OREANDA-NEWS. February 19, 2010. The Defexpo India International Exhibition is the major venue for arms exporters in the Asian Pacific Rim. The exhibition takes place biennially in New Delhi under the auspices of the Indian Ministry of Defence and Confederation of Indian Industry. This year’s exhibition is organised by the Defence Exhibition Organization of the Indian Ministry of Defence.

Since the first Defexpo in 2000 Russian defence enterprises have always been participating in these displays of land and naval defence systems, offering the best products of the Russian defence industry.

Years of strategic partnership

Russia is a long-standing dependable strategic partner of India. The history of military technical cooperation between the two countries starts in November 1964 when the first agreement on the delivery of the MiG-21 aircraft to India was signed, later on followed by light tanks and helicopters. For a long period of time India has been taking up almost one third of the Russian arms exports. As a result, arsenals of the Indian military services have been up to 70% complete with Soviet/Russian-origin weapons. Total amount of the Russian military sales for the entire period of the military technical cooperation between the two countries has reached 50 billion US dollars.

Since then our countries have been constantly strengthening their strategic partnership, developing new forms and directions of mutually advantageous cooperation. Even though India is now actively diversifying its arms acquisitions, it still remains Russia’s major strategic partner. In fact, during the last three years our country has won 75% of all finalised Indian tenders.

Among major projects being implemented these days, one can find the T-90S tank and Su-30MKI aircraft licensed production, and delivery to the Indian Air Force of the Mi-17 type military transport helicopters. Russian enterprises are implementing the Indian orders on delivery of the MiG-29K/KUB ship-based fighters and Ka-31 radar picket helicopters.

The Russian-Indian Military Technical Cooperation Programme in 2001-2010 is nearing its completion. The new Military Technical Cooperation Programme for the period of up to 2020 has been signed during the recent visit to Moscow of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. No similar document has been signed yet by India with any other major arms exporter.

In recent years the new trend becomes more and more pronounced, showing increased participation of the Indian industry in the development and production of Russian military equipment procured for the Indian Army and Navy. Our bilateral cooperation is now transitioning to a qualitatively new level:  from deliveries to India of Russian finished military-purpose products to joint research and development, Russian-origin technology transfers and organisation of licensed production in India.  This answers strategic interests of both states.

“Confidence is the major factor in our relations with India, - says Victor Komardin, the deputy director general of the Rosoboronexport federal state unitary enterprise and head of its delegation at the Defexpo India 2010 exhibition. Despite the exacerbated competition we maintain traditions of trusted and mutually advantageous cooperation by offering the best Russian-made weapons and defence equipment to our Indian partners. This year’s exhibition in New Delhi will be another proof of it.”

Naval systems

Currently Rosoboronexport is offering to foreign customers over 50 projects of combatants, submarines and boats: from missile destroyers to patrol vessels to midget submarines.

Last year naval systems accounted for 14% of all Rosoboronexport’s foreign sales. At present naval systems are taking up a substantial share of the export orders amounting to more than 6 billion US dollars.

At Defexpo India 2010, Rosoboronexport promotes Project Amur 1650 up-to-date submarine. This is a new generation submarine having vast export potential.  The submarine can operate in all regions of the world ocean, and deliver missile attacks against underwater, surface and land-based targets.  It passes final testing in Russia and is planned for commissioning soon. This submarine features many types of its weapon systems and technologies that have proved their worth in operations on the latest modifications of the Kilo-class submarines.

Naval specialists will be able to get detailed information on Project 11356 frigate popular among importers. The ship’s design incorporates leading-edge technologies proven in operations onboard Russian Navy’s ships. Its diverse modern weapon systems include the Club-N antiship missile system with 8 missiles in vertical launchers, 100-mm A-190E versatile artillery mount, short- and medium-range air defence missile systems, as well as antisubmarine and electronic warfare systems, Ka-28 and Ka-31 shipborne helicopters. The frigate is distinguished by high speed, excellent sea-going qualities, powerful two-shaft gas-turbine main machinery, and stealth design features.

Project 20382 corvette is an effective means of fighting with submarines, surface ships, and air attack systems. Its hull is designed on stealth technology principles.   The corvette is well armed for carrying out assigned operational tasks. Similar Project 20380 Steregushchiy ship has been recently built on the Russian Navy’s order, entered into service and used in combat duty missions.

Project 21632 Tornado missile/artillery boat can operate autonomously or within a naval task force, successfully countering enemy surface ships. It is especially well suited for patrolling the maritime state border and exclusive economic zone, escorting and protecting convoys. The project’s platform has been taken as a basis for the design of a ground forces fire support ship and a patrol vessel, both featuring effective and powerful ship-based weapons and up-to-date equipment.

Project 12200 Sobol and Project 12150 Mangust patrol boats represent a series of well-armed fast attack craft enjoying equally good export prospects.

Russian naval systems also include a wide range of coastal integrated underwater, surface and airspace surveillance systems. These systems can be adapted to interact with existing customer sensors, integrating them into a single system with multi-level command and control posts. The Podsolnukh-E over-the-horizon radar is a unique element of such coastal situation awareness system. It provides sea-surface and airspace surveillance in a +120°-wide sector within a range of up to 450 km.

Army weapons and equipment

 Russia’s arms exports for Land Forces and Air Defence are characterised by the following figures: Land Forces come second with 19.7% (after Air Force) and Air Defence is fourth  with 13.3% (after Navy).

The Rosoboronexport’s exposition showcases a wide nomenclature of defence export products intended for land forces employment taking due account of potential customers’ requirements.

The BTR-80 and BTR-80A armoured personnel carriers are designed to transport troops and provide fire support to motorised infantry units.  The vehicles can be employed both by land and marine forces.

It makes no doubts that specialists and guests to the exhibition will be attracted to the upgraded BMP-3M highly manoeuvrable infantry combat vehicle. It is armed with the 100-mm smoothbore gun/missile launcher, 30-mm automatic cannon and 7.62-mm machine gun integrated in a single weapons module.

Visitors also will be able to familiarise themselves with the T-90S missile/gun main battle tank which features small dimensions, reduced weight and low observable profile, as well as advanced gun/missile launcher armament, active and reactive armour protection. The T-90S is considered to be one of the world’s best tanks to date.

Land forces’ artillery systems will be traditionally represented by promotional materials on multiple rocket launch systems, upgraded self-propelled guns and howitzers, antitank guided weapons, reconnaissance and combat control systems.

The Rosoboronexport’s exposition secures a prominent space for multiple rocket launch systems and a wide range of projectiles for them.  These systems are in great demand in many regions over the world as a powerful and highly effective means capable of suppressing enemy forces and assets at a range of 20 to 90 km.   The exposition features the 9A52-4 Smerch multiple rocket launch system mounted on the Kamaz truck with the removable or fixed containers. Its combat vehicle is equipped with the automated fire control and guidance system (ASUNO), as well as air conditioning system.

The exposition contains promotional materials on self-propelled and towed artillery systems, including the 152-mm Msta-S self-propelled howitzer coupled with the automated fire control and guidance system, 120-mm Nona-M1 mortar, and others.

Military specialists will have the opportunity to see a plethora of general-purpose and close-combat infantry weapons, such as well-known types of grenade launchers (hand-held RPG-7V1 and RPG-27, automatic AGS-30), machine guns (Pecheneg, PKM, RPK, and others), PDM-A Shmel-M new-generation flame throwers, SVD and SVDS sniper rifles, and, of course, Kalashnikov assault rifles of the so called hundredth series, namely AK-101, AK-102, AK-103, AK-104.

Air defence experts will be attracted to the upgraded Pechora-2M air defence missile system (ADMS). The upgrade has its technical and tactical characteristics notably improved, and enjoys some entirely new capabilities. The system’s engagement envelope has been substantially extended (up to 32 km - in range) and target kill effectiveness increased by replacing vintage components and signal processors with new up-to-date analogues and improving ballistic flight characteristics of the surface-to-air guided missile. The “Pechora-2M” ADMS upgrading programme aims at extending the system’s service life up to 15 years at least.

In the family of famous air defence weapon systems having high export capacities one will find the Buk-M2E multi-channel medium-range and Tor-M2E short-range air defence missile systems.  The two weapon systems are designed to defend vital administrative, military and industrial installations against enemy air attacks, including those with precision-guided munitions, in most demanding operational environment.

“During Defexpo India 2010 we are going to meet and have discussions with our traditional foreign partners in military technical cooperation, as well as with new potential customers willing to buy Russian-made weapons and military equipment”, noted Victor Komardin. - We are confident that this display of weapons and military equipment for Land Forces and Navy will open up a new phase of Russia’s mutually advantageous cooperation with India and other states in the region.”

You are welcome to the Russian Exposition at the DEFEXPO INDIA 2010 International Exhibition! Visit us in Hall 18 (second floor) at Stand U18.40 where you can obtain all available information on Russian-made land and sea combat systems offered for export.