The Audit Chamber of Russia inspected the work of the United Aircraft Building Corporation (UAC) on development of the medium-haul Irkut MC-21 aircraft. The Office assessed the effectiveness and results of the use of budget funds invested in the program.
In their act, the auditors note the regular adjustments to the program: the technical concept of the aircraft was changed several times, the deadlines for the work were shifted.
At the end of 2017, the deadlines for completion of the aircraft was increased by seven years (until 2025), the sales deadlines were reduced by two years, and their start was postponed three years ahead – to 2019.
In addition, the project’s price seriously increased. If in 2008 the total costs were about 125 billion rubles, while by 2017 they increased 2.3 times to 284 billion rubles, of which the financing gap reaches 107 billion rubles. There was a deficit in the operating activities of Irkut Corporation PJSC (aircraft manufacturer), which still needs almost 197 billion rubles for the whole program period.
The total budget of the MC-21 project as of September 1st in the Audit Chamber of Russia was estimated at 438 billion rubles, of which 158.3 billion rubles already spent, and 279.1 billion rubles to be invested in the years 2018-2025.
The Audit Chamber of Russia states that it was necessary to increase costs in all areas of investment: almost doubled, to 77 billion rubles — for re-equipment of enterprises, as well as to 181 billion rubles — for research and development (R&D) work. The total cost of the project has grown, including due to the inclusion in it of the cost of the after-sales service system MC-21 (about 25 billion rubles). At the same time, the share of budget funding in the project is growing steadily: from 60% in 2008 to 73% in 2018.
