Stubborn and uncompromising competitor "Saturn" in recent years in favor MMPP "Salut". In contrast to the anemic Ufa Management CEO "Salute" Yuri Eliseev used the proceeds from the sale to China of engines AL-31F and AL-31FN, for large-scale technical re-equipment of the enterprise, and create your own size. Apparently, today, "Salute" as "Saturn", has the most modern and high-tech machine park in Russia. Strong position on the technical equipment - the main advantage and the main hope Mr Yeliseyev in his competition with "Saturn". Paul fierce struggle between the two companies began to market the modernization of AL-31F engines.
In contrast to the developed "Saturn", "article 117" "Salute" by own CB creates a modification of the AL-31F-M1 / 2/3. Moreover, the AL-31F-M1 with increased thrust per tonne in December 2006, has been certified by the Russian Air Force and, included in the state defense order for 2007 to Yuri Eliseev. The advantage line "Salute" is its flexibility and evolutionary approach to capacity building
. If the most advanced version of the AL-31F-M3 has only entered the bench tests, the AL-31F-M1 is ready for supply to the Russian Air Force and offered for export to China. If Mr. Eliseev will be able to obtain permission to export to China of the motor and especially the transfer of the license, the future of "Salute" will be provided not less UMPO.
In addition to the struggle for market modernization of AL-31F engines "Salute" to compete with the "Saturn" and strategically important issue of the development of the fifth generation fighter engine for the PAK FA Sukhoi development. Work on the power plant of this machine is divided into two stages. During the first deep modernization of the existing AL-31F engine with a thrust of 14.5-15 tonnes to be carried out. The winner at this stage is well-known: "Saturn" and "article 117". It is this motor should lift into the air prototypes of PAK FA in 2009. However, in May of this year, the new Air Force Commander Alexander Zelin said suddenly to follow the conditions of the tender for the selection of proposals for the creation of the engine of the second stage - the actual fifth-generation engine with a thrust of about 16-18 tons. "Salute" immediately involved in the fight, which is likely, yet has not so much a commercial as a political value. We can assume that the issue price is inferior to the sum of annual sales, "Salute" and the payment of certain allocated for 2010-2015. But if Moscow enterprise to win the competition, the weight of the industry will change radically.