Be-200ChS EMERCOM
The Russian Ministry for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia) was the first to place an order for the aircraft. In 1996 a framework agreement with Russia’s EMERCOM was signed to deliver 15 aircraft to the Ministry. In 2000 the contract signed in 1997 to acquire seven Be-200 amphibians was converted into the State contract worth RUR 5 billion. The contract stipulated delivery of the aircraft as well as the first steps to create the necessary infrastructure, i.e. training centers, ground handling equipment, maintenance bases, hydro-bases in Gelendzhik and Taganrog and other. It was also planned that some Research and Development Institutes would get an assignment to research existing water reservoirs appropriate to accommodate Be-200 bases.
IRKUT Corporation started delivery of Be-200ChS aircraft to the Russian Ministry of Disaster Relief, which in 2001 signed a contract to take delivery of seven aircraft of that type. The first serial aircraft was supplied to the Ministry of Disaster Relief in June 2003. According to the schedule, the second Be-200ChS entered service in the end of 2003 and the total order was fulfilled by the end of 2005. In 2005, Irkut continued to supply Russia's Ministry of Emergency Relief with Beriev Be-200 search and- rescue amphibians.
A new modification, Be-200ChS was created for the Russia’s EMERCOM. The equipment of the Be-200ChS allows accomplishing a range of tasks apart from fire-fighting missions such as localization of emergencies sites, search and rescue in blue water and in the littoral area. In 2003 Be-200ChS obtained a number of certificates, notably, the type noise certificate SSh 136-Be-200ChS, the type certificate for restricted category aircraft STOK 220-Be-200ChS, the type certificate ST229-B-200ChS, and the supplement to the type STOK 220-Be-200ChS/DO1 that allows performing flights on international routes.
The first serial Be-200ChS performed its first flight from Irkutsk’s airfield on June 17, 2003. Starting from that year it has been operated by the Russia’s EMERCOM. At present, four serial aircraft were delivered to the Ministry. It is foreseen to create cargo/passenger and patrol versions of the aircraft in addition to the Be-200ChS.
During the period from January 30, 2004 to February 19, 2004 the Be-200ChS successfully passed the cold soak trials to certify its operationability under extreme cold conditions (-36 degrees C, -42 degrees C, -47 degrees C and -52 degrees C). A certain time interval was set for each of the stated temperatures to get the aircraft’s systems ready to perform a flight.
In 2007 the top management of Irkut Corporation made a decision to move the following year the Be-200 production facilities from Irkutsk Aviation Factory to Taganrog (JSC Taganrog Aviation, TAVIA). The decision to shift the production facilities was made since the Irkutsk factory was fully engaged with orders of Su-30 multirole fighters and Yak-30 combat trainers. On January 31, 2007 Supplement to Type Certificate ST229-Be-200ChS/D-02 was issued, allowing the aircraft operation in passenger layout.
In 2008 Irkut Corporation delivered the Be-200ChS multipurpose amphibian to the Ministry of Emergencies of Azerbaijan. On May 25, 2010, a supplement to Type Certificate ? ST229-Be-200ChS/D03 for Be-200ChS-? aircraft equipped with "English cockpit" was received. On September 7, 2010, a Type Certificate EASA.IM.A.114 for Be-200ES aircraft was awarded by European Aviation Safety Agency. In 2010 the Russia’s EMERCOM signed a contract with Beriev Company on delivery of new aircraft. Russia das six Be-200 amphibians (four Be-200s owned by the Russia’s EMERCOM and two by Beriev Company).
The Ministry for Emergencies [MChS] was initially the only operator of the Beriev amphibian, having taken delivery of four of the seven aircraft it had on order. The remaining aircraft were undergoing assembly at Irkut's plant in Irutsk and were scheduled for delivery in 2008. At least five Be-200ChS firefighting planes were in service with the Russian Emergencies Ministry by early 2013.
Beriev Taganrog planned to deliver more Be-200 to the customer by the end of 2014. The amphibious aircraft will be one of 12 produced for the Emergencies Ministry and the Defence Ministry. "Next year we plan to increase the volume of production - surrender to the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Emergency Situations three amphibious aircraft," - said Mikhail Pogosyan, the president of JSC UAC.
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