ROME, June 23 (UPI) -- Russian and Italian helicopter manufacturers announced ground-breaking on a final assembly plant near Moscow earlier this week.
"The start of the plant's construction signifies a new stage of the growing of mutually beneficial cooperation between Russian and Italian helicopter manufacturers," said Andrey Reus, director general JSC UIC Oboronprom, part of Russian Technologies State Corp.
"Thanks to it we will gain access to new technical production solutions and high helicopter servicing quality standards."
Oboronprom's Italian partner in the venture is Agusta/Westland, a Finmeccanica company.
Foundation for the plant was laid on a 40,000-square-yard site in Tomilino, an industrial area near the Russian capital. Once completed, it is expected the assembly line will produce at least five aircraft in 2011 to more than 20 helicopters annually from 2015.
Produced aircraft are aimed at the civil market in Russia and in countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States -- nations once part of the Soviet Union -- as well as other international customers, the companies said.
