ROSOBORONEXPORT to attend Africa Aerospace and Defence 2008
The Africa Aerospace and Defence 2008 (AAD) international arms show will be held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Cape Town, South Africa, from 17 until 21 September, 2008. A scientific conference will be convened within the framework of AAD 2008.
The AAD show, held once every two years, has established a reputation of Africa’s largest aerospace, defence, military, and dual-purpose product exhibition. This is proved by the results of the last show, AAD 2006, which saw participation of over 430 companies from Australia, Belgium, the UK, Germany, India, Spain, Italy, Canada, Malaysia, Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, the USA, Ukraine, France, and other states.
It is the fifth time Russia has taken part in the AAD show. The Rosoboronexport State Corporation is the traditional sponsor of the Russian exposition, displaying a wide range of products, manufactured by the Russian defence industry. The Rosoboronexport delegation is headed by Sergei Svechnikov, a Rosoboronexport department head.
The Russian exhibition is based on the most promising trends of defence cooperation between Russia and South African, as well as other African countries. Russian defence manufacturers will display in excess of 250 items of arms and materiel in the form of mock-ups, models, posters, digital presentations, video clips, and advertising booklets.
Russian arms are in demand in the African market at the present time. The most popular types are aircraft, armour, artillery systems, air defence systems, integrated littoral area monitoring systems, and simulators for various types of hardware.
There is a considerable market demand for upgrading Russian-made helicopters, delivered to Africa earlier. A total of over 700 rotary-wing aircraft, including about 150 Mi-24/35 attack helicopters, have been delivered to Africa over time. Comprehensive modernisation programmes, offered to foreign customers, are based on the block structure approach. They envision adapting helicopter lighting equipment for night vision goggles (NVG), mounting new power plants and main rotors to improve helicopter flight characteristics, and fitting helicopters with state-of-the-art armament and avionics, enabling them to operate by day and night. Rosoboronexport says that its ready to establish maintenance centers or carry out upgrades in African territory.
In addition to that, Rosoboronexport is offering to overhaul and upgrade Russian-made arms like MiG-23, MiG-27, MiG-29, and Su-24 aircraft; T-72, T-55, and T-62 MBTs, BTR-60, BRDM-2 APCs, BMP-2 IFVs, Akatsiya and Gvozdika self-propelled gun systems, Grad and Smerch MRLS, RPG-7 rocket launchers, and Mashina automated control systems; S-125 Pechora air defence systems, S-60 (mounting surface-to-air versions of the RVV-AE missile) and ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, and P-18 and P-19 radars; Project 1234E and 1159T vessels, and Project 877EKM submarines
The integrated shore monitoring system, designed to provide security to and defend shelf- and coast-based military and economic installations have been offered by Rosoboronexport. The system boasts a unique performance when fitted with the Podsolnukh-E over-the-horizon surface wave stationary radar, capable of monitoring areas even outside the economic zone. According to Russian defence establishments, the integrated shore monitoring system increases the efficiency of forces under command 1.7-3-fold depending on the nature of the task to be discharged.
The corporation says that it is ready to embrace alternative and flexible approaches to payments. For instance, one of the options may consist in payments by counter deliveries of traditional African export products, such as diamonds, timber, cotton, palm oil, and coffee. Another option may envision quotas on developing natural resources and seafood; establishment of joint ventures in fishing, mineral resource, and oil industries; mine-clearing operations.
“As far as its marketing strategy is concerned, Rosoboronexport attaches much importance to expanding the geography, the range, and the scope of Russian arms and materiel exports. Russia has made tangible progress in the sphere of defence cooperation with African states in the past few years. Rosoboronexport has significantly stepped up cooperation with such traditional importers of Russian weapons as Algeria, Libya, Angola, Ethiopia, and Uganda. Certain progress has been made in relations with Morocco, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso. We offer competitive Russian arms and materiel delivery, repair, overhaul, and modernisation projects to our African partners,” head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at AAD 2008 Sergei Svechnikov said.
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