The aircraft belongs to the same program as its competitor Kamov Ka-92 intended to create a new generation of middle-class helicopters cruising at about 500 km/h (312 mph).
The helicopter's single main rotor means that in order to travel at high speeds it will have to overcome the retreating blade stall (RBS).
Mil’s solution to fighting the onset of the RBS is to offload the rotor with the help of the proprietary Stall Local Elimination System (SLES).
This will be possible through the use of a pusher propeller and a number of aerodynamic improvements, including a retractable landing gear and streamlined forward and rear fuselage sections.
A Russian Air Force general expects a prototype to fly in 2018, with production in 2022.