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Russia, China wrap up talks on heavy-lift helicopter

Most works will be carried out by a Chinese company

ZHUHAI/China/, November 6. /TASS/. Russia and China have completed talks and are ready to ink a contract on creating a heavy-lift helicopter, Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy at Russia’s Rostec state hi-tech corporation Viktor Kladov told reporters on Tuesday.

"De facto, the negotiations have been completed. The sides are ready to sign a general contract," Kladov said, noting that this is a contract on the helicopter’s design and after it is signed, the design engineering will begin.

"This will be a Chinese helicopter. Most works will be carried out by a Chinese company, and the Chinese side has tasked Russia with developing some key angles and components," he said.

Russia and China inked the agreement on developing the AHL (Advanced Heavy Lift) helicopter in 2016. Under the agreement, Russian Helicopters and China’s Avicopter will jointly develop an advanced heavy-lift helicopter to launch its serial production in China in order to meet the demand on the Chinese market.

Russian Helicopters, a design and manufacturing company part of the Rostec state hi-tech corporation, will invest in the project in the form of technologies and design separate systems of the helicopter. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved the intergovernmental agreement on the joint development of this helicopter in February 2017.

China will be responsible for implementing the program as a whole, including design, manufacturing experimental helicopter prototypes, carrying out tests, certification, preparation and serial production, and also promoting the helicopter on the market.