Russia remains the world leader in the heavy helicopter segment. This was stated by Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, noting that domestic machines maintain unique characteristics in terms of lifting capacity.
In the niche of heavy helicopters, such as the Mi-26, Russia is the world leader; no one builds helicopters with such lifting capacity. And this year we have started work on import substitution of the engine for this helicopter.
The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade also reported that in 2026, work began in Russia on import substitution of the engine for the Mi-26. The new PD-8V engine is being developed by specialists from the Samara Center for Design Developments and Scientific Research.
The project will be based on the gas generator from the PD-8 aircraft engine, which was previously created for the Superjet 100 passenger aircraft re-engining program. The design of the PD-8V is being carried out using Russian software.
The development of the new engine should ensure the further development of the heavy transport helicopter program and reduce dependence on foreign technologies.
