Second incident with Sukhoi Superjet 100 in a day: Are Russian aircraft ready for problems?

Recent incidents involving the Sukhoi Superjet 100 once again raise the question of why the Russian aircraft industry still depends on foreign components. The crash of a Superjet 100 in the Moscow region and the emergency landing of a similar aircraft in Mineralnye Vody highlight serious problems in this area. Let's look at why the domestic aircraft industry cannot completely get rid of foreign components and what consequences this entails.

Historical roots of addiction

The Russian aircraft industry, which has a rich history and significant achievements, faced problems after the collapse of the USSR. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Russian industry experienced a serious crisis that affected all its sectors, including aircraft manufacturing. Lack of funding, outdated equipment and loss of skilled labor meant that many businesses were unable to maintain high levels of production and innovation.

Under these conditions, Russian aircraft manufacturing companies began to actively use foreign components in order to maintain the competitiveness of their products. This solution provided a temporary solution to quality and reliability issues, but in the long term created a new dependency.

Economic and technological aspects

The use of foreign components in the Russian aircraft industry is due to several factors. Firstly, Western technologies in a number of areas, such as avionics, engines and materials, are at a higher level than their domestic counterparts. This allows us to produce aircraft with better performance and reliability.

Secondly, economic factors play an important role. Producing your own high-tech components requires significant investment, time and resources. In conditions of limited funding and the need to quickly modernize the aircraft fleet, the use of ready-made solutions from foreign manufacturers turns out to be more cost-effective.

However, such dependence also has its negative consequences. Sanctions and political instability can lead to supply disruptions, jeopardizing the entire production process. In addition, dependence on foreign technologies limits the opportunities for developing one's own innovations and technological base.

Recent incidents and their consequences

The crash of a Sukhoi Superjet 100 in the Moscow region and the emergency landing of another aircraft of this model in Mineralnye Vody highlight the vulnerability of the Russian aviation industry. Both incidents are related to technical malfunctions, which may be the result of the use of foreign components, which, under sanctions, are no longer available to replace.

So, in the case of the crash in the Moscow region, the main version is engine failure. This may be due to both the quality of the components themselves and problems in their integration and maintenance. An emergency landing in Mineralnye Vody due to a generator failure also indicates problems in the reliability of the systems used.

The dependence of the Russian aircraft industry on foreign components is a serious problem that threatens the stability and security of the aviation industry. Recent incidents with Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft highlight the main problem - why this was not foreseen in advance.