Russia’s Defense Ministry has opted for the project of the Mil Design Bureau to create a cutting-edge fast-speed combat helicopter while the Kamov Design Bureau will continue developing the naval version of the Minoga rotorcraft, Russian Helicopters Group CEO Andrei Boginsky said.

“After examining all the proposed technical versions from the viewpoint of their readiness, as well as the scientific and technical potential and the possibilities of cooperation, the customer opted for a solution that implies achieving the speed under the goals of the specifications based on the Mil helicopter,” the chief executive said.

“It should also be borne in mind that the Kamov is already making the conceptual design of the Minoga helicopter… This project is already underway. The Kamov Design Bureau has always been strong and these competences have remained and we are multiplying them in the production of special co-axial rotorcraft for their application in specific conditions and, in the first place, in the Navy,” Boginsky added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry and the Moscow-based Mil Rotorcraft Factory signed a contract at the Army-2017 forum on the R&D work to develop a fast-speed combat helicopter.

Although the contract for developing a rotary-wing drone was signed with the Mil Rotorcraft Factory, both the Mil and the Kamov design bureaus took part in the tender for working out its design, Boginsky said.

“In order to give our customer a possibility to demonstrate the potential of both the Mil and Kamov Design Bureaus, we have made a decision within the Group and have agreed it with the customer that the two design bureaus should take part in this work. Correspondingly, about a dozen of concepts were offered to the customer to choose. Scientific and technical councils were held to examine the materials prepared by both design bureaus,” Boginsky continued.

The tender has demonstrated the readiness of both design bureaus to prove their competences, the chief executive said.

“If there are discussions, this means that there is competition … there are competences to substantiate a viewpoint of one of the two design bureaus and the customer already opts for the required version,” Boginsky concluded.

TASS earlier reported that work has been launched to develop a fast-speed helicopter for the Industry and Trade Ministry and the Defense Ministry of Russia. Then-Commander-in-Chief of Russia’s Aerospace Force Viktor Bondarev noted at the time that the helicopter was being developed for the Russian Defense Ministry, would enter its serial production from 2022 and would be able to develop a speed of up to 500 km/h