Continuing to make “strong Ukraine”, the state concern “Ukroboronprom” did not escape his scrutiny and the aviation industry.
In early 2015, the government “gave” the “Ukroboronprom” was in the sphere of management of Ministry of economic development of the state enterprise “Antonov”, at the same time turning a 15-strong collective of hostages-modern serfs much circuitry capable managers from the defense. Very attractive for “Ukroboronprom” the asset was transferred by the Cabinet in violation of the procedure — it was seized from another group of the same name.
In addition to SE “Antonov” unexpectedly “Ukroboronprom” had to take “Plant 410 Civil aviation” with bad contracts and Kharkiv aircraft plant, which is in the worst financial condition.
Thus, in the part of the state concern “Ukroboronprom”, created unforgettable, Salamatin for siphoning funds from defense enterprises, was what today is called the aviation industry of Ukraine. It should be noted that all indicators and the signs of these enterprises is attributed to the defense industry can be a stretch. It is no secret that the defense Ministry does not hurry to place their large defense orders. And therefore the only way to search for orders in other countries.
It is the over-saturation of the information space victorious reports about achievements of the Russian aviation industry has led the author to the idea to cover the real state of Affairs in this area.
“Career” lifts Oboronprom…
Let me remind you that in June 2015, President Poroshenko opened a “new era” in my life “Antonov”, head to the plant, literally by the hand, new team, new leaders of the aviation industry of Ukraine. It is difficult to judge whether this loss of dealers from avtopromovskih business of the guarantor and its environment in a substantial drop in car sales in the Ukrainian market, but on the state of the industry he can come back to haunt the most impartial way.
According to conservative estimates, the state enterprise “Antonov” for the last year and a half joined about two hundred “megamanager”. The impression that our country was not involved in a lot of super-professionals in the field of aviation, and suddenly they’re all on trumpet P. Poroshenko, A. Gladkovsky and R. Romanov rushed to occupy senior positions at leading enterprise of aviation industry of Ukraine. I managed with great difficulty to calculate among the new recruits only three characters who have specialized education. It seems that Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman, announcing in November last year, the birth in the bowels of the Cabinet of Ministers the state program of the revival of aviation, will be necessary to provide a separate line receiving a professional education, top managers of “Antonov”. Well, in some cases at least some education.
Don’t need to be an expert to understand that such personnel policy is primarily aimed at the destruction created in Ukraine its own school of aviation, where he could not be mad career of the chocolatier, the autoluck or car to General designer. Speaking of the master designer, I mean the Institute’s General designer, so easily eradicated new managers. Our former chief designer, thanks to some would-be leaders, is now helping Azerbaijan to develop its own aircraft industry. I have no doubt that after a couple of years, this country will join the ranks of countries with developed high technology. But will Ukraine be able to hold this list is the big question.
The indisputable achievement of the modern top-managers of “Antonov” is to establish ourselves in an unprecedented reward for your “busy” work, which consists in the arrangement of their own jobs — repairs of rooms, purchase of expensive furniture, office equipment and computers. Well, at worst, brothers, godparents, or someone’s relatives to work with a high salary. Well, let the Secretary of the Vice-President has a salary several times higher than a decade working in the enterprise designer. And ask Peter, his appointees A. Romanov (by the way, you put on the post with the violation of the Basic law) salary discrimination in “Antonov”, as, however, and other enterprises of sphere of your interests! Maybe squeeze the specialists of the Ukrainian aviation is the main mission of this team? I do not doubt that in Russia and Azerbaijan and in other countries with open arms to take, and as you know already taking nurtured during the long years of Ukrainian specialists. Needless to say that training in this area, the process is not only expensive, but in our conditions is already very heavy.
You can imagine how this many men presidents and Vice presidents will create a new aircraft? What management decisions in the absence of managerial experience and relevant qualifications will be remembered in the aviation industry these gentlemen? In psychology this issue is known as the effect of Dunning-Kruger, when people with low level qualifications and managerial experience, make erroneous conclusions, estimating their bad decisions as genius, when they are not able to objectively aware of their shortcomings and mistakes — due to the low level of intelligence. Sad, but true!
PR-fog…
That’s what has succeeded in the management of “Antonov” is to conduct massive information campaign around its “violent” activities. Probably with this purpose, the “Ukroboronprom” this “rough patch” SOEs delegated Selskogo L., bloated tiny sector of public relations as much as to an office.
It just so happened that an invaluable contribution to the Treasury of that office, became the main newsmakers “Antonov”, made the President Poroshenko, Prime Minister Vladimir Groysman, the General Director of “Ukroboronprom” R. Romanov, Chairman of the Board of the Corporation “Ukrainian aviation company” M. Gvozdev, President of the State enterprise “Antonov” A. Kotsyuba, and in some episodes — the Saudi Prince.
Unfortunately, the real situation in the aircraft industry is very different from created over one million hryvnias funny pictures with silver plastic blades, which Peter learned a fuselage of An-132Д.
Want to describe what the PR of our government managers and executives of the defense industry. There are several categories of “achievements”. First — create a new plane An-132, in partnership with companies from Saudi Arabia. The second — large orders, supposedly coming in at the Antonov aircraft from around the world. Third — the reduction of dependence on Russia in questions of deliveries of components. And that’s just for starters.
An-132Д — old new page of aviation…
First, the An-132. It would seem an undoubted achievement, the new aircraft world-level etc — no! First, it is not EN-132 and EN-132Д, that is, “demonstrator” and not a real plane. That’s right — just a demonstrator of the ability to create such aircraft. This means that it is made of constituent parts, not specifically for this purpose, and of the former at hand. So, the basic design of the aircraft or the airframe is 90% of the airframe of the An-24 made its first flight in 1959. I would not want to disappoint our President and leaders “Ukroboronprom”, hung out on its website a message about a “new page in the history of aviation of Ukraine”, but have to. This page was written in the fifties of the last century, before you were born, Peter. Accordingly, the technical level of the basic design of the An-132 meets the requirements of 60 years ago! Further engines. Canadian turboprop PWC-150 installed on this aircraft used in civil aviation on canadian passenger aircraft Dash-8Q-400 for more than 20 years. And equipment of American, French, British and Ukrainian — also produced for many years and was used without any upgrades. On-Board systems on An-132Д installed with the An-178, An-158 and other aircraft of the heavier class without significant changes.
In practice, this means that the An-132Д came out, to put it mildly, suboptimal. His own weight made in the world somewhere in the level of 45-50%. It can perform the same tasks as its competitors, only spending half as much fuel. It is much more expensive to operate. Think about it, if they need some transport aircraft with similar characteristics, even a very rich Saudi Arabia.
To turn “a new page in the history of aviation of Ukraine” in a normal plane with at least some level of competitiveness — an unprecedented task. This means that to create it almost from scratch. I would like to be optimistic, but such a project may take from 3 to 10 years of hard work and many millions of dollars. Would the Saudis continue to play this mysterious game that requires more money and time with no hope in the near future to organize the production and sale of this product? A very difficult question. After all, if the Saudis released from the project, other funding sources will be difficult to find. Not to mention the reputational loss for Ukraine on the international market, which reduced our country every year. So the first flight of the an-132Д is not so much a cause for celebration, as the occasion to reflect on how to avoid major failure, which today’s newsmakers are so confident pushing this project.
Orders in the order…
Don’t know about you, but I have over the past year and a half, according to chief functionaries of the defense, it seems that the prospect of Victory in the main office “Antonov” lined up a huge queue of foreign customers, wishing to get something that can put the company. Reports of international exhibitions concerning the resulting portfolio is impressive. Unfortunately, in this direction, the real situation is very different from the informational noise created by the officials of the defense.
To date, with a certain degree of optimism can only speak about the contract for the supply of airline Silk Way (Azerbaijan) 10 aircraft An-178. This contract was awarded by the company prior to the presidential landing new managers.
In fairness it should be noted that there are agreements on joint serial production of 12 copies of the An-178 for Beijing A-Star Science & Technology Co., Ltd (China), not yet implemented in the form of a contract. This can put… that Is all. I emphasize, none of the aircraft “Antonov” never ordered nor Saudi Arabia, nor the defense Ministry of Ukraine, nor anyone else. At least as of April 2017.
Why no orders? Where did they go? After all, before the orders was, though not huge. Fly on the planet built in the last 40 years, copies of An-148 and An-158, 6 An-32S arrived in the Iraqi air force, 4 An-32 came to the service of the MOE of Ukraine, several An-74 went to Kazakhstan, Laos, and other countries.
The answer is simple: potential customers are well aware of the situation in the aircraft industry of Ukraine and do not share information optimism of its leaders. They are more concerned with the question whether our leading company to build airplanes? Let me remind you that the last An-148 was completed and forwarded, if I am not mistaken, North Korea exactly two years ago — in April 2015. And two months after that, Poroshenko changed the company’s management. From that moment on, that is, in the second half of 2015, all of 2016 and first half 2017 not provided a single plane! Is there a theoretical chance to finish at least one aircraft in the current year, or, at worst, within 2018? Indeed, our aviation industry knew hard times, but this has never happened before.
The above mentioned contract with Azerbaijan and the agreement with China has not yet reached the stage of implementation. Not only not started serial production of the an-178 (and in the current year, in accordance with the commitment, it is necessary to take a minimum of two aircraft), not even started training for it. Yes there are training, stop all flight and certification tests of the An-178! In fact, the program stopped halfway. So what are the orders?
In the Assembly shop of “Antonov” about three years worth of unfinished 10 an-148 and An-158. Some of them are almost ready, but not equipped with engines and some avionics. Mediocre frozen for years, about $ 60 million. That’s how much this “iron”. This wealth covered with a thick layer of dust, and before that, no one cares. Aircraft not being completed. Is it done deliberately?
About import substitution say a word…
Can be a long story about the difficulties of component products and the import of Russian products, but who wants to — he does, and who does not want — looks for excuses.
“Antonov” and the whole “Ukroboronprom”, has long been reported that the problem of import substitution is already almost solved. All suppliers are identified. It is now necessary to enter into contracts for the purchase of new components, install them on the unfinished planes and start testing. But this, again, is not done!
The theme of import substitution would be reflected in the State programme of the revival of aviation. I remember talking about it Prime Minister Vladimir Groisman at the end of November last year during a visit to the enterprise “Antonov”. Here you will see this program! Although she has no money, but to worry about do not, be assured the Builder Groysman during the meeting with labor collective. Let me remind you, Vladimir Borisovich, what the end of April nearing, and programs and money for it all no…
It is clear that all the troubles of the setup to blame Russia. But nonetheless, correct me if I’m wrong, it does not hurt to send in September last year, Antonov’s wings in the Russian Federation for the completion of the aircraft to the EMERCOM of Russia!
But what about the supply of military transport aircraft An-77 for the APU? Moreover, in comparison with the budget of the security forces for 3 years, and that is how much time is necessary to launch the first production aircraft, the amount required will be only 3 billion. It is all measures on import substitution of Russian components.
A similar situation exists with the potential ordering of six An-77 for Indonesia and the construction of the first serial military-transport aircraft An-178 for the European market.
It would be nice to still purchase new production equipment for the production plant, which is almost completely on the number of components eliminates the problem of dependence on Russian components.
What’s the bottom line…
It would be appropriate to recall that the previous leadership of “Antonov” were dismissed as a result of allegations of inadequate rate of release of the aircraft — from one to five per year. Why have none of the high officials will not come up with the idea to ask the current rate of production of aircraft? The main thing is to not afraid from success on paper!
Whether it is necessary to conclude that the new commanders “Antonov” is more tightly tightened in the neck of the collective enterprise “loop the loop”, and their team is more akin to “funeral”? Talking about this has just begun.
