Russian Helicopters

JSC Russian Helicopters is a helicopter design and manufacturing company headquartered in Moscow, Russia. The company designs and manufactures civilian and military helicopters. The company's principal shareholder is Rostec. It is the world's 24th-largest defence contractor measured by 2012 (its best year in the 21st century) defence revenues, and the second-largest based in Russia (after Almaz-Antey).

Russian Helicopters is a leading player in the global helicopter industry, the sole Russian rotorcraft designer and manufacturer and one of the few companies worldwide with the capability to design, manufacture, service and test modern civilian and military helicopters. Russian Helicopters is part of State Corporation Rostec.

Russian Helicopters’ facilities span the entire country. The Company includes design bureaus, helicopter assembly plants, components production, maintenance and repair enterprises, aircraft repair plants, and helicopter service companies providing after-sales support in Russia and abroad. Russian Helicopters is headquartered in Moscow.

The company attempted to stage an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in May 2011, but failed to fill the order book at the expected valuation of $2 billion.

In 2011 Russian Helicopters and the Italian company AgustaWestland agreed to establish HeliVert, a joint company, in order to start production in Russia of the AW139 twin-engine multipurpose helicopter. The production plant is located in Tomilino, Moscow Region.

In 2016 the company delivered 189 aircraft to customers in 13 countries. In the same year, it ended a partnership with the Ukraine-based engine maker Motor Sich.

In 2017 the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) formed a consortium comprising leading Middle Eastern funds and finalized a deal to acquire a minority stake in Russian Helicopters (part of the Rostec State Corporation). Russian Helicopters valuation was estimated at $2.35 billion. No details have been revealed about the identity of the Middle Eastern investors.

The transaction consists of two stages. The first stage involves the sale of a 12% stake and an investment of $300 million, as well as an agreed-upon subsequent potential increase in investment to $600 million. The deal will increase the authorized capital of the holding company. This will accumulate a significant amount of funds within the Company. These funds are necessary for the implementation of the Company’s strategy and business plan, including the development of new types of helicopters. In addition, these funds will help implement the investment program of the holding company, as well as finance possible M&A activities aimed at increasing the holding’s value and finance capital programs.

Russian Helicopters boasts very strong R&D capabilities. The holding includes the National Helicopter Center 'Mil and Kamov', which unites two rotorcraft-designing schools, whose authority is recognized throughout the world. The history of two design bureaus is closely intertwined with the lives of the two men after whom they were named, Mikhail Mil and Nikolai Kamov, who are universally considered the founding fathers of Russia’s helicopter industry. Nikolai Kamov, who has been credited with coining the Russian word for helicopter, "vertolyot", was actively involved in design and development of an autogyro, a predecessor of a helicopter, in the 1920s. Under the guidance of Mikhail Mil the first Russian series produced helicopter was created.

Russian Helicopters is focused on creating optimum conditions for operators in terms of the full life cycle service support and repair of Russian-made helicopters. Providing highly qualified service and after sales support for Russian Helicopters is a key element in Russian Helicopters’ development strategy.

Their key production facilities include Kazan Helicopters, Rostvertol, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Progress Arsenyev Aviation Company and Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise. Stupino Engineering Productive Enterprise and Reductor-PM produce rotorcraft components.