The Motor Sich Joint Stock Company (Ukrainian: АТ «Мотор Січ») is a Ukrainian aircraft engine manufacturer headquartered in Zaporizhzhia. The company manufactures engines for airplanes and helicopters as well as industrial marine gas turbines and installations.

Joint Stock Company Motor Sich
IndustryAerospace industry
Defence
Founded1907; 117 years ago (1907)
HeadquartersZaporizhzhia, Ukraine
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsAircraft engines, Turbojet engines
Increase ₴3.3 billion (2015)[1][2]
Total assetsIncrease ₴20.7 billion (2015)[1]
Number of employees
21,860 (December, 2010)[3]
Websitehttps://motorsich.com/eng/

Overview

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Motor Sich currently[when?] produces the Ivchenko Progress D-18 turbofan which powers variants of the Antonov An-124 and An-225 freighters, although the Ivchenko Progress D-36/Ivchenko Progress D-436 series remain the highest production-rate engines in the CIS.

Motor Sich inherited some of the former Soviet Union's aero engine manufacturing capabilities. It produces turbofan, turboprop and rotary-wing turboshaft engines that power aircraft in Russian service, such as Mi- and Ka-series military helicopters.[4]

In 2017 Beijing's Skyrizon Aviation purchased a 41% holding in Motor Sich. Skyrizon Aviation had agreed to first invest $250 million in the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia plants and help Motor Sich to set up a new assembly and servicing plant in Chongqing.[5]

The company announced that it planned to launch its own helicopter, dubbed Hope, in 2018.[6]

Some individuals, including former counsel to the US Senate Foreign Relation Committee, William C. Triplet, have criticized Ukraine for allowing Motor Sich to conduct business with Chinese firms. Oleh Lyashko, leader of Ukraine’s Radical Party, said if the US does not want Motor Sich to be closer with the Chinese, then they need to buy enough aircraft engines.[7]

Motor Sich severed ties with Russia in 2014, its biggest client, and consequently made efforts to find new markets. In the administration of President Donald Trump, Washington added Skyrizon to a Military End-User (MEU) List. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy then signed a decree imposing sanctions on Skyrizon to restrict its trading operations, while the company responded with a $3.5 billion arbitration case.[8]

On 11 March 2021, the Ukrainian government announced its intention to nationalize Motor Sich by buying back shares from Chinese holders.[9] Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov said the government's decision is to "return Motor Sich to the Ukrainian people" and that "investors will be compensated".[10]

Several Turkish military products use Motor Sich engines, including the Bayraktar TB2, Bayraktar Akinci, Bayraktar Kızılelma, TAI Anka-3 drones and the TAI T929 ATAK 2 helicopter.[11][12] Director-General of Motor Sich, Vyacheslav Bohuslayev noted that a $100 million loan from China needs to be repaid in 2026.[13]

Among the company's new products is the MS-500V turboshaft engine, originally intended for the Russian Ansat helicopter.

The Motor-Sich plant in Zaporizhzhia was destroyed by Russian forces in late May 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[14]

2022 nationalisation

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On November 6, 2022, the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used martial law to nationalise the company, alleging that "Such steps, which are necessary for our country in conditions of war, are carried out in accordance with current laws and will help meet the urgent needs of our defense sector." The government of Ukraine also took control of truck maker KrAZ, energy companies Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta and transformer maker Zaporozhtransformator at the same time.[15] Skyrizon accused Ukraine of "unjustified plundering."[16]

Components

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In 2011 it acquired Orsha Engineering Factory, Orsha, Belarus.

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Daughter organizations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "ГОДОВОЙ ОТЧЕТ 2015" [Annual Report 2015] (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Power structure Motor Sich". Ukrainian joint-stock company. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  3. ^ Motor Sich JSC (31 December 2010). "Motor Sich Annual Report 2010" (PDF). motorsich.com. Motor Sich JSC. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Oboronprom targets Ukrainian company as helicopter consolidation continues". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2006.
  5. ^ Zhen, Liu (16 September 2017). "Chinese firm's stake in Ukraine military aircraft engine maker 'frozen'". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Motor Sich to start helicopter production in 2018". 10 August 2017.
  7. ^ Genin, Aaron (23 August 2018). "KIEV'S NEW PARTNER: A BETRAYAL OF U.S. INTERESTS". The California Review. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  8. ^ "UPDATE 1-Ukraine president approves sanctions against China's Skyrizon". Reuters. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  9. ^ GDC (15 July 2021). "Ukraine To Nationalize Jet Engine Producer Motor Sich From Chinese Skyrizon". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Ukraine Plans To Nationalize Jet Engine Producer Motor Sich From Chinese Investors". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  11. ^ SABAH, DAILY (29 June 2021). "Turkish Aerospace, Motor Sich ink deal for heavy-class helicopter engines". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  12. ^ GDC (6 May 2021). "Ukraine may sell 50% stake in Motor Sich to Turkish firm". Global Defense Corp. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Director General of Motor Sich Vyacheslav Bohuslayev says that $100 million, which he borrowed, should be repaid to Chinese investors by 2026". ukrinform. 12 July 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Russia Says It Destroyed Ukrainian Military Engine Plant". Newsweek, May 26, 2022. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  15. ^ Hunder, Max; Balmforth, Tom (7 November 2022). "Ukraine seizes stakes in strategic companies under wartime laws". Reuters. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Could China, Russia's "no-limits" friend, help rebuild Ukraine?". The Economist. 7 December 2023. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
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