Russia and China are jointly developing a new heavy helicopter that will fill the niche between the Mi-171 and Mi-26. This was announced by Viktor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation at Rostec, at an exhibition in Harbin.
According to him, the helicopter will be designed for a payload capacity of about 14–16 tons. For comparison: the Mi-171 lifts up to 12 tons, and the Mi-26 — about 20 tons.
It will be a helicopter heavier than the Mi-171, but lighter than the Mi-26.
The project is being implemented with the Chinese company Avicopter. The Chinese side is responsible for the overall design, while Russian specialists are developing key components — including the gearbox and transmission.
For now, the project is undergoing a state audit in China. After its completion, the parties will be able to proceed to organizing serial production.