OREANDA-NEWS. October 17, 2014. Russian Helicopters (a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of State Corporation Rostec) has delivered a multirole Mi-8AMT helicopter to the Almaty City Rescue Service, Akimat Almaty, Kazakhstan.

“The delivery of the Mi-8AMT to the Almaty City Rescue Service represents another important step in the continued development of Russia-Kazakhstan cooperation in the operation of Russian helicopter technology,” Russian Helicopters’ Deputy CEO for Sales and Marketing Grigory Kozlov said. “Today about 200 helicopters built at our facilities are operated by private companies and state agencies in Kazakhstan. The civilian helicopter fleet here is growing rapidly, and we are committed to meeting in full our Kazakh partners’ requirements for the latest helicopters.”

“The city of Almaty boasts a population of 1.5 million, and is the rapidly growing southern capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan. We pay significant attention to issues related to equipping the Rescue Service with the latest technology, specialist technology and equipment,” said Almaty’s Akim (head of a local government) Akhmetzhan Esimov. “We hope that the Mi-8AMT will successfully carry out operations to prevent emergencies, emergency response operations, and to offer first aid to residents of and visitors to the capital. There are plans to further expand the Rescue Service’s helicopter fleet which will be used during events such as the Worldwide Youth Universiade in 2017, and in construction work on the Kok Zhaylau world-class ski resort.”

Almaty City Rescue Service's Mi-8AMT helicopter was built at Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (a Russian Helicopters company), under a contract concluded in 2013. The customer's specific requirements were taken into account in producing it. It was fitted with additional equipment enabling it to carry out search and rescue operations and transport cargo and passengers. Its search and rescue function is supported by the LPG-150M winch and external sling, which has a hydraulic weighing system. Additional external fuel tanks can be fitted, increasing the helicopter's range to 1,065 km. The improved cabin can comfortably seat up to 12 people. The helicopter is distinguished by its low vibration and noise. It is fitted with the latest navigation and radio communications equipment, ensuring it can operate safely in a wide range of different conditions. This model of helicopter may also prove to be in demand in other states and by commercial helicopter operators in Kazakhstan and Russia.

All the main models of helicopter produced by Russian Helicopters are operated in Kazakhstan: Mi-8/17 series military-transport and search and rescue helicopters, Ka-32A11BC multirole helicopters with a coaxial main rotor system, Mi-24V attack helicopter and the super-heavy Mi-26(T) transport helicopter. Kazakhstan’s helicopter operators have expressed significant interest in Russian Helicopters’ up and coming developments: the medium multirole Mi-171A2 and the Mi-38 passenger transport helicopter.

Aftersale maintenance support for Russian helicopters in Kazakhstan is carried out by Aircraft Repair Plant No. 405 in Almaty. Certified for the whole Central Asian region, the plant offers a range of technical service, repair and modernisation services to Mi- and Ka- helicopters operated by the Kazakhstan’s Defence Ministry, the Kazakhstan National Security Committee’s (KNB) Border Service, the Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry, as well as other states and commercial aviation firms. A technical service and repair centre has been opened in Kazakhstan’s Aktobe to handle a variety of issues. There are plans to open maintenance and service support centres in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, and in the cities of Aktau, Atyrau, Shymkent, and Oskemen.

In recent years, Russia-Kazakhstan partnership on helicopter projects has been developing dynamically. In May 2012, Russian Helicopters delivered two new multirole Ka-32A11BC helicopters to the Republic of Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry. In February 2013, Rosoboronexport handled the delivery of 4 Mi-171Sh helicopters to the Kazakhstan National Security Committee’s border guard service. In August, the holding delivered a Mi-171E helicopter to the Interior Ministry. Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant, a Russian Helicopters company, carried out the comprehensive repair and modernisation of two Mi-26T helicopters for Kazaviazapas. This year, the Kazakhstan National Security Committee’s border guard service took delivery of two Mi-171Sh helicopters under a contract with Rosoboronexport. In 2015, Mi-171E helicopters are scheduled to be delivered to Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry and to the National Guard.