Ukraine will need investments of hundreds of millions of dollars and powerful mass production for the continuous improvement of technologies for the development of the aviation industry. In the meantime, the Ukrainian state in this area “is trying to build Potemkin villages.”
That is how Aleksandr Donets, the former head of the State Enterprise Antonov, having devoted more than three decades of his life to working in the aviation industry and the field of engineering developments for aviation, described the state of the domestic aircraft industry in the interview.
‘Ukraine will not make a breakthrough on its own in aircraft and engine building. Aircraft and engine building are one of the most financially intensive industries, not to mention rocketry. It is a costly but very prestigious pleasure. We need a really large investor who could invest in the industry, not even tens, but hundreds of millions of dollars for a long period,’ told Aleksandr Donets.
According to his words, Ukraine should not count on retaining its membership in the global elite club of aviation powers without large volumes of mass production of aircraft engines and aircraft. Ukraine will only lose its technological advantages and competitive positions without large-scale investments and ‘series’.
Even the efforts of one company are not enough for this, says the expert, and he cites the story of Motor Sich, which cannot hold its market positions without the support of investors, as an example.
‘The reality is that the most demanded market for Motor Sich products is the CIS countries (Russia, first of all), possibly China. And full-scale mass production of engines is possible with a mass-produced aircraft, says Donets about the sad condition of the enterprise. ‘In the best times, the AN-140 aircraft and TV-3-117 engines were produced, which were serially produced and were in demand. AN-148 with the D-436 engine before the assembly stop at VASO (Voronezh) and a small batch at KIAPO were also mass and in demand. But, alas, the assembly stopped, and everything froze... ‘…As for new developments and entering international markets, Motor Sich, of course, needs serious lobbyists, investors, customers who will be interested in new motors. Attempts by the Motor Sich management to independently find application for their motors have not yet been crowned with success,’ says the ex-head of State Enterprise Antonov.
As it is known, the Russian market is closed for the company for political reasons. And the company cannot enter the Chinese market due to the long-term blocking of shares of PJSC Motor Sich by Ukraine, in which Chinese business people have invested about a billion dollars, and also fully financed the construction of a service plant in the Chinese city of Chongqing to expand the capacities of the Ukrainian company in supplies and maintenance of aircraft engines in the PRC.
The expert is sure that the Ukrainian aviation and engine-building industry needs powerful partners and large markets to sell its products. But Ukraine or its companies will find it difficult to maintain competitive advantages as the industry is doomed to degradation without investments in technology development. Ukraine will not be able to compete with Western giants, which have a huge financial resource, access to the best engineering developments, materials and technologies.
‘I do not believe in a sudden technological breakthrough among [the Ukrainian] engine builders, in the fact that something exclusive and unique will appear soon. It requires not only development, new design systems, an industrial base, but also expensive materials: metal-ceramics, new heat-resistant, light-alloy alloys with unique characteristics. They are not in a hurry to share such things with us. The most powerful companies compete with each other, and they keep all of the above under lock and key,’ said Donets.
‘Ukraine needs a will and huge investments to stay relevant in aircraft and engine building. But, first of all, Ukraine needs to stop painting “Potemkin villages” and decide whether we need, in general, high-tech aircraft and engine industries,’ summed up Aleksandr Donets, ex-head of the state-owned aircraft building enterprise Antonov.
