Russia and
The agreement was signed in the presence of Russian president Vladimir Putin during a visit to
The arrangement will see Russian Helicopters work with Avicopter to develop the AHL.
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“Joint development of the civilian advanced heavy helicopter by our company and Avicopter will not only contribute to the further development of cooperation with the Chinese party in high-tech sectors, but also to the strengthening of friendly ties between Russia and China in general,” says Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev.
“Russian Helicopters has unique competence to create heavy helicopters and is ready to assist our Chinese partners to implement this project.”
The AHL will have a takeoff weight of 38-tonnes, and be able to carry 10-tonnes internally and 15-tonnes on an external sling. It will be able to operate in all weather and terrain conditions. Key missions include transportation, medical evacuation, and fire fighting.
By comparison, the Mil Mi-26, the world’s largest helicopter, can carry a payload of over 20-tonnes.
Russian Helicopters and AVIC foresee a potential market for 200 units, mainly in
Source: FlightGlobal.com