Russia to Pitch KA-226T Helicopter to India with Newly Type-Certified VK-650V Engine

The United Engine Corporation (UEC) of Russia received a type certificate for the VK-650V aircraft engine for light helicopters up to 4 tons paving the way for its use in the  Ansat and Ka-226T helicopters.

UEC sources said that following the certification, the VK-650V is ready for serial production and can be used as power-plants of light helicopters. The certificate confirms that the engine design meets all necessary requirements and airworthiness standards of Russia.

 Russian executives are expected to renew their pitch to sell the KA-226T to India at Aero India 2025 as the earlier proposal to jointly manufacture the helicopter in India had been put on hold due to the quantum of technology transfer besides the unavailability of the French-made Safran engine which was earlier proposed to be installed on helicopter.

Sources said that the proposal could include assembling the VK-650V in India following successful collaboration in manufacture and assembly of the engine for the Su-30MKI aircraft.

The certificate presentation ceremony took place on January 7 at the UEC-Klimov enterprise in St. Petersburg, where the engine was developed and will be mass-produced. It was attended by the head of the Russian Minister for Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, and the general director of UEC, Alexander Grachev.

"Today, a certificate was received for the domestic VK-650V engine for light-class helicopters. This power plant will replace foreign analogues and is intended for Ansat and Ka-226T helicopters," said Anton Alikhanov.

The fully domestic VK-650V engine was created by the designers of UEC-Klimov. The development of the draft design of the new engine started in 2019. In 2023, engineering tests of the VK-650V were successfully completed, during which all the necessary parameters were achieved. In 2024, the development of the new power plant began as part of the Ansat helicopter.

"An aircraft engine is the most complex part of an aircraft. The development and certification of the VK-650V were completed in record time - just five years. The need for such power plants is very high with the introduction of sanctions and the departure of foreign suppliers. The sanctions were unable to destroy Ansat and our other promising programs," said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy Director General of Rostec.

The KA-226T is a unique helicopter with co-axial rotor blades and, according to Russian helicopters is eminently suited for operations in the Himalayas. It can operate on one engine and one set of rotor blades in an emergency. The payload compartment is detachable and can be modified for applications such as troop transport, cargo delivery and medical evacuation among others.