Beriev Be-200 Altair - Foreign Sales
These aircraft were expected to be sold to China and certain European countries. In 2005 the Russian government approved the Strategy for the aviation industry development for the period up to 2015. The Strategy envisages a revitalization of innovative activities in the aviation industry. It was decided that, within the frame of the Strategy, resources would be concentrated on specific projects, such as the project for the unique, unparalleled abroad niche aircraft Be-200. "Promotion of these aircraft on the world aviation market will allow, already in the years to come, not only to gain export profits but also to demonstrate serious presence of Russia on the work aviation markets," claims Valeriy Voskoboynikov, the deputy director of the military-industrial complex Department.
The Be-200 multipurpose amphibian was presented for the first time at the IV International Hydro Air Show-2002 in the Russian city of Gelenzhik on September 4-8, 2002. The Air Show saw 9 world records set by the amphibian.
The presentations of the Be-200 were made in a number of countries including France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Malaysia, China, India, and the UAE. The aircraft accomplished firefighting missions in Russia, Italy, Portugal, and Indonesia. The Be-200ChS was successfully operated in Italy in 2004-2005 within the framework of the agreement between Beriev Aircraft Company and SOREM (Italian official firefighting equipment operator of the Civil Defense Department). In 2006 Beriev Aircraft Company concluded a contract with the Portuguese Fire Fighting Services on the lease of Be-200ChS amphibian. According to the contract the aircraft was operated in Portugal suppressing forest fires. French, American and Italian pilots had a chance to operate the aircraft and all of them highly estimated the aircraft’s performance and capacities.
In August 2005 a joint venture CJSC “BETA IR” was set up to carry out Be-200’s promotion program on the world market. The joint venture was established by EADS, Irkut Corporation, Beriev Aircraft Company, and Swiss company ILTA Trade Finance S.A. Be-200’s marketing program in the Asia-Pacific region is carried out in cooperation with the Malaysian DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies SDN BHD.
The marketing investigations made it possible to determine the needs for the B-200 on the internal and World Market. Only for the deliveries for the export it can be required not less than 350 machines of such type. The potential markets for sale Be-200 are considered the countries of southeastern Asia, Mediterranean, South and North America, including Canada. Besides, in a frame of the state visit of the Russian President Vladimir Putin to Malaysia early August 2003 IRKUT Corporation signed an agreement with DRB-Hicom Defense Technologies (Malaysia) to market Be-200 in the South-East Asia.
Engineering development of Be-200 version powered with BR715 engines manufactured by Rolls-Royce is completed. Co-operation agreement between EADS, Rolls-Royce and IRKUT on aircraft certification in accordance with JAR and FAR regulations was signed in the end of 2003. This agreement implies co-operation on Be-200 entering the Western market as well as product support using the existing EADS maintenance network.
In summer 2007, at the request of the Greek government, Russia dispatched several Be-200s to assist Greece in dealing with a spate of forest fires, which killed 68 and destroyed over 200,000 hectares of forest and hundreds of homes in dozens of towns. Russian defence news agency ARMS-TASS reporte in December 2007 that Greece had signed a contract for Beriev Be-200 firefighting amphibians. It would be the first export order for the twin-turbofan flying boat. ARMS-TASS says the head of Russia's ministry for emergencies (MChS) announced the sale at a press conference in Moscow on 26 December. The number of aircraft was not given, but could be between seven and 14, the report said.
On 09 September 2010 the Russian Emergencies Ministry signed a $330 million contract on Thursday with the Beriev design bureau for eight Be-200 amphibious planes for firefighting. The contract was signed at the International Exhibition and Scientific Conference on Hydroaviation, Gidroaviasalon 2010 in Russia's Black Sea resort town of Gelendzhik. The head of the Beriev design bureau, Viktor Kobzev, the aviation chief of Emergencies Ministry, Rafail Zakirov, the head of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Alexei Fedorov and the head of the Ukrainian Motor Sich engine manufacturer Vyacheslav Boguslaev signed the deal.
On 20 June 2012 an American company signed up to buy ten Russian-made Beriev Be-200 amphibian aircraft for use in the fire-fighting “airtanker” role, in a breakthrough contract to the U.S. market for the plane. “We have contracted for 10 Be-200s to use by us under expected federal and state fire fighting contracts,” says TTE’s President, David Baskett. TTE would lease the aircraft to airtanker operators in the U.S. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but in 2010 Russia’s Emergencies Ministry signed a $330 million deal for eight of the planes configured for firefighting. The contract award follows months of trials for the US Interagency Air Tanker Board, which promotes safety of airtanker operations in the US. The aircraft was demonstrated in Taganrog, south Russia in May, and made practice water-drop demonstration flights for United States Forest Service officials. The United States had an urgent need to renew its air tanker fleet as many existing planes in the role are obsolete and coming to the end of their lives.
Beriev expected negotiations for licensed production of the Beriev Be-103 and Be-200 amphibians in China to be completed by year-end, the company’s general manager, Victor Kobzev, said in September 2013. Meanwhile, the company will resubmit the 42-metric-ton-mtow Be-200 twinjet to the European Aviation Safety Agency for certification. At the MAKS 2013 Moscow Air Show, Rostec subsidiary KRET (Russian acronym for Radio-electronics Technologies Concern) showed reworked avionics, including some already installed in a Be-200SE-E on the static display.
Beriev Taganrog Aviation Plant Beriev name completed assembly of the first production of the amphibious aircraft Be-200ES which is almost half different from its predecessor, going earlier in Irkutsk. Yuri Slusar, the president of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) told reporters on 30 May 2016. "What has been done in Irkutsk, and what is being done here in Taganrog - are different airplanes. This new aircraft with improved airframe, new equipment composition, which take into account the peculiarities of operation, received over the years." - Said Slusar during the first rollout of the aircraft.
In the near future will begin its testing, after which the Be-200ES joined the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Earlier, the assembly of the aircraft was carried out at the facilities of the Irkutsk Aircraft Production Association. In 2008, it was decided to move the production of this type of aircraft in Taganrog. Be-200ES is almost entirely built of local components, designed to solve problems of fire suppression, emergency assistance in areas of extreme disasters, search and rescue on water, sanitation and freight traffic, monitoring the environment.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
