MOSCOW, 27 March 2014. Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of State Corporation Rostec, won contracts with Latin American countries for 41 helicopters to be delivered through 2016. Russian Helicopters officials see the Latin American market, one of the largest and fastest growing anywhere in the world, as a strategic priority for growing the company’s global market share.
"We have traditionally had strong positions across Latin America, and are continuing to work on strengthening them further," says Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev. "2013 was a record-breaking year for us in terms of contracts signed, which represents fair reward for our hard work."
As of the start of 2014, more than 400 Russian-built helicopters were operational in Latin America, officials say. Russian Helicopters’ commercial helicopters, which offer a maximum take-off weight of 10-20 tons, account for 77 percent of the regional fleet. Russian-built helicopters also account for 42 percent of military helicopters across Latin America.
Russian Helicopters' most popular model in the region is the Mi-8/17 series, with more than 300 helicopters delivered to date. The military Mi-17V-5 and Mi-171Sh operate in the region alongside commercial models including one of the latest versions, the Mi-171A1.
Ka-32 series helicopters, including the latest Ka-32A11BC, have been deployed for fire-fighting missions, construction work, and transportation of cargo on an external sling in Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile.
Military helicopters delivered to the region include the Mi-8/17 and Mi-24/35 series. Russian-built military helicopters are in service in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. The Peruvian and Mexican militaries also use the super-heavy Mi-26, which can accommodate up to 82 airborne troops with full equipment or up to 20 tonnes of cargo inside the cabin or on an external sling.
Russian Helicopters is currently showcasing its products at the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE 2014) in the Chilean capital, Santiago. The company's display, including the multirole coaxial Ka-32A11BC, can be found at stand D70.
Russian Helicopters headquartered in Moscow is a subsidiary of UIC Oboronprom, which in turn is a part of State Corporation Rostec. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world. Its helicopters are popular among Russian ministries and state authorities (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Control Ministry), operators (Gazpromavia, UTair), and major Russian corporations. Over 8,000 helicopters of Soviet/Russian make are operated in 110 countries worldwide. Traditionally the demand is highest in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Russia, and CIS countries.
