MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The permission for the mass production of the world’s heaviest Mi-26T2V military transport helicopter will be obtained by the yearend, CEO of the Russian Helicopters rotorcraft manufacturer (part of the state tech corporation Rostec) Andrei Boginsky told TASS on Monday.

"We are now at the final stage of getting the O1 designation for the helicopter’s baseline configuration and there are a few flights remaining to wrap up the Mi-26T2V’s flight tests. We expect to perform these flights by the end of the year and get the O1 code. We have already delivered the first batches of the Mi-26T2V helicopter to the Russian troops," the chief executive said.

The upgraded Mi-26T2V helicopter performed its debut flight in August 2018. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivoruchko said in March 2019 that the ministry would buy 10 of the helicopters.

The Mi-26T2V is a heavy large-fuselage military transport helicopter with a lifting capacity of 20 tonnes. The rotorcraft is outfitted with an integrated NPK90-2V avionics suite that provides for its operation day and night to fly in an automatic control mode, reach a preset point and perform approach maneuvers. The defensive aids suite shields the Mi-26T2V from air defense missile systems. The upgraded helicopter has a crew of five.