Russian Helicopters Holding Company, part of Rostec State Corporation, is holding negotiations regarding the delivery of up to eight rotorcraft units of three types to Malaysian customers.

“Malaysian operators have made requests for purchasing up to eight Ansat, Mi-8/17 and Ka-32A11BC helicopters,” explains deputy general director for after-sales support Igor Chechikov. “We are currently providing consultations to customers to clarify the technical configurations of the helicopters planned for delivery as well as other organisational matters.”

The Malaysian interest is partly a result of the south Asian heli tour organised by Russian Helicopters. In November and December 2018 one Mi-171А2 and one Ansat made a tour of over 5,000 kilometres in length, holding demonstration shows in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Rostec director for international cooperation and regional policy Viktor Kladov adds: “Southeast Asia is one of the strategically important regions for us. We see numerous opportunities there for increasing the export volume of civil rotorcraft. After the recent south Asian heli tour we have concluded firm and soft contracts for the delivery of 70 civil helicopters. At present we are negotiating terms and delivery dates with these potential customers.”

The Ansat is a light twin-engine utility helicopter serially produced at Kazan Helicopters. As per the type certificate, the helicopter design makes it possible to carry out quick conversions from a cargo to a passenger version capable of transporting up to seven people. The Ansat is certified for EMS and for operations in ambient air temperatures from minus 45 degrees celsius to plus 50 degrees. In addition, the Ansat has successfully completed a series of tests confirming its capability to operate in high-altitude conditions up to 3,500 m.

The Мi-8/17 type helicopters are certified for operation in high-altitude conditions, adverse climates and a broad temperature range. Mi-17 helicopters are designed for a wide range of missions from patrolling, coastal guard services and EMS to search and rescue operations.

The civil all-weather helicopter Ка-32А11ВС with coaxial rotor scheme was developed by Kamov design bureau, a part of Russian Helicopters Holding Company. Serial production of the Ka-32A11BC is carried out by JSC Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise (KumAPE) and currently over 140 have been produced, operating in over 30 countries all over the world. The coaxial rotor scheme provides the helicopter with several critical stabilisation and manoeuverability improvements, especially for fire extinguishing missions. The configuration of Ka-32A11BC equipment features over 40 options.