Belarus' first six Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters enter service

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World Aviation Defense & Security News - Belarus
 
 
Belarus' first six Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters enter service
 
The official ceremony of transferring six helicopters produced by a Russian Helicopters’ subsidiary - Kazan Helicopters - took place at the Machulischi airport near Minsk today. The ceremony was attended by the Belarusian Minister of Defense, the Air Force and Air Defense commander and top management of Russian Helicopters, the company announced today Nov. 30, 2016.
     
Russian Helicopters hands overs first batch of Mi 8MTV 5 helicopters to Belarus 640 001Two of the Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters recently delivered to the Belarusian Ministry of Defence
(Credit: Ministry of Defence of Belarus)
     
The military transport Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters were delivered to the Ministry of Defense of Belarus in October. Today, during the ceremony, the rotorcraft was transferred to the personnel of the 50th combined airbase of the Belarusian Air Force. During the event military pilots demonstrated the capabilities of the Russian machines. This was also the indication that Russian Helicopters has finished the first part of the contract for delivery of 12 Russian-made Mi-8MTV-5s, which had been signed during the Army-2015 International Military Technical Forum.

We maintain constant business contacts with military and civilian agencies of that country. Helicopters supplied to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense have repeatedly demonstrated their high-performance flight characteristics, have the newest equipment and are capable of solving a wide range of tasks. We expect that the transfer of the next batch of 6 helicopters will take place in 2017,” said Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev.

Mi-8MTV-5 multirole helicopter is part of the Mi-8/17 family. These helicopters are used in medical and search-and-rescue operations; they carry out cargo and passenger transportation. As of today, more than 12 thousand helicopters of the Mi-8/17 series have been produced and delivered to 100 countries. Over many years of operation, the Mi-8/17 type helicopters produced by Kazan Helicopters and by Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant have proven that they can successfully perform tasks in any climatic conditions and are justifiably the most numerous and one of the world’s best in their class.

Russian Helicopters, (part of State Corporation Rostec), is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. 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 aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world. Its helicopters are popular among Russian ministries and state authorities (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Control Ministry), operators (Gazpromavia, UTair), major Russian corporations. In 2015 its IFRS revenues increased 29.5% to RUB 220.0 billion. Deliveries reached 212 helicopters.