Russian Helicopters Begins Production of Mi-171A2 Choppers - CEO

The Russian Helicopters company, part of the Rostec state corporation, has started the production of the multirole Mi-171A2 helicopters and plans to produce at least four aircraft in 2017, the company's CEO Andrey Boginsky said Sunday.

ABU DHABI (Sputnik) — Mi-171A2 is an advanced helicopter, which combines the technologies used in the construction of the Mi-8/17 series and the new ones, such as upgraded engines and avionics. According to the website of the company, the first prototype of the helicopter was launched in November 2014.

"We have started [the production]. We are planning to construct four such helicopters this year," Boginsky told reporters, answering a corresponding question, on the sidelines of the 2017 International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi.

The 13th biennial IDEX event is due to kick off on February 19 and last through February 23. The exhibition is the only one in the Middle East to include equipment for land, sea and air troops. The last event, held in 2015, attracted some 1,200 companies from 56 countries as well as over 100,000 visitors from over 140 countries, according to the organizers. The exhibition is visited by senior government and military officials from around the world.