The export of oil, gas and metals cannot fully cover the budget deficit of the Russian state. Moscow aims to become the world's largest arms exporter, challenging three of its biggest competitors: the United States, Germany and China. In 2010, the state monopoly Rosoboronexport, which controls the export of arms and military equipment, hopes to record a record volume of deals that is likely to exceed $ 10 billion.
At present, Russia exports several thousand different types of weapons to 80 countries of the world, while the volume of sales "on average increases by $ 500-600 million per year," Anatoly Isaikin, director of Rosoboronexport, told reporters, according to which Russian manufacturers each a year from 1000 to 1700 contracts are concluded for the export of weapons, ammunition and military equipment.
The growth of arms exports from Russia has been going on for 11 years. At the moment, combat aircraft are among the Russian-made military products that are in the greatest demand on the world market. Their implementation accounts for approximately 50% of the sales of all weapons. The two multipurpose fighters most popular among foreign consumers are the SU-30 and MiG-29 aircraft. Russia sells these types of fighters to China, India, Algeria, Venezuela, Malaysia, Indonesia and some other countries of the world.
The export from Russia of Yak-130 combat training aircraft, developed by the Yakovlev Design Bureau together with the Italian company Aermacchi, is increasing: in 2010, six aircraft of this type were delivered to Libya. In Russia, Yak-130 aircraft are assembled at the Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod, and aircraft manufactured in Italy are manufactured under the Aem-130 brand.
In second place in the list of Russian military-industrial products most in demand abroad are anti-aircraft missiles, including the S-300 surface-to-air missiles and the Pantsir-S1 self-propelled anti-aircraft missile and gun system. Last month, the Kremlin met the "insistence" of the United States of America and the European Union by canceling a contract to supply Iran with S-300 surface-to-air missile systems, which, among other things, could be deployed to protect the Bushehr nuclear power plant built in Iran by Russian specialists.
Rounding out the list are light weapons for ground forces, and first of all, various models of Kalashnikov assault rifles and the defense systems of the navy.
Despite the financial crisis, Russian military exports are growing from year to year: in 2009, sales reached $ 8.8 billion. This happened thanks to orders from two of the most important clients of the Russian defense industry: India and China. In addition to combat aircraft and helicopters, New Delhi imports submarines from Russia, including the nuclear submarine Nerpa (NATO-classified Akula-2) worth $ 750 million and the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov worth $ 2.4 billion.
Meanwhile, tensions have recently escalated in relations between Moscow and Beijing, which, without official permission, produces and resells to third countries copies of Russian weapons and military equipment, including fighters, artillery systems, ammunition and the famous Kalashnikov assault rifles.
