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NPO "Saturn" and Snecma Moteurs achieving significant milestones in their co-operation Moscow, August 20, 2003 Yuri Lastochkin, Director General of NPO "Saturn" and Jean-Paul Herteman, Chairman and CEO of Snecma Moteurs, reviewed today at MAKS Airshow the numerous fields of their cooperation. The SM146 engine, developed on a 50/50 basis by Snecma Moteurs and NPO "Saturn" has been selected by Sukhoi to power the RRJ (Russian Regional Jet) family. This aircraft is jointly developed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Russian aircraft manufacturers AK Ilyushin and OKB Yakovlev, in cooperation with Boeing. The SM146 is Russia's entry into the world commercial aircraft engine market, designed from start to achieve simultaneous Russian and Western certifications. "The development program of the RRJ and its engine is the most advanced and comprehensive international cooperation involving Russia in the field of aerospace high technologies", declared Yuri Lastochkin, Director General of NPO "Saturn". "The SM146 represents a key opportunity for the Russian aerospace industry at a time it is getting ready to play a major role on the world market", he added. "The partnership between Snecma Moteurs and NPO "Saturn" is an integral component of our strategy, which we are approaching on the basis of a long term co-operation, with possible applications in a variety of areas" mentioned Jean-Paul Herteman, Chairman and CEO of Snecma Moteurs. The same SM146 engine will power all RRJ versions (60, 75 and 98 pax, basic and long range), generating substantial commonality savings for the operators. Prestigious scientific institutes, such as CIAM, VIAM, LII and TSAGI are also involved in SM146 program, providing their world-class expertise. NPO "Saturn" and Snecma Moteurs have signed last July an agreement to build an Open Air Test Stand for the SM146 engine. It will be located on the NPO "Saturn" test site, near Rybinsk and will cover performance and certification tests. This 20+ million dollars investment in Russia will play a key role in the development of the engine and will be among the most advanced facilities of this kind worldwide. In 2001, NPO "Saturn" and Snecma Moteurs created the joint design bureau Smartec, based in Moscow. It now employs 25 Russian highly skilled aerospace engineers and already plays a significant role in the development programs of NPO "Saturn" and Snecma Moteurs. In order to further optimize their industrial scheme, NPO "Saturn" and Snecma Moteurs have decided to create a joint Production company. It will be based in Rybinsk and will manufacture parts for the SM146 engine, as well as other NPO "Saturn" and Snecma engines. It should be noted that the industrial co-operation between the two companies in the field of commercial engines parts production goes back to 1995. PowerJet - 2, boulevard du Général Martial Valin – 75015 Paris - France |
