Demand for Russian military hardware growing in the world

Russia’s positions on the world arms market are very strong - especially, in the combat aviation sector. The jet fighters Su-30 and MiG-29 are well known in many countries, including the South East Asian countries in the first place. The demand for Russian combat aircraft remains very high due to the appearance of such clients as Algeria, Venezuela, Malaysia, Vietnam, Uganda, and Indonesia. Bangladesh is expected to appear on that list soon. The supplies of the Yak-130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainers to Bangladesh may start in 2015.

For the companies of the Russian military-industrial complex military and technical cooperation with Asian countries is a top priority. The countries in South and South-East Asia that are developing actively now allocate considerable funds to equip their armed forces in a proper way, Director of the Centre for Strategic Conjuncture Ivan Konovalov says.

"These countries need combat aircrafts. Taking into account the price-quality criterion, one can say that Russian combat planes are most preferable. They cost much but as compared to their American or French analogs, they are cheaper. And their quality is good too. Therefore, the South-East Asian countries, where there are many unsettled problems, including the border issues, are paying paramount attention to the Russian aircraft. On the other hand, Russian companies are doing well-thought-out work there. What I mean here is advertising the MiG- and Su- family planes."

The latest Russian Yak -130 subsonic two-seat advanced jet trainer is not as well known in the world yet as the Su-30 or the MiG-29 jet fighters. However, the Yak-130 supersonic jet trainer has good prospects for export because it can be used not only as a trainer but also as a ground-attack plane, a member of the Public Council and Chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation, Viktor Murakhovsky, said.

The Yak-130 trainer is approximately 2 times cheaper than modern jet fighters, the expert says, adding that this makes it a unique product on the market. A contract with Bangladesh which is expected to be signed soon is only the first step in advancing the penetration of the Yak-130 planes into foreign markets. As is known, the producer of the Yak-130 planes - the Ikut Corporation – plans, jointly with the Rosoboronexport Agency, to promote the Yak-130 planes to the Latin American market. In case an agreement on the supplies of the Russian planes is signed with one of the Latin American countries, the licensed production of the Yak-130 planes may be launched in Brazil.

According to the information of the middle of 2012, over the past 7 years the Rosoboronexport Agency has supplied 290 warplanes abroad to the tune of more than 20 billion dollars. The planes of the Su- and MiG-family made up the greater part of them.

Ready to induct MiG squadron in may, India awaits carrier

The Admiral Gorshkov warship will be put on trial on Barents Sea between May and July and commissioned by Sevmash shipyard on White Sea in November 2013.

Government sources said the 2012 “boiler furnace brickwork” problem, encountered in seven of the eight boilers, had been rectified and the Naval Headquarters believes that the ship — modification and refitting of which would cost around $2.3 billion — will be on India’s western seaboard by November-December this year.

With India’s sole aircraft carrier — the 54-year-old INS Viraat — undergoing an overhaul and scheduled to join active duty by mid-2013, there is urgency in the acquisition of Vikramaditya as the Chinese PLA Navy will put its aircraft carrier Liaoning on high sea trial this year.

Acquired as junk named Varyag from Ukraine, Liaoning— refurbished at the Dalian shipyard — is expected to acquire combat capability within two years.

As a first step towards formally acquiring Vikramaditya, 16 aircraft of Russian MiG-29 K fighters will be commissioned into the Indian Navy in Goa on May 11.

While this squadron of multi-role fighters will be christened 303 squadron, the navy will acquire another 29 aircraft for its second squadron.

The new aircraft carrier will be based at Karwar in Karnataka under the Western Naval Command and will give India the much needed long legs in the Indian Ocean region.

“The delivery of INS Vikramaditya figured in summit meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Delhi on December 24, 2012. We hope that high sea aviation and speed trials of INS Vikramaditya would be smooth,” said a defence ministry official.

With the first squadron of carrier-based fly-by-wire MiG-29 K fighters to be formally inducted into the navy next month, India is now keeping its fingers crossed on Russia delivering the 45,000-tonne INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier by 2013 end, after a delay of over five years.