Arsenyev Aviation Company "Progress"
Arsenyevskoye Aviatsionnoye Proizvodstvennoye Predpriyatie Imeni N I Sazykina Arsenyev Aviation Production Enterprise 'Progress' named for N I Sazykin AAK Progress im. N.I. Sazykina OAO AAK Progress OAO AAC Progress JSC Arsen’yevskaya aviatsionnaya kompaniya Progress im. N.I. Sazykina OAO Arseniev Aircraft Company Progress in honor of N.I. Sazykin JSC Arsenyev Aviation Company (AAC) Arsenyev Aviation Company "Progress" OAO Arsenev Aviation Co Progress Aircraft Manufacturer (PAM) Progress, OAO Arsenevskaya aviaczionnaya kompaniya im.N.I.Sazykina 1 ul.Kalininskaya Arsenev, Primorski Krai RUSSIAN FEDERATION 69233 Telephone: 0007 - (742) 361-24945 Area of production plant - 290 000m2 Personnel - 4000
Established in 1936 as an aircraft repair plant and originally designated GAZ 116, under the long tenure of Director Nikolay Sazykin, the plant became an important component of the Soviet aviation industry. It built UT-2 trainer and began manufacture of missiles in 1958. Arsenyev plant previously built the Mil Mi-24/25/35 series of combat helicopters, in parallel with Rostvertol, and was also manufacturer of the Yak-55 aerobatic lightplane; a modified version of the last-mentioned, the Technoavia SP-55, was nominally returned to production in 1999. Arsenyev is responsible for the Kamov Ka-50, Ka-52 and Mil Mi-34 helicopters, the repair of the Mi-24 helicopter, as well as Moskit missiles. Overhaul facilities for Mi-24 are available. It was reportedly assigned the new Kamov Ka-60, but that program was finally reallocated to RSK 'MiG'. Russian government shareholding is 51 percent.
N. I. Sazykin Arsenev Aviation Company Progress (Arsenev, Primorskiy Krai, in Russia's Far East) cooperates with such world famous design bureaus as Yakoviev, Antonov, Mil, Kamov, Tupolev and "Raduga". The plant is famous for its combat helicopters Ka-50 "Black Shark" and Ka-52 "Alligator", which are made for the Russian Ministry of Defence by DB Kamov.
In the field of light sport aircraft, the Progress Company produced Antonov planes and sport planes Yak-18, Yak-55 and Yak-55M. "Progress" re-established manufacturing of Yak-54 two seat sport and acrobatic aircraft. It can be used in acrobatic flight training and in competition. "Progess" also produces light civil multi-purpose helicopter MI-34 focused on arcobatics, transport, police patrolling, leisure and sports. In the nearest future "Progress" starts manufacturing of heavy transport helicopter Ka-62.
The An-14 Pchelka" (The Little Bee) was designed to fulfill similar function as An-2 biplane. Production started at 'Progress' works (Arsenev, Eastern Siberia) and in Summer 1965 the An-14 was demonstrated at Vnukovo airshow. Two years later An-14 appeared in military colors at Domodedovo airshow.
Primorye's defense industry consists of 16 producers working in the areas of ship building and repair, mechanical engineering and aircraft construction. The defense contractors account for some 13% of annual production in the krai. Ship repair's share of the total is approximately 33%. The number of defense orders handled by Primorye contractors has been declining steadily since 1989. Whereas in 1988, military orders accounted for 80% of the sector's output, their share was just 56% in 1993. Some of the lost volume has been recovered by a increased number of non-military orders. As part of its conversion to peacetime production. Progress Aviation Company (Arsenev) has begun producing a medium-size passenger and cargo aircraft, the AN-74.
In late October 1995 it was reported that the Russian government withdrew intentions to seek a buyer for a 50% plus one share interest in state-owned Progress Aircraft Manufacturer (PAM). In October 1995, the Russian government disclosed that it was seeking a buyer for a 50% plus one share interest in state-owned PAM.
The management of the Progress aviation plant in Arsenyev recommended in late 1995 that the plant sell new Kamov Ka-50 and Ka-52 attack helicopters overseas instead of to the Russian armed forces, in order to receive the funding necessary to begin series production. Already in a long-standing debt crisis, Progress was on the verge of shutting down altogether after local heat and power enterprises threatened to cutoff services until their arrears of about 20 billion rubles were paid. Progress itself was owed that amount by the Ministry of Defence for orders filled in 1994,and the ministry indicated that it will not pay for this year's orders until 1996. Half of Progress's 8,000 employees were on enforced leave.
The main projects at the plant, which formerly manufactured Mil Mi-24 helicopters, are currently the Ka-50 and the Moskit anti-shipping missile. At current levels of financing, however, the plant was only capable of producing one Ka-50 a year. Mismanagement at the plant has also contributed to its crisis. Former General Director Viktor Manoilenko, fired in 1995, spent several billion rubles on an abortive attempt to manufacture the Antonov An-74 at Progress. Sixty per cent of the funding was allocated to paying wages, and the attempt pushed the plant to the edge of bankruptcy. An-74 production was switched to the Omsk aircraftfactory after it became clear that conversion at Progress was impractical. Progress's new general director, Yury Bodnya, hoped to profit from another conversion venture, manufacturing the new Mil Mi-34 business-class helicopter.
In 1998 the Progress aircraft production factory at Arsenyev began the refurbish and upgrade of Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopters which had originally been built by the plant during the 1970s and 1980s. The first helicopters for upgrade were delivered to the plant just before the New Year 1999 from a Russian Army air regiment in the Chernigov District, Pomorye Region. After being stripped, repaired and refurbished, the helicopters would be good for another 10- 15 years service. In addition to refurbish of Mi-24s for the Russia military, Progress anticipates additional sales of upgraded Hinds to foreign customers.
By 1999 the airframe life of the Mi-24 combat helicopter was approaching its end and the type was due to be replaced by the Ka-50/52 and Mi-28, however the Russian Army did not have sufficient resources to completely re-equip with more modern machines. Consequently there was growing interest among the management at both the Khabarovsk and Ural Aviation Repair Plants in a proposal, submitted by the Progress aviation plant based in Arsenev (where the Mi-24 was built) to create a Far Eastern Upgrade and Repair Center for the Mi-24.
Ka-50 deliveries to Russian Air Forces were expected to begin with three helicopters in 2005, but these were still on the production line in mid-2006. These three were reported to be the most complete of 17 Ka-50s present in various stages of assembly. The first Ka-52 was reported under construction in July 2007.
On 01 July 2008, the general manager of Arsenevskaya aviation company "Progress" Yury Denisenko said that serial production of attack helicopters Ka-52 "Alligator" will begin in Arsenev (Primorskiy Kray) at the end of 2008. According to him, the first official flight of the serial Ka-52 helicopter was planned for after the completion of the development work in September 2008 in Arsenev. The general director of OAO "Helicopters of Russia' Andrei Shibitov, said that Ka-52 was a priority for the helicopter construction holding as a machine designed for the needs of the Defense Ministry of Russia.
In August 2008 OAO OPK Oboronprom, a Russian state-owned Rosoboronexport Federal State Unitary Entrp subsidiary, acquired a 50% interest plus one share, in a state-owned OAO Arsenev Aviation Co Progress Sazykin, an Arsenev-based manufacturer of helicopters and engine spare parts.
An official ceremony dedicated to the opening of the series production line of the Ka-52 combat helicopter Alligator will take place on 29 October 2008 in the town of Arsenyev (Maritime Territory). An air show including a demonstration of the helicopter's combat characteristics will take place as part of this event," says a statement by the open joint-stock N.I. Sazykin Progress AAC, which reached Interfax-AVN on 13 October 2008.
"The launch of production of the Ka-52 helicopter is an example of a breakthrough in the national machine-building sector on the account of science-intensive technologies, which has become possible thanks to coordinated actions by federal bodies of power and the heads of holding companies and Russia's industrial enterprises," the press release says.
