Russian Helicopters (part of Rostec State Corporation) has signed three contracts with Hong Kong-based United Helicopters International Group for the delivery of a total of 10 helicopters for operators in China in 2017/2018. The contracts were signed during the recent MAKS 2017 International Aviation and Space Salon in Moscow.

The Hong Kong group is the official distributor of Russian Helicopters machines in Greater China, Malaysia and Australia, under the terms of an agreement signed earlier this year.

United Helicopters will receive five light Ansat helicopters in medevac configuration, three Mi-171 helicopters in the transport version, and two firefighting Ka-32A11VS helicopters for further shipment to Chinese operators.

The first batch will be delivered to the customer before the end of 2017, and deliveries will be completed by mid-2018. The first batch will include two Ka-32s that will be used for firefighting, especially in complex urban terrain with limited access to skyscrapers. The Ka-32 has been used in China for firefighting and search and rescue missions for several years.

The medical version of Ansat will be shipped to China for the first time. It will be equipped with a medical module used for critical patients and for people who cannot be transported over large distances by traditional means due to their age, restricted mobility, or illness.

Li Xuefeng, managing director of United Helicopters, says the Chinese government plans to acquire a large number of medevac helicopters in the near future.

The Mi-171 helicopters have also been widely used in China for a long time for transportation and evacuation of people from disaster areas and for transportation of various types of cargo, including medical equipment, humanitarian aid, and building materials.