Arms export from Russia reaches about USD14 billions for 2016 TASS 12012161

Defence & Security News - Russia
 
Arms export from Russia reaches about USD14 billions for 2016.
Russia has sold defense hardware to the tune of about USD14 billions in 2016, several contracts are being implemented, according to the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation for Military-Technical Cooperation, Vladimir Kozhin.
     
Russia has sold defense hardware to the tune of about USD14 billion in 2016, several contracts are being implemented, according to the Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation for Military-Technical Cooperation, Vladimir Kozhin. Global view of the International Technical Military Forum 2015 near Moscow, Russia.
     
"The consolidated volume of the [arms] export is about USD14 billions. However, the year is not finished yet, large contracts are being fulfilled," he said at the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation`s Golden Idea awards ceremony.

Kozhin emphasized that 2016 year was a successful one for Russia in terms of military-technical cooperation. "Last year, when we were discussing the plans for 2016, it was pointed out that it [2016] would be a difficult one. Such a suggestion had ample grounds, including sanctions that influenced almost all players on the global arms market and the actions of our false partners, sometimes concealed, but sometimes tough and of no principles, [ranging] from pressure over our partners and heads of countries to the blocking of accounts and [financial] transactions for the delivered hardware," he added.

The official pointed out that there is no point in the waiting of the sanctions cancellation in 2017. "If we speak about 2017, we should not suggest that the sanctions will be lifted and we will work in comfortable conditions," he added.

According to Kozhin, Russia supposs the growth of the arms export in the years to come. The committee of FSMTC has analyzed the mid- and long-term perspectives of the arms market and concluded that the growth of arms production and trade volumes will take place in the next five years. "And we suppose that the export will grow. However, it will not be automatically, we will have to compete for it," the official said.

Kozhin added that the Russian arms export does not seem to decline in the next two years. He mentioned Germany and France as the Russia`s main competitors in this area.

Previously, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin said that Russia held the backlog of foreign arms orders at the level of over USD50 billions.