MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax-AVN) - The first AgustaWestland helicopter will be assembled in Russia with the Italian license before the year's end, Russian Helicopters General Director Dmitry Petrov told reporters on Thursday.
"A plant to assemble AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters is under construction in Tomilino. We think we will start up the plant in August and assemble the first helicopter this year," he said.
Oboronprom and AgustaWestland signed the statement of intent in 2007, and cooperation started. A basic agreement on the joint venture was signed at the Farnborough 2008 show to pledge the assembly of AW139 helicopters in Russia.
The joint venture agreement was signed in Moscow in November 2008. A shareholders agreement on building the Tomilino plant was signed in June 2010.