During Vladimir Putin’s official visits to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi earlier this week, Moscow officials made efforts to interest their Arab hosts in Russia's ambitious aviation projects, most notably the next-gen supersonic jet (SSBJ). The Russian president touched on the theme when talking to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed and ministers discussed the matter during inter-government commissions.

“Russia is interested in cooperation with the Gulf monarchies on the supersonic passenger jet…since they are prepositioned to be customers for such an aircraft," said Denis Manturov, the Russian minister for industry and trade, after a Russo-Emirati inter-government commission session held this week in Abu Dhabi.

Manturov later noted that investments "can help us materialize such a project. As far as the potential market, this [geographic area] looks like among the main ones that we are interested in.” Earlier, Russian officials outlined plans to market such a project to potential customers in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, because in those two regions, "time, distances, and traffic intensity allow for supersonic travel."

Manturov said an SSBJ "demonstrator” will be ready in 2023, paving the way for “the real aircraft” in 2027. He confirmed that the Russian government had provided funds for SSBJ technology demonstrator research and development work between 2019- 2022 to create a base for a draft and detailed design in 2022-2026. The aircraft would accommodate up to 16-19 travelers and cruise at speeds between 1,090 knots and 1,620 knots.

“Advanced technology is the key in this project,” he stressed, without which, the SSBJ would be very costly, “much more than existing subsonic jets.”

The minister further said Moscow is ready to render assistance to Emirati companies in the development of their own competences in the aerospace domain. “Do we need [foreign] investments? Yes, we do! In turn, we can help them develop their competence. This is not going to be a kind of global competence that would enable their offering a turnkey solution worldwide… And yet, it might enable them to go forward.” 

One area where the United Arab Emirates can contribute to the MC-21 narrowbody jetliner and the next-gen SSBJ is in composite materials, since “they already have a superb plant for composites.”

In the meantime, TsAGI (Russian acronym for Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute) first deputy general director Alexei Medvetskyi said the SSBJ draft concept will be submitted to the authorities by the year-end.