Ukrainian defence industry 'unaffected' by crisis with Russia

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
04 March 2014



The ongoing crisis with Russia will have no adverse effect on the ability of the Ukrainian defence industry to meet its international contractual obligations, a senior official said on 3 March.

In a statement posted on the Ukroboronprom State Enterprise (SE) website, general director Sergiy Gromov said that it is "business as usual" following Russia's invasion of the Crimea, and that the industrial situation is stable throughout the country.

"All [Ukroboronprom SE] enterprises located in Crimea are working in normal regime with the observance of all standard manufacturing processes," he said, adding that the unstable political situation in Ukraine will not affect the implementation of agreements with the country's foreign customers.

"I draw attention of our foreign colleagues that, in spite of the tension in the country, all signed contracts [Ukroboronprom SE] will fulfil in time and in a proper quality. Ukroboronprom has been, is, and will continue to be a reliable representative of Ukraine in the area of military and technical co-operation."

Gromov's reassurances, however, contradict reports in the Croatian media which state that 12 MiG-21bis 'Fishbed-L' fighter aircraft of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence (CAF&AD), and a number of helicopters, are currently stranded in Ukraine as a result of that country's ongoing crisis with Russia.

Croatia sent seven MiG-21s to the Ukrainian state-owned arms exporter Ukrspecexport for repair and overhaul in late 2013, and was expecting to receive these back along with five refurbished MiG-21s it has procured from Ukroboronprom's SE Odessa Aviation Plant.

The uncertainty surrounding the MiG-21s is of particular concern to Croatia, which desperately needs the overhauled and newly procured fighters to sustain its quick reaction alert and training requirements. Over recent months, the CAF&AD has only been able to maintain a 50% readiness rate of these Soviet-era aircraft due to spares shortages and problems arising from ageing equipment.

This availability crisis will only be addressed with the arrival in Croatia of these aircraft, which was set to run through to mid-2014. According to the Croatian Times , the timing of the delivery of these fighters now depends on how events play out between Ukraine and Russia.

In addition to the MiG-21 upgrade work, Croatia has also agreed to maintenance work on 14 Mil Mi-8 'Hip' utility transport helicopters to be undertaken in Ukraine. Ukroboronprom SE, Sevastopol Aircraft Plant, and Joint Stock Company (JSC) Motor Sich were due to service six helicopters in 2013 and a further eight in 2014. The first two of these were scheduled to have been returned to Croatia by the end of November 2013, but it is not clear how many have so far been delivered to Ukraine, and what their current status is.

At the time of writing, the Croatian Ministry of Defence had not responded to a request for comment by IHS Jane's .

In addition to offering repair and overhaul facilities to international customers (MiG-23 'Flogger', MiG-27 'Flogger-D', and Aero L-39 Albatross aircraft are also serviced), Ukraine has a number of military aerospace programmes in which it is partnered with Russia. These include co-development of the Antonov An-70 transport aircraft, as well as the supply of engines for the Yakovlev Yak-130 'Mitten' jet trainer aircraft, the Mi-26 'Halo' heavy-lift helicopter, and the Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft. JSC Motor Sich also provides the powerplants for platforms manufactured by Russian Helicopters.

Indeed, Russia's renewed participation in and financial underpinning of the An-70 programme was dependent on Ukraine turning its back on the EU association agreement that sparked the recent popular uprising in Kiev. The decision to restart production of the Antonov An-124 'Condor' strategic transport aircraft had more to do with relations between the two countries than Russia's airlift needs.

In addition to the SE Odessa Aviation Plant, Sevastopol Aircraft Plant, and JSC Motor Sich, other Ukrainian state aerospace facilities comprise the Antonov Design Bureau, the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant 'Aviakon', the Chuguev Aircraft Repair Plant, the Lugansk Aircraft Repair Plant, the Zaporizhia State Aircraft Repair Plant, the Evpatoria Aircraft Repair Plant, the Mykolaiv Aircraft Repair Plant, the Lviv State Aircraft Repair Plant, and the Lutsk Repair Plant.

Along with the Sevastopol Aircraft Plant, the Evpatoria Aircraft Repair Plant is located in the Crimea, while JSC Motor Sich, the Chuguev Aircraft Repair Plant, the Lugansk Aircraft Repair Plant, and the Zaporizhia State Aircraft Repair Plant are all in the east of Ukraine.

Ukraine currently has about 200 programmes and programme elements that are sourced from Russia. These are valued at USD138 million per year (out of Ukraine's total procurement spend of about USD500 million), and cover aerospace, maritime, and land systems.

Janes IHS.com