Mi-80: Russia Launches Mi-8 Helicopter Replacement Program

Russia has launched a program to develop a next-generation multirole helicopter to replace the Mi-8 and Mi-17 family, which has long suffered from a lack of standardization.

Russian outlet BUSINESS Online reported on the initiative.

The state-owned Russian Helicopters holding plans a major overhaul of its multirole helicopter production. The two main manufacturing sites — in Kazan and Ulan-Ude — will shift to producing a unified helicopter model to replace the Mi-8/17/171/172 lines.

Currently, Kazan Helicopters and the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant both manufacture helicopters with similar performance characteristics but significant design differences. Even aircraft of the same model produced at different factories often lack compatibility with spare parts.

This fragmentation has complicated maintenance and logistics, especially in military and civilian operations. The issue has become more pressing amid Russia’s increased use of army aviation in the war in Ukraine.

“According to the catalog, a helicopter has 40,000 parts, and if half of them are not interchangeable, everything becomes extremely difficult,” a source told the publication. “Operators using helicopters from both plants must maintain two separate inventories of spare parts, and technicians need to know the servicing nuances of each version.”

Efforts to unify production date back to the early 2000s but stalled due to internal resistance and reluctance among factories to align their manufacturing lines with those of their counterparts. As a result, the state holding concluded that both plants would need to transition simultaneously to a new model.

The Mi-171A3 was initially considered as a base for the new platform. Its first prototype flew in July 2022. However, the helicopter, designed for offshore operations, proved too expensive and lacked the range required by many potential users.

“From the crew’s perspective, it’s a great machine, but we need range—and the Mi-171A3 doesn’t meet that requirement,” one airline pilot shared with the outlet. “The Mi-8MTV carries 22 passengers for 900 kilometers, while the Mi-171A3 carries the same load only 450 kilometers.”

A new platform, tentatively designated Mi-80, is now under consideration. It is reportedly based on the Mi-171A3 airframe but will incorporate changes, including simplified avionics, new rotor blades, and upgraded engines. Its maximum takeoff weight is expected to increase to 14 tons.

The objective is to reduce production costs, unify output at both the Kazan and Ulan-Ude facilities, and fully phase out the Mi-8 series by 2030.

However, the project remains at the stage of technical specifications, and funding has yet to be secured. One source estimated development would take at least five years.