The armament exports, a profitable business for Russia

The volume of armament and fight technique exports of the Russian Federation reached to record turnovers, in 2007. Only on the Rosoboroeksport line, the institution that administrates these businesses, has been sold armament of 6,46 billions dollars. The amount at federal level, reaches to almost 7,5 billions. The most part of the revenues resulted from the commercialization of multifunctional fight planes (multirole), of the SU-30 class.

From the 2007 amount, over 80% of the complex industrial-military profit of Russia was achieved of the airplanes export Suhoi brand: about 50 devices. Of which 18 destroyers SU-30MKI in India (provided according the scheme trade-in, in exchange of the devices SU-30K, transferred to India in 1997-1999); 4 planes SU-30MKA in Algeria, 6 SU-30MKI - in Malaysia and 12 SU-30MKI - in Venezuela. The plane work facility from Irkutk had the greatest contribution for carrying on these supplies, which „served” India, Algeria and Malaysia. The company from Komsomolsk on Amur River carried on the contract with Venezuela. In 2008 will be passed to the carrying on of the assembly contract according the license of another 40 airplanes SU-30MKI series. The value of the contract raises up to 1,5 billions dollars. Towards Malaysia will set out another 12 devices, the first lot, formed of 4 SU-30MKI, being already delivered to the beneficiary at the end of January. The carrying on of the contract with Algeria, country which fallows to receive, during this year, 10 SU-30MKA is unrolling. Per amount, for the carrying on of all contract obligations, 242 airplanes from the SU-30 model are still present in company’s portfolio since last summer. Therefore, the company will have to manufacture 30-35 airplanes per year, until 2012.

The eternal MiGs

Moreover, the industrial-military complex of Russia must finalize the contract with Venezuela (8 airplanes SU-30MK2) and to „attack“ the contract with Indonesia, signed up at the MAKS-2007 salon, from Moscow, for three SU-27SKM planes and three SU-30MK2. The amount of the agreements is of 330 millions dollars. Unlike SU-30MKA, the delivery in Algeria of the MiG fight planes was stopped after the delivery of the first lot, in 2006. The Algerian part formulated a series of technical pretensions, which lead to the provisory interruption of the contract. The analysts saw behind this decision the presence more and more active of France on the Algerian armament market. Among others, it is rumored that Algeria analyses the possibility of purchasing light bombers Rafale instead of the Russian MiGs. As for the production program of a new brand of mixed bombers MiG-MiG-29K, this is successfully unrolling. In the Russian- Indian contract amounted to about 1,5 billions dollars, an aircraft carrier will be build up and hand in to India, as also 16 bombers with upright take-off, 12 devices MiG-29K and four training planes MiG-29KUB. 

Rackets for India

The Russian strategically enterprises will participate to the elaboration of the new rackets which will enter in the endowment of the army forces of India. The Russian Indian projectiles production, impossible of intercepting, will be launched with the help of the mobile systems mounted on hard trucks Tatra. The rackets were named BrahMos-2. They will displace with a five times higher speed than the sound, making it invincible. It is also studied, the possibility of installing the rackets on bombers SU-30MKI, TU-142 si Il-38, being in the endowment of the military aviation of India. It prognosis that the new racket will be created during 5-7 years.

Lost China

Recently, the daily Nezavisimaia gazeta observed that “the time when China was counted among the great buyers of Russian armament passed” , the exports getting close to zero. The journal mentioned, quoting indepenent sources, that in present, Moscow doesn’t have any big contract with Beijing, as it was a few years ago. Annually, Russia gain of the army and fight techniques sale to his Chinese partner, up to 1,8-2 billions dollars. Among the years, the Russian works of defense delivered, among others, to its great East neighbor  200 bombers SU-27SK and SU-30MKK, sold licenses for the assembly of these airplanes in the enterprises from Shenian. But China doesn’t need anymore of the military technique set which Russia is willing to offer it. Beijing, the same publication noted, wants that Moscow can’t at least for the moment to launch on the market. More, China solicits inclusively production licenses. However Russia isn’t ready to accept. With all these, on Rosoboroneksport addressee already arrived requests for a fight system as the reactive launch of shell system “Shmel”, artillery equipments of 120 mm “Nova-SVK” and “Vena”, blinded conveyors BTR-80 and BTR-90, helicopters with multiple targets Mik-28N and Ka-50 “The Black Shark”, T-90S tanks and many others.

SU-35

The Suhoi experts started the ground testing program of the multifunctional attack plane SU-35. During these tests the shortcomings of different fitted, navigation and control systems will be tested, tracked down and improved. The summer tests will take place at the end of the second quarter of the year. SU-35 is, according the description made by the Russian press in the field, a very skilful device from the point of view of the maneuvering possibilities. At its manufacturing were applied technologies of last generation, which assure it superior characteristics comparing to another airplanes of the same category. The airplane is hard detectable, disposes of a radar system with increased power of capturing the far away targets.

SU-34

In 2008, the Suhoi Company will launch a new series of bombers SU-34, which serial manufacturing started at the end of last year. The technological flow allows the simultaneous assembly of 20 devices. The attack airplane SU-34 is capable to defeat in any geograhical perimeter, terrestrial, marines or air targets, no matter the air conditions and the time of the day. The machine can use all the projectile aviation nomenclature, inclusive of the ones of great precision. By its performances, SU-34 steps in the category of the airplanes of the generation 4+. The device disposes of performing security system and computer board, which extends the liberty of maneuver of the pilots. SU-34 has interior tanks of high capacity, supply system in air, as an affixation device of some additional fuel tanks, elements which assure great flight independence, on big distances. 

The fifth generation

At the Komsomolsk-pe-Amur work, enterprise which is part of the Suhoi holding, started the production prepares of the first experimental models from the new destroying generation. “When the devices will be ready, they will pass by all the stages that come before the summer tests, programmed for 2009. In the serial fabrication, the new device will launch in 2015. It is supposed that the machine will be able to solve all the fight missions no matter the character of the eventual military operations and in conditions of maximum pressure from the adversary side.  The planes will be supplied with armament of high precision and with improved engines. India showed to be interested of the project of these fifth generation bombers.