Companies

JSC “Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Building Plant “SOKOL”

Top Management

Shareholders of JSC “NAZ “Sokol”:

• JSC “UAC” (38% of the shares)
• Private shareholders (62% of the shares)

Sphere of activities

• Serial production of military and civil aircraft;
• Upgrading, repair and overhaul-period renewal of “MiG” aircraft.

Current projects:

• Production of MiG-29UB (version B) fighter-trainer;
• Production of MiG-31E fighter-interceptor;
• Production of Yak-130 combat trainer;
• MIG-21BIS – MIG-21-93 and MIG-29UB – MIG-21UBT aircraft upgrade programme;
• Production and delivery of aircraft components for leading European aircraft-building companies.

History

JSC "Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft-Building plant "Sokol" is one of the leading aircraft-building enterprises in Russia having 75 years experience in producing military aircraft. Within the period of 1932-2002 it produced 43 557 aircraft. “NAZ “Sokol” is a successor of Gorky aircraft building plant named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze, that originates from October 21, 1929. Exactly on that day the Labor and Defense Council of the USSR passed a resolution to construct an aircraft building Plant №21 in Nizhny Novgorod.

Plant #21 (which was given a name of Sergo Ordzhonikidze in 1936) was built in unprecedentedly short time (in 21 months) and on February 1, 1932 the Plant was put in operation. As early as in August 1932 first aircraft took off. It was I-5 fighter, a mixed structure biplane, designed by a team headed by an outstanding designer Nikolay N. Polykarpov.

From 1932 to 1934 I-5 fighter was in series production, and in 1934 the Plant started to prepare for production of a new high speed fighter – I-16. The first prototypes of I-16 were tested by Valery Chkalov, a legendary pilot and Soviet Union Hero, chief-pilot of the Plant from 1934 to 1938. I-16 fighter had 22 modifications and was the major fighter of Soviet Air Force up to the beginning of 1942. It was fighting in Spanish skies and over Hasan Lake and Halhin-Gol River. Soviet pilots used that aircraft during the initial period of II World War.

In November 1941, a Chief Designer Department with subordinated test production has been created at the Plant. The Department was headed by the future Chief Designer Semyon A. Lavochkin. Under his guidance LaGG-3, La-5, La-5FN, La-7 fighters were developed and produced by Gorky Aircraft-Building Plant during the years of the Great Patriotic War (the Plant supplied 17 691 aircraft to the front altogether – every forth fighter manufactured in the country).

The first La-5 fighters successfully participated in Stalingrad Battle as well as La-5FN fighters in quantity were first tried in the summer of 1943 in air fights on Kursk Duga. La-5FN aircraft exceeded German fighters in majority of parameters and was later acknowledged, along with La-7, one of the best fighters of the the II World War. Ivan Kozhedub, a famous pilot and thrice Soviet Union Hero, brought down 62 Nazi aircraft flying on the fighters designed by Lavochkin.

La-15 fighter, the first jet aircraft designed by Lavochkin Design Bureau, was produced at the Plant in 1948-1949.

Creative collaboration between the Plant and Design Bureau of Artyom I. Mykoyan has started in 1949. For the last 50 years Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft-Building Plant specializes in production of MiG family fighters. The Plant supplies MiG-21, MiG-25, MiG-29UB/UBT and MiG-31 fighters that are among the most famous aircraft of this brand in the world. These aircraft are in service with the Russian Air Force and air force armies of a number of foreign countries.

MiG-15 jet aircraft designed by A.I. Mykoyan and M.I. Gurevich was the first aircraft of this family. It was serially produced at the Plant in 1949-1952. Combat performance of this aircraft was clearly proved in Northern Korea skies in 1950-1952. MiG-15 fighter was produced under license in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Mig-17 fighter was produced at the Plant in 1952-1954 and MiG-19, the first soviet serial supersonic aircraft – in 1955-1957.

In 1959 the Plant started serial production of the famous MiG-21, which became the most mass-produced supersonic fighter in the history of world aviation.

MiG-25 fighter-interceptor, the first fully welded aircraft in aviation history with 80% of airframe structure made of high-strength steels and titanium, was serially produced at Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft-Building Plant in 1969-1985. It is MiG-25 aircraft having established 29 world speed, climbing capacity and flight altitude records that not only defined further development of world aviation, but also initiated new generation of combat aircraft. Development and mastering of this aircraft has triggered a technical revolution in the Plant. Reconstruction carried out at the end of the 1960-s made Gorky Aircraft-Building Plant one of the most high-tech enterprises of aviation industry.

Starting from 1979 the Plant serially produced MiG-31, a heavy long-range interceptor, being the first home-made fourth generation combat aircraft, that was logically sequential to MiG-25 and had no analogues in the world. MiG-29UB fighter-trainer, one of the best modern fighters, was successfully launched in production in 1984.

For 45 years of serial production the Plant has manufactured about 13 500 MiG family combat aircraft. The most famous of them – MiG-21 and MiG-29UB fighters – were exported to more than 30 countries of the world.

In 1990-s the Plant effected a program of deep upgrade of MiG-21 fighter (modification MiG-21BIS) into MiG-21-93, MiG-29UB into MiG-29UBT, and MiG-31, that has allowed to increase significantly combat efficiency of these aircraft.

In 1996 Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft-Building Plant “Sokol” started a joint program with Yakovlev Design Bureau on development of Yak-130, a challenging aircraft intended for primary training of pilots as well as for training of flight personnel. Later on a combat-trainer version of Yak-130 capable to act as a multifunction tactical fighter was developed.

Three test aircraft have been prepared and transmitted for conducting official tests. Production of a first pilot batch of Yak-130 combat-trainer aircraft under order of RF Ministry of Defense has started.

Currently, apart from manufacturing, modernization, testing, maintenance of military aircraft and delivery them to Russian Air Force and abroad, the priority activities of “NAZ “Sokol” (JSC) are related to civil products. For example, serial production of M-101T light turboprop multifunction aircraft, developed by Experimental Machine-Building Plant n/a V.M. Myasishev together with “NAZ “Sokol”, has begun.

SOKOL is actively participating in international cooperation in civil aviation market as a manufacturer and supplier of aircraft components for leading European airspace companies such as Aeromacchi s.p.a. (Italy), Diamond Aircraft (Austria) and Walter (Czech Republic).

In accordance with state defense order Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft-Building Plant “Sokol” carries out repair and modernization of MiG-31 aircraft and aircraft upgrading in troop units in order to improve construction and increase operational reliability. The Plant also produces components and spare parts for the aircraft. “NAZ "Sokol” continues series production of Yak-130 aircraft in conformity with the official contract between RF Ministry of Defense and the Plant. In cooperation with Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian Aircraft Corporation “MiG” (RAC MiG) series production of basic assemblies for MiG-29C aircraft for Indian Navy is organized.

MiG-29UB/UBT aircraft, re-equipped MiG-21BIS aircraft and spare parts for aircraft for aircraft delivered are among export defense products of “NAZ "Sokol”. Currently M-101T light multipurpose aircraft are being serially produced at “NAZ "Sokol” both according to the agreements with colleges of civil aviation of Russia and for commercial orders.

38% of the shares of “NAZ "Sokol” JSC were contributed to the charter capital of the “UAC” JSC under the Presidential Decree #140 of February 20, 2006.

Current information on the company represented at:

http://www.sokolplant.ru/en/news.shtml
http://www.sokolplant.ru/en/info.shtml