SaM146

Overview

The PowerJet SaM146 is a high-bypass turbofan engine produced by PowerJet, a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines (France) and NPO Saturn (Russia). It was developed as the exclusive powerplant for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100), Russia's first major civil airliner program of the post-Soviet era. The SaM146 combines a Western-designed fan and low-pressure system from Safran with a Russian-built high-pressure core from NPO Saturn.

The engine's mixed heritage was both a marketing advantage and, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a fundamental operational liability. Western sanctions blocked Safran from supplying components to Russia, forcing Sukhoi — and its successor UAC — to ground substantial portions of the SSJ100 fleet while simultaneously accelerating development of a fully domestic replacement engine, the PD-8.

Technical Specifications

Variants

The SaM146 is offered in two primary thrust ratings matched to SSJ100 weight variants:

• SaM146-1S17: Standard variant producing 68.7 kN (15,440 lbf), used on the baseline SSJ100 operating from standard sea-level airports.
• SaM146-1S18: High-thrust variant producing 71.6 kN (16,125 lbf), designed for hot-and-high operations. Required for SSJ100 operations from airports such as Mexico City or Medellín where density altitude reduces available thrust.

Aircraft Applications

The SaM146 is the exclusive engine for a single aircraft type:

• Sukhoi Superjet 100 — The SSJ100 entered service with Aeroflot in April 2011 as Russia's first modern regional jet. The SaM146 was chosen over competing Western engines as part of the program's strategy to blend domestic and Western technology to meet international certification standards. Operators have included Aeroflot, Azimuth, Red Wings (Russia), Interjet (Mexico), and Cityjet (Ireland). The Interjet fleet became inactive due to a combination of financial difficulties and parts shortages predating the 2022 sanctions.

Development History

PowerJet was established in 2004 as part of the Franco-Russian industrial partnership underpinning the SSJ100 program. Safran contributed its fan module, accessory gearbox, and nacelle technology derived from the CFM56 program; NPO Saturn designed the high-pressure compressor and combustion system. European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification was achieved in 2010, a significant milestone as it meant the engine — and by extension the SSJ100 — met international airworthiness standards.

The first SaM146-powered SSJ100 revenue flight occurred in April 2011. The engine performed reliably in service, though the SSJ100 program overall faced persistent delays, parts availability issues, and a high-profile crash on a demonstration flight over Mount Salak in Indonesia in 2012 that killed all 45 on board.

The geopolitical rupture of 2022 fundamentally changed the SaM146's future. Safran suspended cooperation under EU sanctions, cutting off fan blades, nacelle components, and maintenance support. Russia announced the SSJ-New (later SSJ100-I) variant using the fully domestic PD-8 engine as a replacement, with certification targets repeatedly pushed back due to the complexity of developing a modern turbofan without Western technical inputs. The SaM146 fleet continues to operate in Russia with diminishing spare-parts availability.