Russian Helicopter Systems (RHS) has taken delivery of an Ansat rotorcraft in medical configuration from Russian Helicopters, part of Rostec State Corporation. The delivery was completed under a contract with State Transport Leasing Company (STLC), which is set to receive a further 11 Ansat helicopters in medical configuration in the months ahead.

Last year Russian Helicopters delivered 29 units under the contract with STLC, which is due 31 aircraft in 2018, comprising 12 Ansat, 13 Mi-8AMT and 6 Mi-8MTV-1.

“We are happy to deliver the first medical helicopter to RHS under the contract with our partner Russian Helicopters,” comments STLC CEO Sergey Khramagin.

“By the end of 2018 STLC is planning to deliver all the helicopters received from Russian Helicopters to regional aviation companies, implementing the goal set by the country's leadership to renew fleets and render emergency medical services in difficult-to-reach regions of Russia.”

Russian Helicopters director general Andrey Boginskiy adds: “Air medical helicopters are indispensable in regions with poor access and it is vital that we ensure prompt replenishment of regional aircraft fleets with these modern rotorcraft.

“That is why we started the production of the helicopters in advance, in September 2017, and we set a goal for ourselves to deliver all of them before the end of Q1 2018.” The Ansat is a light twin-engine utility helicopter produced by Kazan Helicopters. The medevac configured variant, which received Russian certification in May 2015, complies with international air medical standards and supports a patient's vital functions during transportation. It can be promptly reconfigured for passengers or cargo and can fly up to seven passengers.

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Tatarstan became the first customer of the medical version of the Ansat, which is currently being deployed by the Republican Clinical Hospital in Kazan, for medevac and casualty transportation.

In May 2017, another medevac configured Ansat was delivered to RHS via STLC.

Russian Helicopters was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Moscow. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersales service branch responsible for maintenance and repair.