In February, news appeared in the Russian press about the impending deliveries of Russian weapons. In particular, Indonesia may become the second export customer of the Russian multifunctional Su-35 fighters after China, information about this was spread by the Kommersant publication. And the ocean patrol ship of the project "Cheetah 5.1", which is produced at the Zelenodolsk shipyard, liked Sri Lanka. Information was also made public about the signing of a major contract for the supply of T-90MS tanks to the Middle East.
Signed a major contract for the supply of T-90MS tanks to the Middle East
In February 2017, information appeared that Russia had signed a major contract for the supply of T-90MS main battle tanks to one of the countries of the Middle East; in the near future it is planned to sign a similar contract with another foreign customer. This is reported by TASS with reference to Denis Manturov, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. “In December 2016, a major contract was signed with one of the countries of the Middle East. It is planned to sign another contract for this type of product in the near future, said Denis Manturov during the international exhibition of arms and military equipment IDEX-2017, while the official did not specify which Middle Eastern country he was talking about.
At the same time, according to Manturov, the T-90MS tank has been tested for two years in a number of Middle Eastern countries. Earlier, Alexei Frolkin, deputy director of the FSMTC of Russia, told TASS reporters that our country was negotiating with a number of countries in the Middle East on the supply of the T-90MS main battle tank. Also, the general director of Uralvagonzavod, Oleg Sienko, said that the T-90MS tank has great prospects in this region. According to him, the new Russian tank was successfully tested in Kuwait.
Uralvagonzavod calls the T-90MS the main battle tank of the new generation. For the first time, steering wheel control was implemented on this Russian tank, and an automatic gear shifting system appeared with the ability to switch to manual control. This makes it possible to reduce the physical load on the driver, increase the acceleration characteristics and reduce the fuel consumption of the combat vehicle. To enhance the maneuverability and mobility of the tank, a combined night vision device of the driver with optical, TPV and TV observation channels was placed on it.
The combat tower module of the improved tank is manned, it contains two of the three crew members - the tank commander and the gunner. The module is equipped with a highly automated weapons control complex, which provides performance exceeding those achieved on the world's best armored vehicles in terms of effective firing range, shot preparation time, range of detection and recognition of targets at night, according to the official website of Uralvagonzavod. Plasma devices located in the turret and a panoramic sight guarantee the tank commander a good all-round view. And the presence of a circular video surveillance system provides the same opportunity for the gunner of a combat vehicle.
Among the main advantages of this tank, Andrey Frolov, editor-in-chief of the "Export of Arms" magazine, highlights mobility, maneuverability, reliability and maintainability. Of great importance is the fact that the basic modification of the T-90 has already been used in real combat, and the new version of the T-90MS has increased security compared to it. Also, some customers consider the automatic loader a plus, although there are those who criticize it. But as practice and experience of recent military operations show, tanks explode both with and without an automatic loader.
Indonesia may become the second foreign customer of the Su-35 fighter
The demand for Russian weapons is growing against the backdrop of a generally successful operation in Syria. Foreign customers show particular interest in Russian aviation equipment, since the Russian Aerospace Forces are most actively involved in the fight against terrorism. Sergei Chemezov, the general director of the Rostec state corporation, previously spoke about the availability of applications for front-line bombers Su-34 and multipurpose super-maneuverable fighters Su-35. At the same time, he did not disclose specific customers, however, he noted that he was glad that real contracts had gone, and not just applications, since the path from interest to a firm agreement could take years.
Viktor Kladov, who holds the post of Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy of the Rostec State Corporation, noted that a contract for the supply of the latest Russian Su-35 fighters to Indonesia is planned to be signed in the very near future, Kommersant writes about this. “I think that in the coming months a contract with Indonesia should be signed,” TASS quoted Kladov as saying. Thus, Indonesia will become the second foreign customer after China to receive the Russian multifunctional Su-35 fighter. Earlier, Beijing bought 24 fighters of this type from Russia, the deal amounted to $ 2.5 billion. The PRC will receive the first 10 aircraft under this contract in 2017.
Indonesia's interest in the Russian Su-35 multipurpose fighter was known before. In particular, the media reported that the country is ready to purchase from 8 to 10 aircraft of this type. Currently, Russian weapons are widely used in Indonesia. The country's Air Force operates Russian-made Su-27 and Su-30 fighters. It is assumed that the new Su-35 fighters will have to help update the Indonesian Air Force fleet, which will completely abandon the obsolete American F-5 Tiger fighters, which have been used by the Indonesian military since 1980.
Sri Lanka plans to purchase an ocean-going patrol ship of the "Cheetah 5.1" project
The Gepard 3.9 patrol ship, already run in by the military sailors of Russia and Vietnam, is gradually gaining prestige on the international arms market, in particular in the Asian region. According to Realnoe Vremya, Zelenodolsk Plant named after A. M. Gorky and Rosoboronexport are completing two-year negotiations with the Sri Lankan Navy for the supply of one Gepard 5.1 patrol ship. And although this is only one combat vessel, this contract will reinforce interest in the Russian ship in other Southeast Asian countries: Bangladesh, Bahrain, Myanmar and Malaysia.
Project 11661 "Cheetah 3.9", photo: oaoosk.ru
“Currently, close negotiations are being completed on the construction of Cheetah 5.1 for Sri Lanka: it will be an ocean-going patrol ship developed by ZPKB on the basis of the classic frigate of the Cheetah 3.9 project,” Renat Mistakhov, General Director of Zelenodolsk Plant, told Realnoe Vremya named after A. M. Gorky. - It will differ from classic frigates in the layout of the superstructure: instead of the Kalibr-M missile system, the ship will be equipped with artillery weapons, as well as a take-off platform with a hangar for a helicopter. It is expected that in the first half of 2017, Rosoboronexport and we, as a manufacturer, will sign a contract for the supply of one ship,”Renat Mistakhov noted, not being ahead of time to name the cost and likely deadlines for the delivery of military equipment for the Sri Lankan Navy. However, if we proceed from the practice of executing similar export contracts, the construction of one ship of this type takes almost two years, and the base cost is at least $ 150-200 million.
Earlier, Mistakhov said that within the framework of the received terms of reference, the enterprise formed the price of the ship, which is being considered in Sri Lanka. In the version of the ocean patrol ship "Cheetah" will be a little simpler than those already supplied to the Vietnamese Navy. It will not be a rocket ship, its main armament will be artillery, and short-range air defense systems will also be present. During active operations in Syria, the leadership of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Sri Lanka, most likely, finally inclined towards the acquisition of a Russian warship.
India received another batch of Mango tank ammunition in February
In mid-February 2017, the Tekhmash concern, which is part of the Rostec state corporation, reported on the successful fulfillment of the contract for the supply of Mango tank rounds to India. By agreement between the countries, the transfer of tank ammunition is carried out in two stages. India received the first batch in 2016, deliveries of the second batch of shots were scheduled for February 2017.
The contract for the supply to India of a large batch of Mango rounds intended for T-90S tanks was signed by the Tekhmash concern together with Rosoboronexport JSC in 2014. "Mango" is a feathered armor-piercing sabot projectile for tank guns of 125-mm caliber. Work on the "Mango" theme began in 1983, and in 1986 this ammunition was put into service. The 125-mm round ZVBM17 with the ZBM42 armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile is intended for firing at modern modernized tanks with combined armor. It can be used to combat various armored vehicles, not only tanks, but also self-propelled artillery mounts, as well as other armored targets. The projectile is the development of "NIMI im. VV Bakhirev ". This OBPS is positioned as a projectile of increased power. Today it is the most modern ammunition of this type offered for export by Russia.
“The fulfillment of such a large-scale contract is a significant event for the entire international arms market, as well as additional evidence of the growing role of Russian manufacturers in the ammunition industry,” said Vyacheslav Gorchakov, who holds the post of General Director of JSC NIMI im. V. V. Bakhirev ". “The high quality of our products, as well as stable relationships with foreign customers, allow us to count on further growth in sales. Taking into account the scale of the growing Indian arms market, Techmash is interested in developing bilateral cooperation between our states. Moreover, the concern is currently transferring a license to India for the production of tank rounds, "said General Director of the Tekhmash Concern Sergei Rusakov.
Myanmar received the first three Yak-130 combat trainers under the 2015 contract
According to the Russian military blog bmpd with reference to the thematic Algerian information resource MenaDefense (article Le Myanmar reçoit ses trois premiers Yak 130), the Myanmar Air Force has officially received the first three Yak-130 combat training jets from the Russian Federation. They made their first flights at the end of 2016. The official ceremony for the commissioning of the Myanmar Air Force new aircraft (tail numbers 1801, 1802 and 1803) was held in February 2017. According to the Algerian resource, the number of aircraft ordered in Russia is unknown, but in June 2015, the first contract for three combat training vehicles was signed.
A publicly unannounced contract for the supply of the Myanmar Air Force with an unnamed number of Russian jet training aircraft Yak-130 (according to bmpd, we are talking about 16 aircraft) was signed by JSC "Rosoboronexport" on June 22, 2015. In April 2016, information appeared that the Irkut corporation would have to deliver the first three aircraft to Myanmar within the framework of an earlier concluded contract between the countries.
Thus, Myanmar has become the fourth country, apart from Russia, to receive Yak-130 aircraft. Earlier, contracts for the supply of this aircraft were signed with Algeria (16 aircraft), Bangladesh (16 aircraft) and Belarus (8 aircraft). It is known that the first combat training Yak-130, intended for the Myanmar Air Force, performed its first flight in Irkutsk on November 17 last year. The serial number of the machine is 130.12.03-0101. This aircraft became the 17th Yak-130 built at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in 2016 and at the same time the 130th Yak-130 serial combat training aircraft assembled in Russia as a whole.
Greece signed a contract to support previously purchased Russian air defense systems
According to Greek information resources, on February 7, 2016, the Greek Ministry of Defense signed a contract with Rosoboronexport with a total value of 16.6 million euros for service and technical support, as well as the supply of spare parts for the Russian-made anti-aircraft missile systems in service with the Greek army. We are talking about the 9K33M2 / M3 (Osa-AK / AKM), 9K331 Tor-M1 and S-300PMU1 complexes, which are in service with the ground forces and the Greek Air Force. The signed contract is for 3 years (2017-2019).
Fighting vehicle 9A331-1 anti-aircraft missile system 9K331 "Tor-M1" of the Greek army
It is reported that the allocation of funds for these purposes was sanctioned by the Greek parliament in the fall of 2013, but in fact the money was allocated only now. In addition, the signing of relevant contracts with Russia was hampered by Greek bureaucratic problems and "personnel leapfrog" in the Greek Ministry of Defense.
According to the bmpd blog, the Greek armed forces currently have 13 9A33BM2 combat vehicles of the 9K33M2 Osa-AK complex (purchased in 1993 in Germany from the former GDR army), 16 9A33BM3 combat vehicles of the 9K33M3 Osa-AKM complex (were received from the Russian Federation under the 1998 contract), 25 9A331-1 combat vehicles of the 9K331 "Tor-M1" complex (received from the Russian Federation under contracts in 1998 and 2000), as well as two divisions of the S-300PMU1 air defense systems (originally purchased by Cyprus for contract in 1997, but eventually the Greek Air Force was deployed). It is curious that the Greek Defense Ministry's contract with Rosoboronexport may be a violation of the anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the EU.
