Recently, Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Manturov revealed to the outside world that Russia is willing to provide a series of aviation core technological support for China's wide-body large aircraft development, with key components such as the heavy PD-26 engine and composite material wings included within the scope of cooperation.

He also added that as long as China's new wide-body passenger aircraft enters the actual manufacturing stage, Russia will be ready to deliver at any time.

However, why did Manturov choose to announce this message at this time? For Russia, it is both a practical choice and a strategic consideration.

This requires mentioning that previously, Trump had openly threatened to cut off the supply of high-power engines for Chinese civil aviation, claiming that hundreds of Chinese civil aircraft would be stuck on the tarmac without American engines.

In this tense international environment, Russia's statement carries significant implications, conveying a signal of goodwill to China to some extent.

From Russia's own perspective, its aviation industry is facing many difficulties. Western sanctions have caused Russia to lose a large number of overseas orders, and technical cooperation channels have been severely restricted.

In this situation, deep cooperation with China is not only able to alleviate Russia's current difficult situation but also enable Russia to leverage China's vast market resources and strong manufacturing capabilities to plan for the future development of its own aviation industry.

At the same time, it helps consolidate and strengthen strategic cooperation with China, which can be seen as "putting eggs in a more secure basket."

The PD-26 engine mentioned by Russia is based on the PD-35 engine, with a thrust of 26 tons. In the future, it will not only ensure the power for the Il-100 transport aircraft but also has the potential to be applied to some large aircraft projects.

Russian President Putin has also highly valued the development of this engine, repeatedly urging to accelerate the progress, which clearly shows its importance to Russia's aviation industry.

However, the PD-26 is still in the development phase. Although Putin said "to fully promote," from research and development to mass production, and then to matching with Chinese aircraft, there are still many obstacles in between. The stability of performance, compatibility with Chinese aircraft, and whether the follow-up maintenance system can keep up—all these need verification.

It is worth noting that Manturov left some room in his words, emphasizing specifically that "the option of supply exists, but ultimately how to choose is up to the decision of Chinese partners."

These words sound like giving the initiative to the Chinese side, but they also contain another meaning: Russia is offering solutions with sincerity, not forcing, and wants the Chinese side to feel the flexibility of this cooperation.

After all, as the "heart" of a large aircraft, the aero-engine, once problems occur, will affect the safety and performance of the entire aircraft. Therefore, the requirements for the stability and advanced nature of the technology are extremely strict, and no compromise is allowed.

Therefore, when facing Russia's proposal to supply heavy engines, China will certainly not make a decision lightly. It will always maintain rationality and caution.

The performance and reliability of Russian engines are currently lacking sufficient data support and practical testing, and further observation and assessment are needed.

After all, from the perspective of long-term industrial development, only by mastering core technologies can one truly get rid of external dependence — just like any industry needs to go steadily and far, the fundamental way is to rely on oneself.

Additionally, the core logic of China's large aircraft industry has always been "self-controlled," and Russia's proposal is more like a "supplementary role," which is unlikely to replace the main line of domestic engines.

After all, looking at the long term, only by mastering core technologies can one truly break free from dependence. "Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself" is the fundamental way for the sustained development of an industry.

In summary, regardless of the circumstances, Russia's release of this cooperation signal has opened a new door for Sino-Russian cooperation in the aviation field. Of course, the decision-making power will always be in the hands of the Chinese side.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7551902010384073255/

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