Money talks. A planned joint program for a super-heavy he-I licopter, backed by an agreement between Moscow and Beijing, is likely to result in Russia supplying critical technology and China building as much of the aircraft as its skills allow-and paying most of the development cost. China will build the airframe of the Advanced Heavy Lifter (AHL), whose size is confirmed as matching that of the largest U.S. helicopter, the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion. But Russia will surely supply or at least develop the drive train, a critically difficult system in any helicopter, let alone one of this size. And Russia's United Engine Corp. proposes to supply the power-plant-plausibly, since the Chinese engine industry could face great challenges in doing so.
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