Russia Aviation Industry To Get Composites To Build Aircraft Despite US Sanctions - Rostec

Russia's aviation industry will not face a shortage of composite materials, despite US sanctions, and will be able to build MS-21 planes on schedule, the press service of state corporation Rostec told Sputnik on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2019) Russia's aviation industry will not face a shortage of composite materials, despite US sanctions, and will be able to build MS-21 planes on schedule, the press service of state corporation Rostec told Sputnik on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the Kommersant newspaper reported that the US sanctions blocked US and Japanese deliveries of composites needed to build MS-21 planes. According to the newspaper, Rostec and Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) are trying to organize domestic production of these materials, something that would require time and may lead to the delay in the launch of serial production of MS-21 planes.

"The problem is far-fetched. There are secure foreign suppliers of composites. There are our own developments in this field. In any case, the Russian aviation industry will not be left without composites. We are not considering the option of giving up the use of composites in building the MS-21 plane. The first supplies of these planes are scheduled for 2020 and this date remains relevant for the UAC," the press service said.

The MS-21 is a twin-engine short-and mid-range airliner with a capacity of 150-212 passengers. The presentation of the aircraft took place in June 2016 in the Russian city of Irkutsk.