Azerbaijan, Baku, June 29 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
A helicopter assembly and maintenance plant in Kazakh city of Astana will launch Eurocopter 725 military helicopters production in 2013, Novosti-Kazakhstan reported referring to the Chairman of Kazakh Defense Enterprise Kazakhstan Engineering Bolat Smagulov.
"Next year we will start producing military transport helicopters Eurocopter 725 of Super Puma model. Such helicopters will increase plant appeal and will have demand in the market," Smagulov told media after the plant opening ceremony on Friday.
He recalled that according to the sighed agreement, the plant will supply 20 Eurocopters 725 to the Kazakh Defense Ministry.
The helicopter assembly and maintenance plant 'Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering' is a joint venture of Kazakhstan Engineering and French Eurocopter. The parties signed an agreement on creation of this plant on October 27, 2010. The plant is built near the airport of Astana and is the only manufacturer of EC 145 helicopters in the CIS.
Kazakhstan will have exclusive rights to sell these helicopters in nearby countries.
The project cost amounted to 11.5 million euros, half of this sum was provided by the French party.
Moreover, an academy on trainings of flight and technical staff will be created at this plant.
The Kazakh National Company 'Kazakhstan Engineering' is administered by the Kazakh Defense Ministry. In total, the company unites 24 enterprises located in different regions of the country. The company's mission is to ensure the state's strategic interests in the development of the defense industry, manufacturing high-quality military-industrial products and services to the Defense Department and Kazakh other law enforcement agencies.
Eurocopter is a global helicopter manufacturing and support company. The company's production hit 43 percent of the world helicopter market. Its helicopters are used in 149 countries.