Purpose and achievements of the PD-8 aircraft engine project discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA
Russia has designed the PD-8, an entirely domestic engine with imported components fully replaced, which has already been certified and is being prepared for serial deliveries. Its development, the role of cooperation between Russian enterprises and the professionals who made the project possible were discussed at the "Motherland Is People. Technological Sovereignty" meeting at the National Centre RUSSIA as part of the "What Does the Motherland Begin With?" project.
At the beginning of the meeting, the First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov, highlighted the importance of developing Russia's civil aviation industry: "Another dimension of technological sovereignty is people's mobility and connectivity across the vast territory of our Motherland. Creating a modern civil aviation fleet is crucial here. Today, this programme is moving into the implementation stage. We are beginning the first deliveries of the Il-114-300 aircraft, serial production of the upgraded Tu-214 is being ramped up, and testing and certification of the MC-21 and Superjet are in their final stages."
Ilya Konyukhov, Director General of UEC-Saturn (Rostec), spoke about the development of the PD-8, which is designed for the Superjet. The PD-8 engine, which received its type certificate in June 2026, was developed in a short period of time through broad cooperation between UEC enterprises. The project used both entirely new technologies and technologies previously tested during the development of the PD-14, as well as digital twins, which helped accelerate the process.
According to him, the PD-8 meets all flight safety requirements and has competitive performance characteristics. In particular, it features an electronic control system, while work has also been carried out to improve specific fuel consumption and reduce weight.
"Today, as the aviation industry faces the task of ensuring passenger traffic and transport accessibility, engine manufacturers are developing modern powerplants for aircraft. The PD-8 development project became a real challenge for our entire industry, and UEC enterprises, working as part of Rostec State Corporation, successfully met it. This is an entirely Russian engine that has become a reality, and we are already preparing for serial deliveries. To date, UEC-Saturn has manufactured and delivered the first two PD-8 engines to the customer as part of the comprehensive civil aviation development programme. People are behind this success. Above all, it is the result of the painstaking work of thousands of designers and technologists from UEC enterprises, research organisations and related industries, whose contribution deserves great recognition. This is the foundation of the country's technological sovereignty," said Ilya Konyukhov, Director General of UEC-Saturn.
The "Motherland Is People" meeting on "Technological Sovereignty" was held as part of the All-Russian project "What Does the Motherland Begin With?" at the National Centre RUSSIA. The series brings together representatives of the Government of the Russian Federation, federal executive authorities and regions, as well as heads of enterprises and opinion leaders. This time, participants discussed scientific and technological leadership, the development of aviation and shipbuilding, the revival of the machine tool industry and prospects for international trade.
Event photobank
The importance of the industry, the training of engineers and the development of next-generation equipment were discussed at the National Centre RUSSIA during the "Motherland Is People" meeting dedicated to technological sovereignty.
The event "Motherland Is People. Technological Sovereignty", was held at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The first issue of the National Centre RUSSIA magazine, "The Lion" ("Lev"), is now available to readers: it can be purchased at the Department Store RUSSIA or downloaded in digital format.
