VORONEZH, September 1. /TASS/. Russia’s prospective high-speed helicopter that is currently being developed in the interests of the Defence Ministry will go into production in 2022 and will be able to make up to 500 kilometres per hour, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Colonel General Viktor Bondarev told reporters on Tuesday.
"This work is in full swing, and in 2018 the helicopter’s one-off prototype is to perform a flight. The work completion is planned for 2021, and in 2022 - a series of these helicopters will be produced. They will be able to develop a speed of up to 500 kilometres per hour," Bondarev said.
He said that this speed is stated in the helicopter’s performance specifications.
"We’ll only be glad if the model gets better characteristics. Naturally, the helicopter will be fulfilling all the tasks that are currently fulfilled by the Kamov and Mil family helicopters. It will embody all the very best," the commander said.
The work on the helicopter is so far being carried out by the Mil and Kamov companies within the Russian Helicopters holding.
"Both companies are now participating in the project and in the future the best one will take all the work on this helicopter," Bondarev said.