Russian Helicopters develops maintenance support for helicopters in Latin America

Russian Helicopters (part of State Corporation Rostec) plans to provide after-sales service and maintenance for helicopters operated in Latin America and the Caribbean, and will also offer comprehensive services to expand helicopters' operational capabilities via a modernisation programme incorporating the latest technological solutions, and taking into account the region's rich experience of operating Russian-made helicopters.

Countries across Latin America and the Caribbean operate Russian helicopters on diverse missions and the total fleet of Russian helicopters operated in the region exceeds 400. Mi-8/17 helicopters are the most popular, at 320 units. There are 60 Soviet and Russian-made helicopters on Cuba today, and about 50 of them are Mi-8/17s.

Russian Helicopters offers customers an appealing, and much-needed, comprehensive modernisation programme for Mi-8/17/171 helicopters aimed at expanding their operational capabilities. Military-transport helicopters will be offered integrated digital avionics, new engines, modernised rotor system and gears, electro-optical protection systems against SAMs and MANPADS, and other recent developments. Commercial helicopters will be offered new digital avionics systems and additional equipment, enabling them to be used in search and rescue and passenger transport operations.

Russian Helicopters is also willing to modernise and repair military helicopters. Under Licence dated 30.09.2014 No. 2014214207, Russian Helicopters has the right to export spare parts, components, special training and auxiliary equipment, as well as technical documentation for military helicopters already delivered, and to carry out works to extend their service life, repair and modernisation (including design research and development work), utilisation and other works comprising full service provision for military helicopters, and training foreign specialists to carry out these works.

All helicopter modernisation work will be carried out together with and under the control of design bureaux, helicopter specialists, and aircraft repair plants that form part of Russian Helicopters. Alongside this modernisation, the customers are offered services to expand helicopters’ capacity and extend their service lives.

Aftersales service provision for helicopters operated in Latin America and the Caribbean will draw on the production capacity at the Yu. A. Gagarin Aircraft Repair Plant (Cuba). Today, Russian Helicopters are in talks with their Cuban counterparts on formulating the proposal for retooling the plant and authorising it as an entity that is empowered to carry out aftersales service and maintenance on Soviet-made and Russian-made military and commercial helicopters.