no facilities for batch production of this engine. The engine’s designer, Klimov Works, makes just a few engines by using Motor Sich components.
The reason of the transfer could be the response of Sich to proposal of Rosoboronexport’s subsidiary, Oboronprom. In June, Oboronprom offered to Vyacheslav Boguslaev, who is the principal owner of Motor Sich, to sell the majority stake in the enterprise. In October, however, Boguslaev said he wouldn't negotiate till some integrated structure of engine producers was created in Russia.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Nov. 10, 2006
|
