Vladimir Putin arrived in Irkutsk, where he visited the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Yakovlev PJSC, which is part of Rostec UAC (the United Aircraft Corporation).
The President toured the production facilities where the Russian-made MC-21 aircraft is manufactured. The plant is currently assembling production MC-21–310 passenger aircraft built with domestically produced components as part of the import substitution programme. Eighteen aircraft are currently at various stages of assembly. The President was shown one of the completed airliners.
Vladimir Putin also examined a prototype of the upgraded Yak-130M aircraft. The combat aircraft is intended for fighter, assault and strike missions, including the engagement of the enemy’s heavy unmanned aerial vehicles and the destruction of unmanned surface vessels.
The President was accompanied by Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov, and Director General of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant Andrei Soinov.
* * *
Founded in 1934, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant produced nearly 2,200 combat aircraft during the Great Patriotic War. Today, it is one of Russia’s most advanced, high-productivity enterprises, carrying out the full production cycle, from aircraft design to serial production and maintenance. The plant employs nearly 11,000 people.