At ILA Berlin 2026, one of the most talked‑about presences didn’t come from Silicon Valley, Toulouse, or Seattle — it came from Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine).

Motor Sich and Ivchenko‑Progress, two names deeply embedded in aviation history yet often overlooked in Western narratives, stepped into the spotlight with a clear message: legacy alone is not their story — propulsion innovation is.

And they brought hardware to prove it.

At the center of attention stood the AI‑322F turbofan engine with afterburner — a compact, high‑performance engine designed for advanced trainer jets, combat aircraft, and increasingly relevant: unmanned combat aerial systems. Developed by Ivchenko‑Progress and produced by Motor Sich, the AI‑322F represents exactly what ILA 2026 was about — the convergence of aerospace engineering and strategic capability.

This was not nostalgia. It was positioning.

The Engine That Changes the Narrative

The AI‑322F is not just another turbofan. It sits in a category that is gaining massive attention: lightweight, high-thrust engines for agile platforms, including UAVs and next-generation fighter trainers. Derived from the AI‑222 family, which already powers platforms like the Yak‑130, the AI‑322F pushes performance further with afterburner capability — significantly increasing thrust when needed.

At a time when aerial warfare is shifting toward distributed systems, drones, and cost-effective platforms, engines like the AI‑322F are not peripheral. They are central.

That is the real story behind its presence at ILA.

Design vs Manufacturing — A Soviet Legacy, a Modern Playbook

Understanding Motor Sich at ILA requires understanding its twin: Ivchenko‑Progress.

The relationship is brutally simple and remarkably effective:

• Ivchenko‑Progress designs
• Motor Sich builds

This dual system, inherited from the Soviet aerospace model, continues to operate as a tightly integrated ecosystem. Ivchenko‑Progress, established in 1945, has developed more than 80 engine types used globally. Its designs power everything from regional aircraft to heavy-lift icons like the An‑124 — and even the now symbolic An‑225 Mriya.

Motor Sich turns those blueprints into reality — machining, assembling, and scaling production.

At ILA 2026, that partnership was no longer presented as legacy structure, but as strategic advantage.

New Faces, New Positioning

A notable figure representing this transition is Mykyta Zalunin, part of the new generation shaping how these companies present themselves internationally. At ILA, the messaging was sharp: less backward-looking, more assertive.

The narrative is shifting from:“we built engines for Soviet aircraft”to“we build propulsion systems for the next warfare and mobility paradigm.”

That is a profound rebranding.

Beyond Aircraft: Drones, Missiles, and the New Aerospace Reality

ILA 2026 made one thing clear: the boundaries between aviation, defence, and space are dissolving.

Motor Sich and Ivchenko‑Progress are adapting accordingly.

Engines originally designed for trainers are now being repositioned for:

• Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs)
• Loitering systems
• Missile propulsion concepts

This evolution is not optional — it is survival. And at ILA, this shift was visible.

Provocation: Are We Underestimating Them?

In a market dominated by GE, Safran, and Rolls‑Royce, it is easy to underestimate a company like Motor Sich.

That could be a mistake.

Because while Western manufacturers focus on ultra-high-bypass turbofans and commercial aviation efficiency, Motor Sich and Ivchenko‑Progress are operating in a different segment:

• rugged
• adaptable
• militarily relevant
• cost-efficient propulsion

Exactly the segment currently exploding in demand.

The Comeback Nobody Talks About

ILA Berlin 2026 wasn’t just a showcase of technology.

It was a signal.

Motor Sich and Ivchenko‑Progress are not trying to compete head-on with Western OEMs in the traditional sense. They are positioning themselves where the future is actually accelerating:tactical aviation, drones, and scalable propulsion systems.

And with engines like the AI‑322F, they are not just participating.

They are pushing.

The question is no longer whether they belong in the conversation.

The question is:
why weren’t they already at the center of it?

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