Russian arms exports. October 2017 of the year
In October, the main news subjects related to the export of Russian arms did not cover the deliveries themselves, but about export issues. In particular, the discussion is still ongoing on the details and possibilities of fulfilling the contract for the supply of Turkey S-400 Triumph air defense systems. At the end of October, information appeared about new US sanctions against companies in the Russian defense industry that could complicate their lives. Also quite a heated discussion in the media was caused by an article by DefenseNews, which, citing senior Indian military officials, reported that Delhi could refuse to cooperate with Russia in the framework of a project to create a fifth-generation FGFA joint Indian-Russian fighter due to "backwardness technology. "
The Turkish side is seeking from Moscow the transfer of production technologies of ZRS C-400
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt авavusoglu in an interview with the local Aksam newspaper noted that Turkey could refuse to acquire C-400 air defense systems in Russia if the parties fail to reach an agreement on their joint release. The Foreign Minister noted that Turkey should urgently acquire C-400 to protect the country's airspace. “If countries opposed to the Russian Federation do not want Ankara to acquire C-400 complexes, they should present their options to us,” said Mevlüt авavuşoлуlu. In turn, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, noted that “contacts and negotiations at the expert level in the context of this transaction continue,” without becoming deeper into their details.
Recall that Moscow and Ankara signed a contract for the supply of four C-400 “Triumph” missile battalions with a total value of more than 2 billion dollars in September of 2017. Negotiations between the parties took place in a very short time, they were based solely on personal agreements between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (the sources involved in the deal said that it was "purely political in nature").
The newspaper "Kommersant" in the article "Make thereCites several sources working in the field of military-technical cooperation. They note that the words of the head of Mevlut Cavusoglu by Russian structures were regarded as an element of the political game. “We have concluded a major contract in which all the legal subtleties and obligations of each of the parties are recorded,” one of the newspaper’s interlocutors notes. “It’s just not possible to break an already signed contract.” He suggested that the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister are provoked history with the prospects of supplying the same anti-aircraft missile system of Saudi Arabia. Against the background of the information on the principal agreements on the supply of Saudi-friendly A-400 to the State Department, the State Department approved the deal with the Kingdom for the supply of the THAAD missile defense system (worth 15 billion dollars). “Probably, the Turks were waiting for a similar step. It turned out quite disappointing - they did not wait, ”the source of Kommersant noted. It is worth noting that earlier Vladimir Kozhin, who is an assistant to the Russian president on military-technical cooperation, said that Moscow had already received an advance payment (more than 100 million dollars according to expert estimates) for the supply of C-400. It is assumed that the supply of Ankara complexes may begin in two years.
Ankara does not have to seriously rely on technology transfer, not only because of the complexity of the deployment of production facilities, the lack of necessary highly qualified personnel and technology school, but also because the Russian special services are strongly opposed to providing access to the internal components of the system for the NATO member state. At the same time, the source of Kommersant in the MTC sphere noted that consultations between the countries will continue. “If Turkey wants to get localization, then it can get it: however, it will objectively be small - no more than 15 percent. Russia is unlikely to agree to a bigger one, ”he concluded.
New possible sanctions against Russian defense companies
At the end of October 2017, the administration of US President Donald Trump, under pressure from Congress, named a list of 39 Russian defense companies and intelligence agencies, cooperation with which could lead to company and government sanctions around the world. How seriously the US president will execute the new sanctions is still unknown. Based on the State Department’s instructions issued by 27 on October 2017 and the CAATSA Sanctions Act (“The Law on Counteracting America’s Enemies through Sanctions”), the Donald Trump government has the ability to deliver a real blow to the export of Russian weapons as well as to sabotage the use of tough restrictive measures .
Almost half of the newly published sanctions list is the state corporation Rostec, a monopolistic agent for the export of Russian weapons to the international market. The list is not exhaustive and in the future it can be expanded, representatives of the State Department told reporters about this at a special briefing on October 27. The new list of companies that have not yet been under any sanctions includes the United Aircraft Corporation (civilian and military aircraft), Tupolev PJSC (civilian and military aircraft), Sukhoi Holding (fighter aircraft), and MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation "(Combat aircraft), Tactical Missile Corporation (tactical guided missiles, aviation missiles), Federal Research and Production Center “Titan-Barricades” (equipment for missile systems, artillery weapons), RTI Sistema concern (radar equipment), Novator Experimental Design Bureau (development of rocket technology).
Threatening with possible sanctions to counterparties of Russian companies from the published list, the US authorities may disrupt the execution of contracts already concluded, as well as the conclusion of future deals, RBC journalists say in their article “Russian weapons at gunpoint: 10 questions about new US sanctions". According to experts of the Atlantic Council in the field of economic sanctions: “Putting these organizations on the sanctions list will increase the potential risk for any country and any company that has business relations with them, forcing them to make a choice: either do business with the United States or with these Russian structures ".
Transactions with persons involved in the new list, which so far contains 39 Russian companies and structures, are not generally prohibited, in addition to “substantial” transactions (the State Department will determine the “materiality” of transactions by some criteria that are unknown). Sanctions may be imposed against those who commit such “substantial” transactions with participants in the sanctions list. For such transactions made after 2 August 2017, companies around the world may face at least 5 of 12 possible types of sanctions, which, in particular, include restrictions on access to loans in US banks, a ban on the sale and purchase of real estate in the US , a ban on conducting transactions in US dollars, etc. If a certain company falls under the sanctions, then the company's management or its controlling shareholders may lose the opportunity to enter the United States.
As noted by Alan Kartashkin, a partner of the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton in Moscow, the above sanctions can be applied to any person, including Russian companies and domestic transactions that meet the criteria of “materiality”. It is somewhat similar to the Crimean embargo, which was imposed by former American President Barack Obama. For violation of this embargo (for this, it is simply enough to work on the territory of the peninsula), any company in the world may be on the sanctions list of the US Treasury, and its assets may be blocked. The threat also extends to companies from Russia, which is why most of the large Russian corporations (for example, Sberbank) are afraid to work in Crimea.
Russia is today the second largest exporter weapons in the world after the USA. Therefore, in Washington they can use new sanctions as a possible blow to the main competitor. American experts note that the US authorities will be able to exert pressure on third countries with the help of new sanctions in order to reduce purchases of Russian-made weapons and military equipment. At the same time, the State Department officially refutes this version. How everything will turn out in reality, only time will tell.
Rosoboronexport states that Russia and India will continue to work on the creation of a fifth-generation fighter
The fact that Russia and India will continue to work together to create a promising fifth-generation fighter (known as FGFA) was reported in late October by Rosoboronexport. The Russian company stressed that an intergovernmental Russian-Indian agreement is currently in force, and there are obligations under which a joint project to create a new fighter is being implemented by the parties according to agreed stages and deadlines. So in the Russian company responded to the material of the publication DefenseNews, which wrote about the refusal of India from further participation in the project to create FGFA. DefenseNews journalists referred to the report of the Indian Air Force Command. In particular, the journalists of the portal noted that this decision was allegedly based on the inconsistency of the program with the “technical requirements of India”. Among other things, there were accusations of low-tech new combat vehicle, greater than the American F-35 radar visibility, and the lack of a modular engine design, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of maintenance.
As noted by the newspaper "Kommersant" in the article "With India, trying to establish a contract”, An agreement to work together on the FGFA fighter was signed in 2007 year and was considered one of the main areas of cooperation between Russia and India within the framework of the Indian policy Make in India. It was assumed that Moscow, represented by Sukhoi, would provide its groundwork for a promising front-line aviation complex (PAK FA), and Delhi, represented by the local company Hindustan Aeronautics, would localize the production of the fighter at its industrial sites. At the same time, the matter didn’t move further, the parties have already been discussing the appearance of the future aircraft for 10 for years and are trying to agree on the financial parameters of the possible deal.
At the same time, the sources of Kommersant in the field of military-technical cooperation suggest that India is being “externally influenced”, the Americans with their fifth-generation fighter F-35 put pressure on HAL, but India itself is interested in cooperation with Russia both in terms of the supply of military equipment, and in terms of the localization of its production in the country. Another source of the publication, close to the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission, confirmed the fact of “unfair competition” in India: “They can never receive any localization from the states, we are ready to transfer our technologies. If they refuse, they will be guilty themselves, we will not lose anything from it. ”
It is expected that the issues of military-technical cooperation between the countries and industrial cooperation will be key during the visit of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to India, which, according to Kommersant, can take place as early as December 2017. At the same time, Rosoboronexport is confident in the strength of relations between Russia and India in the field of military-technical cooperation. As an example, they cite the reached agreements on the joint production of Ka-226 helicopters in India. The Ka-226T helicopter assembly is planned to be set up in Bangalore, the agreement signed by the parties assumes a deep localization of the production of the Russian helicopter in India, as well as the creation of the necessary capacities for its maintenance, repair and operation. Earlier, Dmitry Rogozin said that it is possible to increase the assembly of these helicopters to 200 units over 9 years, while the initial contract provides for the supply of 60 helicopters from Russia and another 140 assembly in India in a joint venture.
Russian Helicopters Made Two Mi-35M for Mali
Holding "Helicopters of Russia" in the framework of a previously signed contract with Mali on the line of "Rosoboronexport" produced and delivered to the customer two transport and combat helicopters Mi-35M. Helicopters and all equipment and property necessary for their operation were transferred to the customer. It should be noted that the contract for the supply of Mi-35M helicopters with Mali was not officially announced earlier. At the same time, in September 2016, a representative of Rosoboronexport, Yuri Demchenko, said that in 2016-17 Russia would continue to supply Mi-24 / 35 and Mi-8 / 17 helicopters to Angola, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan. The approximate cost of one Mi-35М export helicopter can be judged from the budget published by the Nigerian Ministry of Finance for the 2017 year, according to the document, the cost of one helicopter is approximately 17 million dollars.
As noted by press office of the Russian Helicopters holding company, the Mi-35M is the only universal combat helicopter in the world that is able to efficiently carry out enemy forces and assets to carry up to 1500 kg of ammunition or other cargo inside the cabin, as well as 2400 kg of cargo per external suspension, or up to 8 military personnel with weapons or technical personnel to autonomous basing sites, also a helicopter can be used to evacuate the wounded.
The holding's specialists emphasize that the firepower of the updated Crocodile is 140% higher than that of its main competitors in the market. The helicopter is almost a third as powerful as the power of a cannon and unguided rocket armament, which allows it to more effectively support ground troops on the battlefield. What is generally confirmed by Russia's leading position in the market of attack helicopters. In addition, transport and combat helicopters Mi-35М are able to take off and land both from concreted and ground platforms located at altitudes up to 4 thousand meters above sea level. The machine can be operated in the most severe climatic conditions in a wide range of temperatures from -50 ° С to + 50 ° С and air humidity to 98%. These characteristics are confirmed by the actual use of Mi-35M combat helicopters in Iraq, Syria and other hot spots around the world.
In Saudi Arabia will collect Kalashnikov assault rifles
Rosoboronexport JSC and the Saudi military-industrial company signed a contract that provides for the licensed production of Russian Kalashnikov AK-103 automatic rifles and cartridges for them for various purposes in Saudi Arabia. The document was signed by Alexander Mikheev, the general director of Rosoboronexport and Ahmad al-Khatyb, chairman of the board of directors of a Saudi military-industrial company, reports official site "Rostec". The agreement between the countries was signed in the framework of the state visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud to the Russian capital. During the visit, the monarch held an official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
It should be noted that in July 2017, Sergey Chemezov, who is the head of Rostec, in his interview with TASS said that Russia and Saudi Arabia signed a preliminary agreement in the sphere of military-technical cooperation between the countries totaling $ 3,5 billion. Chemezov also said that Saudi Arabia set the condition for opening production sites in the kingdom. “We think we can share. The simplest thing is to build an enterprise for the production of small arms, the same Kalashnikov, ”noted Sergey Chemezov in July.
The Turkish side is seeking from Moscow the transfer of production technologies of ZRS C-400
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt авavusoglu in an interview with the local Aksam newspaper noted that Turkey could refuse to acquire C-400 air defense systems in Russia if the parties fail to reach an agreement on their joint release. The Foreign Minister noted that Turkey should urgently acquire C-400 to protect the country's airspace. “If countries opposed to the Russian Federation do not want Ankara to acquire C-400 complexes, they should present their options to us,” said Mevlüt авavuşoлуlu. In turn, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Russian president, noted that “contacts and negotiations at the expert level in the context of this transaction continue,” without becoming deeper into their details.
Recall that Moscow and Ankara signed a contract for the supply of four C-400 “Triumph” missile battalions with a total value of more than 2 billion dollars in September of 2017. Negotiations between the parties took place in a very short time, they were based solely on personal agreements between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan (the sources involved in the deal said that it was "purely political in nature").
The newspaper "Kommersant" in the article "Make thereCites several sources working in the field of military-technical cooperation. They note that the words of the head of Mevlut Cavusoglu by Russian structures were regarded as an element of the political game. “We have concluded a major contract in which all the legal subtleties and obligations of each of the parties are recorded,” one of the newspaper’s interlocutors notes. “It’s just not possible to break an already signed contract.” He suggested that the statements of the Turkish Foreign Minister are provoked history with the prospects of supplying the same anti-aircraft missile system of Saudi Arabia. Against the background of the information on the principal agreements on the supply of Saudi-friendly A-400 to the State Department, the State Department approved the deal with the Kingdom for the supply of the THAAD missile defense system (worth 15 billion dollars). “Probably, the Turks were waiting for a similar step. It turned out quite disappointing - they did not wait, ”the source of Kommersant noted. It is worth noting that earlier Vladimir Kozhin, who is an assistant to the Russian president on military-technical cooperation, said that Moscow had already received an advance payment (more than 100 million dollars according to expert estimates) for the supply of C-400. It is assumed that the supply of Ankara complexes may begin in two years.
Ankara does not have to seriously rely on technology transfer, not only because of the complexity of the deployment of production facilities, the lack of necessary highly qualified personnel and technology school, but also because the Russian special services are strongly opposed to providing access to the internal components of the system for the NATO member state. At the same time, the source of Kommersant in the MTC sphere noted that consultations between the countries will continue. “If Turkey wants to get localization, then it can get it: however, it will objectively be small - no more than 15 percent. Russia is unlikely to agree to a bigger one, ”he concluded.
New possible sanctions against Russian defense companies
At the end of October 2017, the administration of US President Donald Trump, under pressure from Congress, named a list of 39 Russian defense companies and intelligence agencies, cooperation with which could lead to company and government sanctions around the world. How seriously the US president will execute the new sanctions is still unknown. Based on the State Department’s instructions issued by 27 on October 2017 and the CAATSA Sanctions Act (“The Law on Counteracting America’s Enemies through Sanctions”), the Donald Trump government has the ability to deliver a real blow to the export of Russian weapons as well as to sabotage the use of tough restrictive measures .
Almost half of the newly published sanctions list is the state corporation Rostec, a monopolistic agent for the export of Russian weapons to the international market. The list is not exhaustive and in the future it can be expanded, representatives of the State Department told reporters about this at a special briefing on October 27. The new list of companies that have not yet been under any sanctions includes the United Aircraft Corporation (civilian and military aircraft), Tupolev PJSC (civilian and military aircraft), Sukhoi Holding (fighter aircraft), and MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation "(Combat aircraft), Tactical Missile Corporation (tactical guided missiles, aviation missiles), Federal Research and Production Center “Titan-Barricades” (equipment for missile systems, artillery weapons), RTI Sistema concern (radar equipment), Novator Experimental Design Bureau (development of rocket technology).
Threatening with possible sanctions to counterparties of Russian companies from the published list, the US authorities may disrupt the execution of contracts already concluded, as well as the conclusion of future deals, RBC journalists say in their article “Russian weapons at gunpoint: 10 questions about new US sanctions". According to experts of the Atlantic Council in the field of economic sanctions: “Putting these organizations on the sanctions list will increase the potential risk for any country and any company that has business relations with them, forcing them to make a choice: either do business with the United States or with these Russian structures ".
Transactions with persons involved in the new list, which so far contains 39 Russian companies and structures, are not generally prohibited, in addition to “substantial” transactions (the State Department will determine the “materiality” of transactions by some criteria that are unknown). Sanctions may be imposed against those who commit such “substantial” transactions with participants in the sanctions list. For such transactions made after 2 August 2017, companies around the world may face at least 5 of 12 possible types of sanctions, which, in particular, include restrictions on access to loans in US banks, a ban on the sale and purchase of real estate in the US , a ban on conducting transactions in US dollars, etc. If a certain company falls under the sanctions, then the company's management or its controlling shareholders may lose the opportunity to enter the United States.
As noted by Alan Kartashkin, a partner of the international law firm Debevoise & Plimpton in Moscow, the above sanctions can be applied to any person, including Russian companies and domestic transactions that meet the criteria of “materiality”. It is somewhat similar to the Crimean embargo, which was imposed by former American President Barack Obama. For violation of this embargo (for this, it is simply enough to work on the territory of the peninsula), any company in the world may be on the sanctions list of the US Treasury, and its assets may be blocked. The threat also extends to companies from Russia, which is why most of the large Russian corporations (for example, Sberbank) are afraid to work in Crimea.
Russia is today the second largest exporter weapons in the world after the USA. Therefore, in Washington they can use new sanctions as a possible blow to the main competitor. American experts note that the US authorities will be able to exert pressure on third countries with the help of new sanctions in order to reduce purchases of Russian-made weapons and military equipment. At the same time, the State Department officially refutes this version. How everything will turn out in reality, only time will tell.
Rosoboronexport states that Russia and India will continue to work on the creation of a fifth-generation fighter
The fact that Russia and India will continue to work together to create a promising fifth-generation fighter (known as FGFA) was reported in late October by Rosoboronexport. The Russian company stressed that an intergovernmental Russian-Indian agreement is currently in force, and there are obligations under which a joint project to create a new fighter is being implemented by the parties according to agreed stages and deadlines. So in the Russian company responded to the material of the publication DefenseNews, which wrote about the refusal of India from further participation in the project to create FGFA. DefenseNews journalists referred to the report of the Indian Air Force Command. In particular, the journalists of the portal noted that this decision was allegedly based on the inconsistency of the program with the “technical requirements of India”. Among other things, there were accusations of low-tech new combat vehicle, greater than the American F-35 radar visibility, and the lack of a modular engine design, which will lead to a significant increase in the cost of maintenance.
As noted by the newspaper "Kommersant" in the article "With India, trying to establish a contract”, An agreement to work together on the FGFA fighter was signed in 2007 year and was considered one of the main areas of cooperation between Russia and India within the framework of the Indian policy Make in India. It was assumed that Moscow, represented by Sukhoi, would provide its groundwork for a promising front-line aviation complex (PAK FA), and Delhi, represented by the local company Hindustan Aeronautics, would localize the production of the fighter at its industrial sites. At the same time, the matter didn’t move further, the parties have already been discussing the appearance of the future aircraft for 10 for years and are trying to agree on the financial parameters of the possible deal.
Su-57 (formerly PAK FA), on the basis of which it is planned to create FGFA, photo vitalykuzmin.net
At the same time, the sources of Kommersant in the field of military-technical cooperation suggest that India is being “externally influenced”, the Americans with their fifth-generation fighter F-35 put pressure on HAL, but India itself is interested in cooperation with Russia both in terms of the supply of military equipment, and in terms of the localization of its production in the country. Another source of the publication, close to the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission, confirmed the fact of “unfair competition” in India: “They can never receive any localization from the states, we are ready to transfer our technologies. If they refuse, they will be guilty themselves, we will not lose anything from it. ”
It is expected that the issues of military-technical cooperation between the countries and industrial cooperation will be key during the visit of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin to India, which, according to Kommersant, can take place as early as December 2017. At the same time, Rosoboronexport is confident in the strength of relations between Russia and India in the field of military-technical cooperation. As an example, they cite the reached agreements on the joint production of Ka-226 helicopters in India. The Ka-226T helicopter assembly is planned to be set up in Bangalore, the agreement signed by the parties assumes a deep localization of the production of the Russian helicopter in India, as well as the creation of the necessary capacities for its maintenance, repair and operation. Earlier, Dmitry Rogozin said that it is possible to increase the assembly of these helicopters to 200 units over 9 years, while the initial contract provides for the supply of 60 helicopters from Russia and another 140 assembly in India in a joint venture.
Russian Helicopters Made Two Mi-35M for Mali
Holding "Helicopters of Russia" in the framework of a previously signed contract with Mali on the line of "Rosoboronexport" produced and delivered to the customer two transport and combat helicopters Mi-35M. Helicopters and all equipment and property necessary for their operation were transferred to the customer. It should be noted that the contract for the supply of Mi-35M helicopters with Mali was not officially announced earlier. At the same time, in September 2016, a representative of Rosoboronexport, Yuri Demchenko, said that in 2016-17 Russia would continue to supply Mi-24 / 35 and Mi-8 / 17 helicopters to Angola, Mali, Nigeria and Sudan. The approximate cost of one Mi-35М export helicopter can be judged from the budget published by the Nigerian Ministry of Finance for the 2017 year, according to the document, the cost of one helicopter is approximately 17 million dollars.
The first Mi-35М helicopter built at Rostvertol, for the Mali Air Force. Rostov-on-Don, March 2017 of the year (c) Mikhail Mizikayev
As noted by press office of the Russian Helicopters holding company, the Mi-35M is the only universal combat helicopter in the world that is able to efficiently carry out enemy forces and assets to carry up to 1500 kg of ammunition or other cargo inside the cabin, as well as 2400 kg of cargo per external suspension, or up to 8 military personnel with weapons or technical personnel to autonomous basing sites, also a helicopter can be used to evacuate the wounded.
The holding's specialists emphasize that the firepower of the updated Crocodile is 140% higher than that of its main competitors in the market. The helicopter is almost a third as powerful as the power of a cannon and unguided rocket armament, which allows it to more effectively support ground troops on the battlefield. What is generally confirmed by Russia's leading position in the market of attack helicopters. In addition, transport and combat helicopters Mi-35М are able to take off and land both from concreted and ground platforms located at altitudes up to 4 thousand meters above sea level. The machine can be operated in the most severe climatic conditions in a wide range of temperatures from -50 ° С to + 50 ° С and air humidity to 98%. These characteristics are confirmed by the actual use of Mi-35M combat helicopters in Iraq, Syria and other hot spots around the world.
In Saudi Arabia will collect Kalashnikov assault rifles
Rosoboronexport JSC and the Saudi military-industrial company signed a contract that provides for the licensed production of Russian Kalashnikov AK-103 automatic rifles and cartridges for them for various purposes in Saudi Arabia. The document was signed by Alexander Mikheev, the general director of Rosoboronexport and Ahmad al-Khatyb, chairman of the board of directors of a Saudi military-industrial company, reports official site "Rostec". The agreement between the countries was signed in the framework of the state visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud to the Russian capital. During the visit, the monarch held an official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
Automatic AK-103, kalashnikov.com
It should be noted that in July 2017, Sergey Chemezov, who is the head of Rostec, in his interview with TASS said that Russia and Saudi Arabia signed a preliminary agreement in the sphere of military-technical cooperation between the countries totaling $ 3,5 billion. Chemezov also said that Saudi Arabia set the condition for opening production sites in the kingdom. “We think we can share. The simplest thing is to build an enterprise for the production of small arms, the same Kalashnikov, ”noted Sergey Chemezov in July.
Information