Currently, the quality of materials for aviation equipment leaves much to be desired, which prevents their use in mass production. American and European materials are used for manufacturing and processing parts, but access to them is difficult. To solve this problem, the authorities are ready to allocate more than 1 billion rubles to replace these materials for drones, SSJ-100-NEW, Tu-214 aircraft, and other aircraft.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade has allocated more than 1.1 billion rubles for the creation of materials for Russian aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
On March 13, 2025, two tenders with the code names "Traction" and "Compartment" were published on the public procurement website.
Under the first tender, the Ministry of Industry and Trade ordered research and development work (R&D) to create new materials and technologies for their production for advanced and serial aircraft and helicopter engines. These developments should be used in domestic aircraft and rotorcraft.
The cost of the order is 597 million rubles.
Under the second tender, the agency plans to conduct research and development work aimed at creating technologies for the production of semi-finished products from aluminum alloys and steels, as well as developing import-substituting polymer composite and functional materials for aviation equipment, including unmanned aerial vehicles (code "Compartment").
The maximum purchase price is 560 million rubles.
The tender documentation for the "Compartment" purchase indicates that certain difficulties arise during the mass production of sheet components for wing mechanization elements, which lead to a low percentage of rejects due to the poor surface quality of the sheets. This limits the supply of these products to aircraft factories and the production of aviation equipment.
In addition, the contractor must create a product that will replace the sealant manufactured by PPG (USA), as well as propose methods for optimizing the assembly process of components and structures for aviation equipment, including during repair work.
In the context of a shortage in the Russian market of one-component moisture-resistant fluorescent varnishes for protecting printed circuit boards of airborne electronic devices and automatic control systems, it is necessary to create a domestic moisture-resistant and repairable fluorescent varnish that can replace imported materials.
The results of the work can be applied at Russian factories involved in the production of aircraft and parts for them. In particular, they can be used in the manufacture of components and elements of the airframe of Il-114-300, SSJ-100-NEW, Tu-214 aircraft, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.
Possible buyers: PJSC "Il", PJSC "Tupolev", PJSC "Yakovlev", PJSC "VASO", PJSC "KUMZ", JSC "Metallurgical Plant "Elektrostal", JSC "Kronshtadt" and other organizations that are part of the United Aircraft Corporation.
As part of the research and development work, which is carried out under the code "Traction", it is planned to create technologies and materials necessary for the manufacture of engines.
The official documents of the Ministry of Industry and Trade state that Russia currently lacks the capacity to produce ring blanks.
The aircraft industry requires blanks with a finer grain size and uniform structure throughout the cross-section. It is also necessary to use new materials with improved strength properties.
To solve this problem, it is necessary to develop a technology for the production of large ring blanks by hot isostatic pressing.
To prevent rust from appearing on parts, special coatings are used that reduce friction. Among the most popular coatings are materials from Switzerland. However, their supply for engine production is associated with certain difficulties. In this regard, it is necessary to create a domestic analogue.
The Ministry assumes that potential buyers will be enterprises that are part of the United Engine Corporation: PJSC "ODK-Saturn", JSC "ODK-Aviadvigatel", JSC "ODK-Perm Motors", JSC "ODK-Klimov" and JSC "ODK-Service".
The documentation for both tenders indicates materials from the USA and Europe that need to be replaced. In the process of performing the work, it is necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of the federal law "On Commercial Secrets".
Work on both tenders must be completed by December 1, 2027.
Earlier, engineers from the Russian company "Stratolink" began developing two Argus stratospheric unmanned aerial vehicles. The drones will be able to rise to a height of about 18–25 kilometers and stay in the air for a month or more thanks to four electric motors.
