The Motor Sich company (Zaporizhia), a producer of aircraft engines and gas turbines, and its Chinese partner intend to build a plant in China for servicing engines developed in Zaporozhia. In addition, Motor Sich intends to attract significant investments in upgrading its facilities. Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv announced this during a visit to Beijing.
"China’s Skyrizon and Ukraine’s Motor Sich plan to build a plant in Chongqing (Central China), where they will produce and service aircraft engines based on Ukrainian technologies. In addition, the company plans to invest USD 250 million in modernization of Motor Sich’s Ukrainian production and design facilities,” said Kubiv.
The Kommersant publication reported in February that Motor Sich could participate in a Russian-Chinese project for development of the AHL heavy helicopter and that it could supply AI-136T turboshaft engines for the new helicopters. The helicopter will be developed solely for the Chinese market because Russia meets its own needs with the Mi-17 and Mi-26 helicopters.
The design and production of the AHL helicopter has long been complicated by the choice of engines. The Russian Helicopters company’s former head Alexander Mikheyev said in May 2015 that the Ukrainian D-136 engine (similar to the Mi-26 engine) could be used on the helicopter.
Motor Sich denied participation in the project, but the company explained on February 10 that it was working directly with the Chinese-based Avicopter company and that it had already concluded contracts for supply of the new AI-136T turboshaft engine.
China's leading newspaper, the People's Daily, reported in September 2015 that Motor Sich intended to open a plant in China.
