Russia has completed the creation of a full production cycle for composites for the MS-21 aircraft – from raw materials to finished wing power elements. After the cessation of foreign material supplies, the program not only continued but also transitioned to a fully domestic base, said aviation expert Artyom Kirillov.
He recalled that in the early stages of the project, materials from American and European companies were present in the design. However, after 2022, the aviation industry was able to accelerate import substitution.
The import substitution program for carbon composites has become an example of implementing a technological chain – from creating a raw material base and carbon fiber to manufacturing large-sized power structures.
Kirillov specified that UMATEX carbon fibers, produced by Rosatom structures, are currently used in the MS-21's design.
Production includes a full cycle – from polyacrylonitrile precursor to finished composite wing panels.
However, the aircraft's production is currently hampered by certification. The MS-21 has completed only about a third of its certification tests, according to Rostec head Sergey Chemezov. As a result, serial production of the aircraft is expected only in 2027.