United Aircraft Corporation

History

Predecessor

After the Soviet Union's sudden collapse in 1991, the aerospace industry of Russia was in turmoil. An excessive amount of imports and highly protective tariffs devastated the manufacturing industry, both the aerospace and the automotive industry. The military aircraft industry was able to benefit from improving export possibilities by profiting from a large storage of components and parts from Soviet times. In contrast, the civilian aircraft industry suffered large losses and production of civilian aircraft diminished significantly. For example, in 1990 Soviet industry produced 715 aircraft. Eight years later that number decreased by 661 to only 56 aircraft. In 2000 just four civilian aircraft were produced. To address this, the president of Russia at that time, Boris Yeltsin decided that consolidation was necessary. He decided to create the VPK-MAPO (Military Industrial Complex – Moscow Aircraft Production Association), which includes companies such as Mikoyan. The consolidation was not successful and MAPA later merged with Sukhoi.

2006 amalgamation

The UAC was created on 20 February 2006 by Russian president Vladimir Putin in Presidential Decree No. 140 by merging shares from Ilyushin, Irkut, Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Tupolev, and Yakovlev as a new joint-stock company named the OJSC United Aircraft Corporation to optimize production and minimize losses. The UAC stated that the corporation was created to protect and develop the scientific and industrial potential of the Russian aircraft industry, the security and defense of the state, and the concentration of intellectual, industrial, and financial resources to implement long-term aviation programs. The United Aircraft Corporation started out producing the Tupolev Tu-154 "Careless", the Tupolev Tu-204, the Ilyushin Il-96, the Ilyushin Il-114, and all of Mikoyan, Sukhoi, Yakovlev, Tupolev, and Ilyushin military aircraft; all created before the corporation's creation.

In February 2007, the UAC presented its first aircraft and the first military aircraft designed and exported under the UAC brand, the Mikoyan MiG-35, designated by NATO as "Fulcrum-F" and a Generation 4++ jet fighter by Mikoyan. The MiG-35 was officially presented during the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore, India and officially unveiled when the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Ivanov, visited the Lukhovitsky Machine Building Plant "MAPO-MIG". The MiG-35 was a contender for its fourth-generation counterparts in the Indian MRCA competition but was taken out of the competition in April 2011. The MiG-35 would be adopted by the Russian Air Force and was planned to be introduced in 2018.

In October 2007, the Federal Financial Markets Service registered a primary issue of common shares for the United Aircraft Building Corporation. The issue included 96,724,000,000 shares priced at 1 RUB = US$0.04. In December 2007, the state-owned Vneshtorgbank announced that it would sell its 5% share in EADS to UAC at market price. Later that month VTB sold its share in EADS to the state-owned Russian Development Bank (VEB). EADS already owned a 10% stake in Irkut in 2012, which it planned to convert into UAC shares, which would result in EADS and UAC owning shares of each other. They also announced plans for a possible 10–15% share issue in 2008, planning to retain a 75% stake. After placing 5 additional share issues, the Corporation's chartered capital amounts to 174.61 bln. RUB. The share of the Russian Federation in UAC's chartered capital is 80.29%.

In February 2008, the UAC brought out an improved version of the Sukhoi Su-27, the Sukhoi Su-35S, also called the Su-35BM, which was to serve as the interim aircraft for the upcoming Sukhoi PAK FA, Russia's first fifth generation jet fighter. This is the second modernized version of the Su-27, where the first modernized version took place back on 28 June 1988, designated as the Sukhoi Su-27M, also known as the Su-35. The improved aircraft includes a reinforced airframe, air-trusted engines, radar, and improved avionics while excluding canards and an air brake. The Russian Air Force designated them as the Su-35S and ordered 98 units with additional orders from China and Indonesia. Sukhoi thought sales of the Su-35S would go over 160 but they are blunted by updated versions of the Sukhoi Su-30.

2010–2020

On 29 January 2010, Sukhoi and the UAC revealed Russia's first fifth generation jet fighter, the Sukhoi PAK FA (T-50). The PAK FA is a stealth, single-seat, twin-engine, multirole jet fighter designed for air supremacy and attack roles. The PAK FA would also be Russia's first aircraft to use stealth technology. The PAK FA was designed to replace the Mikoyan MiG-29 and the Sukhoi Su-27 and was expected to be introduced to the Russian Air Force in 2019. Also, under the MTAL joint venture, Sukhoi and HAL would co-develop the Sukhoi/HAL FGFA, now known as the Perspective Multirole Fighter (PMF), a variant of the PAK FA, of which would be designed for the Indian Air Force. On 11 August 2017, the Russian Air Force designated the Sukhoi PAK FA as the Sukhoi Su-57.

On 27 October 2010, the UAC and the Ukrainian state-owned aircraft corporation, Antonov, signed a joint venture contract, LLC UAC - Antonov, in the capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv. The purpose of the joint-venture was to deal with the coordination of Antonov and the UAC on purchasing spare parts, production, marketing, and sales, as well as servicing and joint creation of new modifications of Antonov aircraft, according to Defense-Aerospace.

In 2013, nine aircraft repair plants of the Ministry of Defense were transferred under the ownership of the UAC. As a result, in 2014, the serviceability of the Russian Air Force increased from 40% to 65%.

As a result of Russian military intervention in Ukraine in 2014, international sanctions were invoked against Russia, and because the UAC was part of Russia's aerospace and defense industry, it was sanctioned as well by the European Union.

However, the 2014 sanctions did not include the civilian airliner industry of the UAC, such as the Sukhoi Superjet 100, exports of the regional jet to Western nations so the economic activities of Superjet International were not expected to be affected.

In April 2015, the company changed its full name to Public Joint-Stock Company (PJSC) "United Aircraft Corporation" (UAC). In the five years 2011–2015, UAC companies delivered to the Russian Defence Ministry more than 200 aircraft.

2020–present

On 30 November 2021, the UAC board of directors approved the annexation to the corporation of both military aircraft producers Mikoyan and Sukhoi, previewed for 2022. The daily management of both is already made by UAC. In January 2022, UAC shareholders approved the annexation. As of 2022, UAC was 88 percent owned by Rostec.

On 22 March 2022, it was remarked that the Russian aviation industry was not receiving imported parts already paid for as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The company and its CEO Yury Slyusar were sanctioned by the British government on 24 February 2022, as it was judged to have aided in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In May 2022 the United States Department of the Treasury placed sanctions on Slyusar under Executive Order 14024 as a member of the Government of Russia.

The conglomerate finished the process of Mikoyan and Sukhoi absorption in June 2022. Relevant records were changed on June 1 in the United States Register of Legal Entities.

UAC said in late December 2023 that it had successfully performed the year's state defense orders.

Organization

Company structure:

Aircraft manufacturers

Aviastar-SP

Beriev

Ilyushin

Yakovlev

Branch: Regional Aircraft-Branch of the Irkut Corporation (before:Sukhoi Civil Aircraft)

Branch: Irkutsk Aviation Plant

Branch: Yakovlev Design Bureau

Myasishchev

Mikoyan

Branch: Sokol Plant

Sukhoi

Design Bureau

Civil Aircraft (now acquired by Irkut Corporation)

Branch: Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association

Branch: Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association

Tupolev

Branch: Kazan Aircraft Production Association

Voronezh Aircraft Production Association

Divisions

UAC Health

UAC - Transport Aircraft

LLC UAC - Aggregation Center

Business and financial activities

Finance Leasing Company

Ilyushin Finance Co.

LLC UAC - Purchases

Sukhoi Holdings

Joint ventures

China-Russia Aircraft International Co, Ltd. (CRAIC) with Comac

LLC UAC with Antonov (terminated in 2015)

Multirole Transport Aircraft Limited with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

SuperJet International (with Leonardo S.p.A.); in May 2022, Italian local police froze the assets of 146 million euros ($153 million) owned by Superjet International due to EU sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Material providers

KAPO-Composit

AeroComposit

Ulyanovsk Branch

Others

Gromov Flight Research Institute

Products

This section contains present and future products to be distributed under UAC umbrella

Airliners

The United Aircraft Corporation started out producing the Tupolev Tu-154, the Tupolev Tu-204, the Ilyushin Il-86, the Ilyushin Il-96, and the Ilyushin Il-114, all created before the UAC merger.

The Tupolev Tu-154 is now-discontinued a medium-range, narrow-body, three-engine jet airliner developed and introduced in Soviet times. It saw large use in Aeroflot and was exported to many nations that had connections to the Soviet Union, and a total of 1,026 were built. Production of the Tu-154 stopped in 2013. Following a crash in 2016, all Russian Tu-154s were grounded, and now the airliner is in limited service by a few airlines and militaries.

The Ilyushin Il-86 is a short/medium-range, wide-body jet airliner, developed and introduced in Soviet times as well. The Ilyushin Il-86 was the first Soviet wide-body airliner and the world's second four-engine wide-body airliner developed. The Il-86 was praised for its safety and reliability, but only 106 were built, as a result of many delays during development. Production of the airliner stopped in 1995, and the airliner was retired by civil operators in 2011, with only four in service in the Russian Air Force for VIP transport.

The Ilyushin Il-96 is a shortened, longer-ranged successor to the Il-86, with updated technologies, and the first airliner from the Russian Federation to be introduced. Only 30 were built however. The Il-96's production ended in 2009, as it was deemed inferior to its Boeing and Airbus counterparts.

The Tupolev Tu-204 is a medium-range, narrow-body jet airliner featuring many technological advancements such as a fly-by-wire control system and a glass cockpit which was developed primarily for Aeroflot. The Tupolev Tu-214 is a later variant. Production of the Tu-214 continues with an updated version featuring almost entirely Russian parts developed in response to sanctions following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Ilyushin Il-114 is a turboprop, narrow-body regional airliner developed to replace the Antonov An-24, which most were in service of Aeroflot. However, only 20 had been built, and only two airlines were using it, so the Il-114's production was temporarily halted. The Il-114's production and development restarted as the Ilyushin Il-114-300, now with all-Russian parts, with an introduction planned in 2026.

Cargo

The United Aircraft Corporation started out producing the Ilyushin Il-96-400T and the Tupolev Tu-204C, both cargo variants of their airliner counterparts, and the Sukhoi Su-80, a twin-turboprop, twin-boom STOL aircraft. The Il-96-400T is a freight version of the Il-96-400, which features Russian avionics and engines and carries more room than the standard Il-96. The Sukhoi Su-80 can be used for both civilian and military purposes and has a sleek hull which can provide space for 30 passengers and a "beaver-tail" ramp that can help unload cargo easier. The Su-80 was made by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft to replace the Antonov An-24/26, the Antonov An-28, and the Yakovlev Yak-40, and to compete with the Antonov An-38.

The Ilyushin Il-214 was formerly a project designated as the "Ilyushin Il-214 Multirole Transport Aircraft" under the joint venture between the UAC and HAL. The project was first conceived in 2007, two to three years before the joint venture, "Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd." between the two state corporations was created, and development began in 2012. However, the team under Ilyushin Aviation Complex, a branch of the UAC, and the team under HAL had many disagreements and misunderstandings. In January 2016, Ilyushin halted the project, and HAL announced it would not be involved in the Ilyushin Il-214 MTA project anymore, and that Ilyushin would have to work on the project alone. The project is now designated as the "Ilyushin Il-214" with the MTA taken out since the project is no longer under the Multirole Transport Aircraft Ltd. joint venture. The Il-214 was later renamed the Ilyushin Il-276 in October 2017.

The Ilyushin Il-112 is a high-wing, light, military transport aircraft based on the Ilyushin Il-114 currently being developed by Ilyushin Aviation Complex for air landing and airdrop. Development of the aircraft started before 2011, the year of which the maiden flight of the Ilyushin Il-112 is supposed to occur. The project was later abandoned in May 2011 by the Russian Ministry of Defense and seven Antonov An-140T were purchased. The project was later continued in January 2013 and a maiden flight conducted in 2019.

Special purposes

The Beriev Aircraft Company is a branch of the UAC that specializes in special purposes and amphibious aircraft. The Beriev Be-200 "Altair", based on the Beriev A-40 "Albatross", was designed before the UAC's creation and is a multi-purpose amphibious aircraft. The Be-200 is marketed as a firefighter, search and rescue aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, cargo aircraft, and an airliner. The Beriev A-100 is an airborne early warning and control aircraft designed to replace the Beriev A-50, also made by Beriev. Its maiden flight was on 26 October 2016, with an introduction with the Russian Air Force. The A-100 is developed from the Ilyushin Il-476 with avionics and configuration being similar to the A-50U as well as a new active phased array radar made by JSC Vega.

Military

Most of the military aircraft produced by the UAC were designed before the corporation's creation, many of them designed in the Soviet era. Jet fighters such as the Sukhoi Su-25 "Grach", Sukhoi Su-27 "Sofiyka", Mikoyan MiG-29, Sukhoi Su-33, Sukhoi Su-30, and the Sukhoi Su-34, and large military aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-76, Tupolev Tu-160 "Beliy Lebed", and the Ilyushin Il-78, were all designed in the Soviet Union. However, though, some Soviet aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-160 "Beliy Lebed", Sukhoi Su-33, Sukhoi Su-30, and the Sukhoi Su-34, were introduced later in the Russian Federation, the Soviet Union's successor. The Yakovlev Yak-130 is the only aircraft to be developed after the Soviet era and before the creation of the UAC.

The Mikoyan MiG-35 is the first aircraft and the first military aircraft designed and exported under the UAC brand, as Mikoyan, the company that designed it, is a branch of the corporation. The MiG-35 was a contender for its fourth-generation counterparts in the Indian MRCA competition but was taken out of the competition in April 2011. The MiG-35 would be adopted by the Russian Air Force and introduced in 2018. The Sukhoi Su-35S, the UAC's second military aircraft, is designed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau, a branch of the UAC. The aircraft is to serve as the interim for the Sukhoi PAK FA, Russia's first fifth-generation jet fighter. This is the second modernized version of the Su-27, where the first modernized version took place back on 28 June 1988, designated as the Sukhoi Su-27M, also known as the Su-35. The improved aircraft includes a reinforced airframe, air-thrusted engines, radar, and improved avionics while excluding canards and an air brake. The Russian Air Force designated them as the Su-35S and ordered 98 units with additional orders from China and Indonesia. Sukhoi thought sales of the Su-35S would go over 160 but they are blunted by updated versions of the Sukhoi Su-30. 30 Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers would be upgraded to the Tupolev Tu-22M3M with advanced avionics, ability to use air-to-surface weaponry, hardware components, and adapted for extended ranged weaponry. The first flight is scheduled for August 2018. Remaining Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers would be undergoing modernization.

The Sukhoi PAK FA, designated by the Russian Air Force as the Sukhoi Su-57, under the Prospective Airborne Complex (PAK) platform, would be the first Russian aircraft to use stealth technology, as well as being Russia's first fifth-generation jet fighter, as stated before. The Sukhoi Su-57 would replace the aging Sukhoi Su-27 and the Mikoyan MiG-29 in the Russian Air Force with an introduction in 2020. Other aircraft being developed under the PAK platform are the Ilyushin PAK TA, a heavy transport aircraft, the Tupolev PAK DA, a strategic bomber, and the Mikoyan PAK DP, a new fast interceptor aircraft.

Corporate governance

Board of directors

Denis Manturov (Chairman since July 2015)

Yury Slyusar (President since January 2015)

Boris Alyoshin (Advisor to the President of UAC on Science and Technology since May 2015)

Vladimir Potapov (Independent Director since June 2017)

Yury Borisov

Valery Okulov

Andrey Ivanov

Evgeniy Yelin

Anatoly Serdyukov

Ivan Kharchenko

Evgeny Jurchenko

Chairman

2006–2015: Sergei Ivanov

2015–present: Denis Manturov

President

According to the UAC, the president is the sole executive body of PJSC UAC with functions of the chairman of the management board. The president is empowered to decide all issues about the corporation's current activities, except for matters falling within the competence of the general shareholders' meeting, the board of directors, and the management board.

Before January 2015: Alexei Fyodorov

January 2015–present: Yury Slyusar

Management board

President: Yury Slyusar

Member: Demchenko Oleg Fedorovich

Source:

First Vice President: Alexander Tulyakov

Vice President for State Defense Order and Service Support of State Aviation Aircraft: Alexander Bobryshev

Vice President for special-purpose aviation: Sergey Gerasimov

Vice President of Economics and Finance: Demidov Alexey

Vice President for Security: Koval Artur

Vice President of special purpose and strategic aviation: Konyukhov Alexander

Vice President for Innovations: Sergey Korotkov

Vice President of Civil Aviation: Vladislav Masalov

Vice President for Military Aviation: Igor Ozar

Vice President - Head of the Office: Alexander Skokov

Vice President for Production: Sergey Yurasov

Former member: Alexey Rogozin