30 Mi-8/Mi-17s are believed to be on order as Russia moves to cultivate defence and aerospace relationships with Iran (383 words)

Published: 11/7/2001

During the summer, Rosoboronexport is reported to have signed a $150m contract with Iran for the delivery of 30 “military” Mi-8/Mi-17s to Iran. It is assumed that this is the first sale of armed aircraft to the Iranians since the Russia decided to break with the US embargo of exports of military equipment early in 2000. The helicopters will be produced at UUAZ (Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant) that has already produced five Mi-171s for the Iranian Navy under a contract signed in November 1998 and believed to have been completed in the first half of 2000. The aircraft are regarded as not being in violation of the US led embargo, as the helicopters' armaments would be fitted by the Iranians. The plant was also reported early in 2000 to have been expecting orders for a further 20 helicopters from the same source. It is unclear whether these potential orders are the same order as those gained by Rosoboronexport. Sources within the plant have suggested, however, that the Rosoboronexport order is considerably smaller than the 30 aircraft indicated by media reports, implying it may, in fact, be a continuation of the Iranian Navy's order for Mi-171 (Mi-8AMT). In September 2001, Leonid Belykh, General Director of UUAZ announced that the plant had signed a contract for the delivery of five Mi-8/Mi-17s as part of a larger order with a Middle Eastern country. Belykh also said that UUAZ's production capacity is practically full for the whole of 2002. There is little doubt that the Russians are keen to see the relationship with Iran develop in both defence and aerospace products and, to that end, a number of discussions and deals in civil aviation have already taken place, best demonstrated by the licence built IRAN-140. Although primarily a Ukrainian affair, it has Russian involvement, with a number of producers continuing to examine domestic production of other Russian aircraft, including the Tu-334. Recent contacts between the two countries have suggested that Russia regards its absence from the $700m a year defence market as regrettable and discussions are reported to have taken place over the supply of both surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, MiG-29s and helicopters.

Article ID: 2892