The story
The Russian Helicopters holding company was established in 2006 as a subsidiary of OJSC OPC Oboronprom, to which the parent company's helicopter manufacturing assets were transferred.
In 2007, Russian Helicopters consolidated all components of helicopter production and maintenance: helicopter development – Mil, Kamov, and Kazan Helicopter Plant design bureaus; helicopter serial production enterprises – Kazan Helicopter Plant, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Rostvertol (Heavy Helicopter Plant); component manufacturers: Stupino Engineering Production Enterprise, Vpered (Moscow Machine-Building Plant); R.E.T. Kronstadt (Helicopter Simulator Production); helicopter repair - Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant; service and marketing companies - Helicopter Service Company (created on the basis of OJSC Kamov-Holding), airline Aero-Kamov.
In September 2009, EASA, the European agency responsible for overseeing compliance with civil aviation safety standards in European countries, certified the Ka-32A11BC helicopter, allowing it to operate in European Union airspace. The helicopter's EASA.IM.R.133 type certificate allows EU operators to legally use the Russian aircraft for commercial purposes.
By the end of 2010, the holding company had consolidated controlling stakes in all helicopter manufacturing plants in Russia.
The company attempted to stage an IPO on the London Stock Exchange in May 2011, raising approximately $500 million (including up to $250 million in investment in the company itself, with the remainder going to its owner, Oboronprom). On the eve of the IPO, the company was valued at $1.8–2.4 billion. The lead-up to the IPO was accompanied by a rather high-profile advertising campaign, wish included a congratulatory advertisement in The Times on the occasion of Prince William's wedding. The full-page ad depicted an Mil Mi-26T helicopter hovering over Buckingham Palace with a large gift package. The ad was accompanied by the slogan, "For a famous pilot from a famous helicopter manufacturer." However, the IPO was postponed due to low demand for the shares.
In 2011, Russian Helicopters completed the placement of Series BO-02 exchange-traded bonds worth 5 billion rubles. Gazprombank served as the issue manager.
In 2011 Russian Helicopters and the Italian company AgustaWestland agreed to establish HeliVert, a joint company, in order to start production in Russia of the AW139 twin-engine multipurpose helicopter. The production plant is located in Tomilino, Moscow Region, on the premises of the National Helicopter Manufacturing Center. The first flight of the Russian-assembled AW139 took place in December 2012. As of June 2014, the joint venture had produced only two VIP helicopters, with seven more in the assembly line. In 2012, at the Farnborough Airshow, the parties signed a framework agreement to develop a single-engine, light helicopter weighing 2.5 tons. Serial production was scheduled to begin in 2015 and was expected to be a 50/50 partnership. However, in March 2014, the joint project was terminated. The parties cited the impossibility of creating a commercially viable product in this market segment.
In its annual Defense News TOP 100 ranking of defense industry companies worldwide, the industry publication Defense News placed Russian Helicopters in 24th place for 2012, noting the record growth rate of the Russian defense company, which rose from 39th place in the ranking for 2011. The rating analysis notes that during the reporting period, the Russian defense industry as a whole demonstrated impressive results, especially against the backdrop of declining military spending by the United States and several European countries.
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At the air show MAKS-2015, the company presented a mobile service center for servicing and routine repairs of civilian and military aircraft. That same year, the company delivered nine Ka-32A11BC helicopters to China for local public security departments and commercial companies.
In 2016 the company delivered 189 aircraft to customers in 13 countries. In the same year, it ended a partnership with the Ukraine-based engine maker Motor Sich.
In 2017 the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) formed a consortium comprising leading Middle Eastern funds and finalized a deal to acquire a minority stake in Russian Helicopters (part of the Rostec). Russian Helicopters valuation was estimated at $2.35 billion. No details have been revealed about the identity of the Middle Eastern investors.
The transaction consists of two stages. The first stage involves the sale of a 12% stake and an investment of $300 million, as well as an agreed-upon subsequent potential increase in investment to $600 million. The deal will increase the authorized capital of the holding company. This will accumulate a significant amount of funds within the company. These funds are necessary for the implementation of the company's strategy and business plan, including the development of new types of helicopters. In addition, these funds will help implement the investment program of the holding company, as well as finance possible M&A activities aimed at increasing the holding's value and finance capital programs.
In 2018, the company's revenue in Russia amounted to 36 billion rubles.
At the end of 2019, the company's share of the external market in the military helicopter segment amounted to 9.54% (the figure decreased by 2.66% from 2017), and in the civilian helicopter segment – 1.66% (the figure increased from 0.95% in 2017).
From Wikipedia’s article on Russian Helicopters, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4