IAI Explored Russian Cooperation to Upgrade Hungary’s Mi-35 Helicopters

The Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) tried to modernize Hungary’s helicopters in partnership with Russian defense companies.

This is evidenced by documents obtained by the international intelligence community InformNapalm together with experts from the Militant Intelligence group.

According to the published document, in 2018, IAI sent a letter to the CEO of Russian Helicopters.

In the letter, the Israeli company expressed its readiness to join the modernization of Mi-35 helicopters for Hungary, as well as to cooperate with Russia on the Ka-226 project in India.

“This correspondence demonstrates the Israeli company’s interest in commercial cooperation with Russia, despite its international isolation,” InformNapalm said.

Under the leadership of Viktor Orban, Hungary, despite its status as a NATO and EU member state, has actually become a hub for Russian defense companies.

InformNapalm also published a document dated 2016, in which the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia officially confirmed the authority of Russian Helicopters to participate in the Hungarian Ministry of Defense’s tender for the overhaul of 4-5 Mi-17 helicopters.

The document specifically states that the developer, the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, must be involved in the repair process.

This indicates the direct involvement of Russian defense companies in the modernization of NATO member states’ weapons even after Russia’s aggression against Ukraine began in 2014.

The Mi-35 is an export version of the Mi-24B helicopter that has been supplied to several NATO countries. Hungary has 6 Mi-24B and 2 Mi-24P helicopters in service.

Recently, it became known that the Hungarian company Milspace Kft is helping the Russian Helicopters corporation to conclude contracts for the repair of foreign helicopters in order to circumvent sanctions.

An official letter from Milspace Kft to the Mexican company Personas y Paquetes Por Aire, S.A. de C.V. outlined a scheme to circumvent international sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex.