Russia Declared Independence From US Tech—Then Failed to Replace Its Aircraft Displays

Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has fined a domestic defense electronics manufacturer after it failed to complete a long-running program intended to replace US-made cockpit displays used in military aircraft.

According to CNews on July 28, the ministry is seeking to recover 257.1 million rubles (about $3.2 million) from St. Petersburg-based Aviation and Marine Electronics (AME), representing the full value of a state contract signed in 2017 under the Display-I7 research and development program.

The project was intended to develop and launch serial production of domestically manufactured gas-discharge video modules to replace electroluminescent displays produced by the US company PLANAR.

At the time the contract was signed, Russia did not have a domestic equivalent for these systems, which are used in military aircraft cockpit instrumentation.

According to CNews, the program covered four types of display modules designed for use in protected military equipment operating without external cooling or heating.

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The displays were intended for combat aircraft and helicopters, where they provide pilots with flight, navigation, and weapons information. Similar systems can also be integrated into naval combat management systems aboard warships and submarines.

The contract, signed on October 16, 2017, consisted of three development stages. The first two phases were completed on schedule, but the final stage—which included completing development and preparing the technology for serial production—was due by November 20, 2019.

As of May 26, 2026, however, the work remained unfinished, resulting in a delay of 2,379 days, or nearly six and a half years, according to CNews. During that period, the Ministry of Industry and Trade calculated penalties totaling 394.9 million rubles (about $4.9 million), although the contract capped financial liability at the value of the agreement itself.

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The ministry has ordered the company to pay the fine within 30 days and warned that it could pursue the claim through Russia’s Arbitration Court if payment is not made.

As CNews reported, the Russian government recently lowered its target for the share of domestically produced electronics used in state projects by 2030 from 80% to 58.7%.

The outlet also cited industry sources saying the country’s electronic engineering development program faces a funding shortfall of 33.1 billion rubles (about $412 million) for 2026–2028, while annual state spending on the electronics industry has fallen from 26.5 billion rubles (about $330 million) in 2024 to 4.9 billion rubles (about $61 million) in 2026.

The failed Display-I7 program adds to a broader pattern of Russia struggling to replace critical Western technologies. Earlier this year, Russian forces were reported to be building improvised line-of-sight Wi-Fi bridge networks after losing access to unauthorized Starlink terminals used in Ukraine.

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