Two leading Russian aircraft factories are moving to a new level thanks to Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU) developments.
NIA-Kuzbass / News from Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk
Published: 05/04/2026 17:11
Irkutsk National Research Technical University is entering a new stage of cooperation with PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).
As part of a large-scale technological modernization of the aircraft manufacturing industry, Irkutsk Polytechnic University is beginning to implement innovative robotic equipment and specialized software at two key UAC sites—in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Ulyanovsk.
Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU) has won a competition held by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade for a state subsidy for the creation of production and automation equipment for R&D on specialized equipment. Of the 76 applications submitted, 12 were accepted for expert evaluation. Two programs proposed by aircraft manufacturers jointly with Irkutsk Polytechnic University were approved and will receive funding totaling over 800 million rubles. The professional team of aircraft engineers who will develop technological solutions and equipment is part of a strategic project of the "Priority 2030" program.
"Winning the competition is the result of our university's collaboration with the UAC corporation as part of a roadmap to achieve technological leadership in the aircraft industry. Our university has professional experience in aircraft R&D for the Tupolev Design Bureau and plants in Irkutsk, Samara, Kazan, and Ulyanovsk. As part of the competition, we plan to complete a range of projects to automate the processes of forming, straightening, and surface hardening of critical aircraft components, which will significantly increase productivity and precision, as well as eliminate the risk of defects in the production of aircraft. I would like to express my gratitude to Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Ivanovich Kobzev and State Duma Deputy Maria Vasilkova for their personal contribution to the university's development and support during the competition," said Irkutsk National Research Technical University Rector Mikhail Kornyakov.
As a result of the project's implementation, the Yury Gagarin KnAAZ (Komsomolsk-on-Amur), a branch of PJSC UAC, will receive an innovative robotic technology complex (RTC FP) by the end of 2028. The equipment is designed for shaping and straightening reinforced aircraft skin and frame components using local plastic deformation methods—roller rolling and fit/spread.
The key advantage of the new system is its full automation. Unlike outdated manually operated hydraulic presses, where quality depended on the operator's skill, the new robotic press, powered by an industrial robot, will target the part using machine vision. Interchangeable automated working tools—a rolling tool and a seater—allow for producing surfaces of any curvature, while the system's mobility allows for processing both small parts in a stationary workstation and large items directly in the assembly area.
Another large-scale project will be implemented at the Ulyanovsk branch of JSC Il-Aviastar. There, using equipment developed by Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU), a high-tech facility for shaping and strengthening large-size aircraft skins is planned to be created. It will include several automated units. The complex will enable the implementation of a unique combined shaping-strengthening technology, which not only ensures perfect geometry (with a deviation of no more than 0.5 mm) but also significantly improves the service life of the component. Work at the JSC Il-Aviastar plant is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029.
The core component of both plants' equipment will be specialized process software developed by Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU) aircraft manufacturers. The developed software functions as a "digital technologist," completely eliminating manual labor during equipment setup and dependence on operator skills. Control programs for the robots are generated based on a reference model and measurement data from the actual component.
According to Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNITU) specialists, the implementation of the developed technological solutions will increase productivity by 2-3 times due to automation and a reduction in non-essential time, and will increase the service life of aircraft components by three times.
The modernization of factories with high-tech equipment will mark the transition of the domestic aircraft industry from disjointed manual operations to digital, robotic production. Irkutsk National Research Technical University has once again confirmed its status as one of the country's leading engineering universities and its readiness to address national challenges in cooperation with leading aviation industry players.
It says Su-57 carry 10 R-77M inside. R-77M is old tech so it could be some new version. Su-57 is also associated with new hypersonic cruise missile Kh-99 or air lunched Zircon.
Just look at the "Product 180." That's what design bureaus call the modernized RVV-SD, so modernized that it can now hit a target at a range of 250 kilometers!
Here's an important detail: all these missiles fit compactly into the Su-57's internal compartments. Up to ten Izdeliye 180 missiles fit in the belly of just one fighter. It's like carrying ten sniper rifles with different scopes...
This satellites are directly related to power electronics and GaN. That 6G operational by 2030.
I have read that GaN on Si cheaper and almost equal to GaN on SiC. and this not only research they doing.
VSU PISh Year-End Results: Record R&D and a Breakthrough in GaN Technologies
Here are just a few of the products that already have practical applications for the
defense industry and civilian electronics:
- Five types of microwave power amplifiers based on domestic components have been launched into production.
- Amplifiers for aircraft systems have been created, which, according to the developers, outperform foreign counterparts.
- Beam steering algorithms for ground satellite terminals and
multi-beam airborne active phased array antennas for low-orbit satellite communications have been developed.
The fundamental groundwork deserves special attention. Voronezh engineers were the first in Russia to master molecular beam epitaxy technology for growing gallium nitride (GaN) layers on silicon. This is the basis for creating high-power microwave transistors (up to 6 GHz) and PIN diodes. Essentially, the region is laying the foundation for all Russian
energy-efficient power electronics.
Considering that 2026 will be the final stage of budget financing within the framework of the national project "Youth and Children," the school faces the task of proving its financial independence. A 35% increase in intellectual property and sustainable The portfolio of orders from industrial partners allows VSU to look to the future up to 2030 without regard for budgetary infusions.