Biznes, a business daily, reported today that the show started more than successfully for Saturn, a Russian firm, as it signed two contracts on the delivery of units to the Russian Navy and the Indian Air Force and will therefore work at full capacity and receive additional profits.
HGT-36 intermediate jet trainers will be fitted with AL-55 engines under the Indian contract. "This two-part contract stipulates an R&D project to develop the engine and a production license for assembling about 1,000 engines at India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) enterprises," Saturn General Director Yury Lastochkin said.
The contract price and terms have not been disclosed. Experts estimate that one AL-55 engine will cost at least $1 million. India will first receive 200 AL-55s and HAL will build engines for the heavier HGT-39 trainers under license.
"We will upgrade an engine for our own trainers with Indian money," said Konstantin Makiyenko, the deputy director of the Center for Analyzing Strategies and Technologies. The Yakovlev Yak-130, which is the main Russian air-force trainer, now features the Ukrainian-made AI-222 engine.
The second contract that Saturn signed in St. Petersburg was with the Kirov-Energomash factory and the Avrora production association on developing new propulsion units for the Russian Navy. Fourth-generation Saturn-M75RU gas-turbine propulsion units (rated power, 6,000-7,000 horsepower) and 12,000-h.p. Saturn M-70-FRU versions will be installed on Russian warships.
"This contract opens up new opportunities for developing competitive, automated and efficient fourth-generation gas-turbine propulsion units for the Russian Navy and the global market," Lastochkin said.
