White Swan in Kazan will open the sky for all defence complex
United Aircraft Corporation announced the launch of production of two aircrafts in Tatarstan at once – military Tu-160М2 and civil Tu-214.
The 2016 might be a real turning point for the defence complex of Tatarstan. Kazan Aviation Factory (KAF) will have a long-term construction programme for the first time in 20 years since the renewal of the production of supersonic strategic bomber Tu-160. And at least 20 regional enterprises of Military and Industrial Complex joined the production cooperation. The president of UAC Yuri Slyusar and the head of the republic Rustam Minnikhanov told about it in Kazan.
'It will be assembled and tested here'
On 10 March, the delegation of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) headed by the president Yuri Slyusar, who is responsible for the renewal of the production of supersonic bomber in modernized version of Tu-160M2 (the first production version on NATO reporting name Blackjack) arrived in Kazan. This principal long-range winged vehicle defined the agenda of the visit of the president of UAC.
As Yuri Slyusar stated, Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Factory will be the final enterprise on assemble of this powerful bomber. 'The most part of the aircraft will be produced here, it will be assembled and tested here,' he stressed after the meeting with the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov. In fact, it could not have been otherwise because this heavy bomber hit the skies for the first time 20 years ago from the military aerodrome of Gorbunov KAF. Several liners were produced here before the reforms in the 90s, which are still a part of Russian Air Force. As lame as it might sound only armed conflicts of recent years forced to switch from repair of Soviet bombers to reconstruction of fully-fledged production. The Minister of Defence of Russia Sergey Shoygu stated about the necessity of the renewal of the production of Ru-160 in spring last year.
The signing an agreement on cooperation between UAC and Tatarstan, which was signed by Yuri Slyusar and Rustam Minnikhanov, was a kind of confirmation of the intention on the realization of this programme. According to Yuri Slyusar, it is a basic document that lays an investment foundation for the cooperation between UAC and the republic on the renewal of the production of Tu-160 interrupted 22 years ago. There was no such a project in the post-Soviet history of the Russian aviation industry. 'It is a big work. And, first of all, we count on the help of the republic. We see and feel it,' he said and expressed his gratitude to the President for the work 'that preceded the decision on the renewal of the production, for the work that was done after when it was decided to renew the production of Tu-160 aircraft'.
To reclaim leading positions
It seems that he meant the efforts of the republic on the modernization of KAF, which fell into despair for the last 20 years. It is no wonder because the enterprise did not have long-term contracts during these years and fell in a slight decay.
'In the Soviet era, Kazan Aviation Factory was the flagship of the aircraft industry. But due to different reasons, it lost an opportunity to renew its fixed capital and produce high-tech products in some lines,' the president of UAC admitted. 'But now it is worth of attention.'
Indeed the obsolete production facilities of KAF needs a complete renewal. And the programme of Tu-160 gives this chance, which is probably touch-and-go.
'The programme of technical rearmament of KAF is ambitious, large and capital intensive. It has started. Now we are being given the report of the state expertise and starting immediate events on technical rearmament. Minnikhanov told and I want to add that one of the goals we want to achieve in the realization of this project is to get a new aviation factory of another technological level,' told Yuri Slyusar to the journalists.
Mechanical assembly and blank productions will be modernized. It is not in the interests of the production of Tu-160 but other aviation programmes of the enterprise. However, Slyusar did not pronounce the volume of the investment in the reconstruction and technical rearmament of the factory. Meanwhile, it is stated in the press release that the spending on the rearmament of the factory till 2020 will make up several billions of rubles and be comparable with the costs when the production was launched in the Soviet era. What do we have as a result? 'The funds, which are to be invested in the enterprise, will lead to the appearance of the new factory in 2018-2019,' said the optimistic president of UAC.
'Tu-214 is an aircraft that will balance the load to the programme of Tu-160'
After the visit to the House of the Government, the delegation of UAC went to Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Factory. Here Yuri Slyusar told about some details of the modernization of the very Tu-160 bomber, which will be reequipped by means of a large number of apparatuses and components. 'We will increase the effectiveness of the aircraft more than twofold in the process of the installation of the up-to-date equipment. This is why we say that Tu-160 is a new plane that has an old frame and new on-board avionic equipment,' he explained. As he estimates, the factory will be able to assemble up to three Tu-160 planes per year after the technical armament.
He also revealed an intrigue concerning the future medium-range liner Tu-214 – a basic civil aircraft of the factory.
In the Soviet era, KAF successfully developed in two directions – military and civil aircraft construction. It built supersonic strategic bombers Tu-160, military Tu-22 and passenger liner Il-62. In the 90s, a passenger version of Tu-214 was produced when both programmes were closed on the first President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev's initiative. At that moment, the Minister of Economy of Tatarstan Sergey Kogogin managed to deliver five Tu-214 planes of Dalavia (Khabarovsk airline) under leasing agreements. But the matter did not go any farther. Did Kazan factory say goodbye to aircraft construction? As it turns out, no.
As Tatar-inform agency informed, only one of two competing programmes of Ulyanovsk Tu-204 and Kazan Tu-214 is to be chosen. After a long discussion, it was decided to choose the long-range Tu-214. 'Here, in Kazan, Tu-214 is a vehicle that will balance the load to the programme of Tu-160. In this sense, in terms of the distribution of the cooperation, it would be correct to leave this aircraft in Kazan,' Slyusar concluded.
Plus 20
As Yuri Slyusar told, the Tu-160 production programme will be based on the principle of 'wide cooperation', which presupposes the attraction of not only the enterprises of UAC but also all Russian enterprises of aircraft construction, engine and instrumentation.
The President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov proudly told that 20 enterprises of Tatarstan were included in the cooperation programme: Kazan Helicopter Factory, KAMAZ, radio electronic plants. 'Moreover, the task of Tu-160 will require serious contributions of the republic to science and education. We are ready for it. I'm convinced that all talks connected with the authority of the republic will be realized. We are interested to have this project ready in time. It will give a new lease of life for our Kazan Aviation Factory,' he told.
'The task of Tu-160 will require serious contributions from the republic to science and education. We are ready for it. I'm convinced that all talks connected with the authority of the republic will be realized.' Photo: prav.tatarstan.ru
It seems that the President is sure about the great future of the factory. According to his answer, the turnover of KAF will increase from today's 9-10bn rubles to 50bn rubles, and there will be new 1,000-1,500 highly paid working places.
The only unclear thing is when this bright day comes because the date of the mass production of Tu-160 is unknown. The press had mentioned the 2023. And the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force and Colonel General Victor Bondarev mentioned the 2019 as a presupposed date of the flight of the modernized strategic bomber Tu-160. But the accurate data of the launch of Tu-160 is to be stated in the order of the President of Russia, which probably has not been created yet.