May 17,
2008: Russia has made a deal with China
to allow a Chinese factory to assemble Mi-171 helicopters from Russian supplied
parts. This model is nicknamed "The Terminator. " It is based on the
1975 Mi-17, and is the export version of similar Mi-8, but configured as a
gunship and transport. Weighing about 12 tons, and carrying a four ton load,
the Mi-171 has a range of 590 kilometers at a cruising speed of 250 kilometers
per hour. There is a crew of three, and as many passengers as can be squeezed
in (about 40 people, but usually just 20 or so.) A sling underneath can also
carry up to four tons. The crew areas are protected (against bullets and shell
fragments) by armor. The Terminator normally carries machine-gun, rockets and
bombs, and is also wired for using eight 9M114 (Spiral) air to surface
missiles, or air-to-air missiles. There is a targeting radar up front. Avionics
are often Western, which makes it an easier sell to foreign nations. Several
hundred have been exported, to customers like Algeria and Iran. The helicopter
is rugged, inexpensive ($4-5 million each) and better suited for less affluent
nations. Development of this model was completed in 1998 and Russia has been
pushing sales hard.
The deal
with the Chinese calls for 20 to be assembled this year, with an eventual
capacity for 80 a year. China can export these Mi-171s, and already has orders
from Pakistan and at least one African nation. While this will compete with
Russian sales of the helicopter, the companies making Mi-171 components want a
big increase in sales overall. Last year, Russian helicopter manufacturers had
orders for 150 Mi-171s. This is old technology, and the Russians believe they
can make more money producing components, and letting the Chinese do the
assembly. Chinese manufacturing technology is uneven, with expertise in some
areas, and little in others. This is largely because of the shortage of trained
technicians, engineers and managers. Russia has an edge here, even with the older
tech found in the Mi-171.
