Russian Helicopters (a subsidiary of Oboronprom, part of State Corporation Rostec) congratulates the staff of Rostvertol on the 75th anniversary of its founding.

“75 years is a significant milestone and an important celebration for the company. The success and achievements of which we are rightfully proud today are a credit to the company’s staff,” Russian Helicopters CEO Alexander Mikheev said. “Rostvertol’s place, and significance, in Russia’s helicopter industry, its role in its rich and complex history, and in the success we see today cannot be overstated. From everyone at Russian Helicopters, I congratulate Rostvertol on this anniversary, and wish everyone there good health, optimism, unending energy and future successes.”

Rostvertol’s history started in 1939, with the Ryazan plant producing wooden aircraft propellers. The plant initially started producing gliders, light aircraft and the Polikarpov Po-2 biplane. It later moved into a new area – producing helicopters such as the legendary, ground-breaking Mi-1 and Mi-6 heavy transport helicopter, the Mi-24 and Mi-35M military helicopters, the Mi-26 heavy helicopter, and the latest Mi-28N(E) Night Hunter. Over the years, Rostvertol has trained generations of elite specialists in this sector, and of the 8,500 employees it boasts today – almost half are young specialists. They enjoy a unique opportunity to learn from the older generations, and dutifully maintain the plant’s great traditions.

Rostvertol is a Russian Helicopters company, and is a modern, high-tech enterprise. It plays a significant role in Russian Helicopters’ broader successes, and in several areas remains the unrivalled leader. Over the past three years, 60 percent of Russian Helicopters produced came from Rostvertol. It completes the State Defence order in a timely fashion, delivering batches of helicopters for export and has orders for many years ahead. Over the past 5 years Rostvertol has improved its production and financial performance indicators.

In recent years, the plant has seen major retooling and modernisation work: new machinery has been installed, new galvanizing technology introduced and new anodizing facilities launched. This sweeping modernisation and reorganisation of production capacity at the plant delivered an increase in production volume and efficiency.

This anniversary year also sees the opening of a new chapter in the history of Rostvertol’s integration with Russian Helicopters, as it takes a fuller role in building a new image of the sector, optimising organisational systems and management structures. One of the most important strategic tasks facing Russian Helicopters today is achieving a 20 percent share of the global market by 2020. Rostvertol will play a key role in achieving this. The company is set to become the “main rotor” of the new helicopter cluster that the country, regional authorities, and Russian Helicopters are building up in the Rostov region.

This year not only marks 75 years since the founding of Rostvertol, it is also the 50th anniversary of the first export orders. The plant has been producing helicopters for export for half a century, making one of the most significant contributions to the strengthening of the Russian helicopter industry’s position on the international market. Rostvertol’s products are renowned world over: the unique heavy lift Mi-26, the new generation Mi-28N(E) Night Hunter combat helicopter, the multirole Mi-24 helicopters, including the latest Mi-35M. The launch of series production on the new training and combat Mi-28N(E) helicopter with dual controls and the modernised Mi-26T2 opens up new opportunities for further expanding the exports of Russian aircraft.

The professionalism of Rostvertol’s employees, their competence and unique experience forms the backbone of the Russian helicopter industry. In celebrating these anniversaries, the company cherishes and builds on these great traditions, and will continue to develop successfully, making a significant contribution to the development of a modern and dynamic helicopter industry in Russia.