History of OJSC "Orsha Aircraft repair Plant"

History of OJSC "Orsha Aircraft repair Plant"

War years

The history of «Orsha Aircraft Repair plant» OJSC originates in the first days of the Great Patriotic War.

On July 12, 1941, the formation of the Baltic Fleet Air Force’s 2nd aviation repair train was completed at the «Bezzabotnoe» station of the Leningrad Region.
6 covered train cars and a dozen railway platforms became the first combat and production base of our plant.

Having had their base at the «Issakogorka» station of the Arkhangelsk region, mobile teams performed repair of aircrafts, engines, armament and special equipment for Northern Fleet's air force aviation combat troops, that protected the Soviet polar region and the caravans of ships that were delivering the cargoes under the Lend-Lease .

Being directly involved in the heroic defense of Leningrad, the aircraft repair specialists, using their labor and combat skills, were able to reactivate more than 140 aircrafts and about 180 aircraft engines. All the military personnel of the unit was deservedly awarded the «For the Defense of Leningrad» medal for their exemplary obedience to orders, patience, perseverance and courage.

In the spring of 1945, the military personnel of 2nd aircraft repair train took an active part in the battles for Koenigsberg fortress city. For courage and exemplary combat tasks performance all the military personnel was awarded a commendation by the Order of Supreme Commander (Order of Supreme Commander dated 09.04.1945 No. 333) and the medal «For the capture of Koenigsberg» (Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated 09.06.1945)

At the moment of Great Victory the unit located in the Kolberg city (Pomerania), where it took an active part in the final defeat of the Nazi troops.

1950-1970 years

During 10 years the unit had been performing the repair aircraft and aircraft engines in favour of military aviation, and on January 12, 1956 it became a part of the 12th Naval Aviation School of Pilots, redeployed to the station «Tolkai»of the Kuibyshev Railroad, where it mastered the repair of MIG -15 aircraft with jet engine.

Launched in the early 50s, the serial production of a modern, reactive long-range TU-16 bomber, a carrier of nuclear weapons, also required the foundation of a modern repair base.

In July 1956, the 2nd aircraft repair base was transferred to the Air Force, and from December 24, 1956, it received a new location - «Bolbasovo» airfield and the task of mastering the repair of the TU-16 aircraft.

Since then the 2nd aircraft repair train became the 571st aircraft repair plant of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Having had about 200 personnel, the unit formed a manufacturing base in the shortest possible time and on July 8, 1957 released the first TU-16 aircraft from repair.

On April 9, 1964 the military unit No. 21656 (our plant) was redeployed to the aircraft repair plant and became the country Air Force’s leader in the field of heavy bomber repair. The enterprise was assigned a status of 571st plant for the repair 3rd category aircrafts.

 By 1965 up to 60 TU-16 aircrafts underwent the intermediate repair in the plant’s workshop, and by 1970 the general overhaul of TU-16 aircraft was mastered. The enterprise was assigned a status of 1st category aircraft repair plant.



1970-2000 years

In 1980, the plant began to master the repair of TU-22М2 aircraft of third generation.

In 1991, the plant began to repair TU-22m3 aircraft. In total, our company repaired 1726 of ТU-16 aircrafts; 52 of ТU-22m2 aircrafts; 14 of ТU-22m3 aircrafts. The repair of ТU-16 aircrafts was shut down in 1985.

However, the collapse of the Soviet Union and a sharp reduction in defense spending was a bitter blow to the enterprise. Within the armament reduction the ТU-22M3 aircrafts were place on the territory of Russia, and 571st aircraft repair plant was transferred to the Republic of Belarus Ministry of Defense. In these difficult conditions, it was decided to master the repair of new types of aircraft, which would be in demand in the new economic and political conditions. The non-core production was organized, the repair of new units and systems of various aircraft was mastered, and in 1993 the plant began to master the repair of the Mi-8 helicopter and after that on May 4, 1994, the first repaired at the plant MI-8T helicopter was handed over to the customer.

In 1995, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 126 « On Improving the Efficiency of Aviation Management» was adopted. Pursuant to that Decree, Ministry of Defense’s 571st ARP transferred to the State Aviation Committee of the Republic of Belarus. The Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant was ordered to keep orders for the repair of military aircraft by the same Decree.

In 1997, the «Belaviaremont» association was created to solve the issues of workload of different companies, including our plant.
In the light of these decisions, «Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant» OJSC began to master the repair of Tu-134 passenger aircraft. The plant has repaired in total 7 airplanes of this type.

In 1998, the enterprise was the first among the s CIS State-owned enterprises to receive the Certificate of Repair Organization SPR-12 of the Interstate Aviation Committee and the State Aviation Committee of the Republic of Belarus for the repair of Mi-8 helicopters of all modifications. Currently, the company has been successfully recertified for several times.

 «Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant» OJSC holds the certificate of State Authority for Military Industry of the Republic of Belarus for the right to perform foreign trade activities with the specific goodsс (military and double purpose products and services).

2000 years

On November 27, 2009 the State-owned Enterprise « Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant » was reorganized into the open joint-stock company «Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant».
On 08.09.2008 MI-26 helicopter landed on the airfield, on September 12, 2008 the Acceptance Certificate was signed and the plant began to master the repair of the world's largest helicopter.

On 17.06.2015гat the Flight test center of «Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant» OJSC the ground and flight tests of the world's largest MI-26 helicopter were completed after an the performance of the overhaul. The long-term efforts of the factory workers to master the repair of this type of aircraft ended successfully - the plant mastered the repair of MI-26, and the Republic of Belarus Ministry of Defense received a helicopter, into which the factory workers breathed a new life life.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 355rp dated December 30, 2011, the Investment Contract between the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Belarus, «Motor Sich» Public Company (Ukraine) and «Investment and Innovation Systems» Ltd (Republic of Belarus) was signed and was registered on February 3, 2012, under No. ID-970 in the Republic of Belarus Ministry of Economics’ Investment Contracts National Register. This Contract stipulates the realization of «Orsha Aircraft Repair Plant» OJSC integrated development investment project. But the mentioned shareholders failed to complete the task by the deadline.

On 11.07.2018, A.G. Lukashenko, the President of the Republic of Belarus, visited the plant and decided to return the company to state ownership.

In accordance with the Republic of Belarus President’s Decree No. 148rp dated 20.07.2018 «On Shares Acquisition», the factory’s shares were the shares of the plant were fully repurchased from former shareholders and transferred to the economic control of the State-owned Foreign Trade Enterprise «Belspetsvneshtechnica».

 Nowadays the plant feels confident about its’ future. Recently, the volume of orders for the aircraft repair has increased severalfold. Among our partners there are dozens of companies from eight countries. Strong financial position, high services quality and plant’s strict compliance with the contract commitments earned the partners’ respect and ensured a plant’s stable situation on the aircraft repair market.