Russia is a regular participant in DEFEXPO India. Since the first ever DEFEXPO 1999 the Russian arms exporters have been seeking to actively use this important platform to promote the achievements of the domestic defense industry. At DEFEXPO India-2008, whose holding falls on the opening of the Year of Russia in India, 25 Russian defense enterprises and organizations will show their latest products.

The exposition totaling 400 sq. m, organized by Rosoboronexport, encompasses full-scale hardware, models, mock-ups, posters, reference and promotional materials on over 550 export defense and dual-use products targeted to meet the needs of India and other South Asian and Asia Pacific countries.

Visitors will get to see the T-90S MBT, which controversially entered service with the Indian Land Forces, upgrading variants for the Indian T-72 MBTs and BMP-2 IFVs. Russia’s proposals on T-72 upgrading feature several technological ‘know-hows’ like an fire control system, a new explosive reactive armor system, and a special aerosol screen-laying system.

The range of the exhibited defense products for the Land Forces also includes self-propelled artillery guns and howitzers, antitank missile and missile/gun air defense systems, small arms and close-in weapons. Special emphasis in the Russian exposition is given to the Smerch and Grad multiple rocket launcher (MRL) systems and to a wide range of artillery rockets for them. Being the most powerful and cost-effective means for neutralization of the enemy forces at 20 to 90 km, these systems are in demand worldwide.

The Smerch MRL system has undergone qualification tests in India. In view of the growing role and importance of artillery fire control automation, the Russian will display detailed information on the Kapustnik-B and Mashina-M automated fire control systems. These systems make it possible to conduct day/night reconnaissance in any climate and terrain conditions, plan combat actions, control fire and fire maneuvering, and provide operational security to artillery fire in an ECM environment. In addition, the operational effectiveness of artillery units increases on average by 30-40%.

A wide range of small arms and ammunition displayed at the Russian exposition:

improved 5.56 mm AK-101 and AK-102 and 7.62 mm AK-103 and AK-104 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 5.45 mm AN-94 Abakan assault rifle, 9 mm Bizon-2-01 submachine gun, 12.7 mm OSV-96 sniper rifle, night and day optical sights for small arms, 30 mm AGS-30 automated grenade launcher, RPG-7V2 handheld antitank grenade launcher with an optical sight and UP-7V sighting device, as well as rounds, grenades, mines and cartridges of different purpose and lethality.

The Naval section of the Russian exposition is centered around the Amur-1650 and Amur-950 diesel-electric submarines. The visitors of the exhibition will have the opportunity to become acquainted with export versions of the modern Russian combatants, including the Project 11356 frigate and Project 21956 destroyer, a family of multirole corvettes, among them the Project 20382 Tiger incorporating stealth technologies, and the Project 12322 Zubr air-cushion landing ship. India has problems with Russian contract on delivery of the aircraft carrier ex Gorshkov.

Rosoboronexport will also present at the exhibition a wide spectrum of Russian patrol boats and air cushion landing craft. Among them are the Project 14232 Mercury sea high-speed air-cavity customs craft and the Project 12061E Murena-E air-cushion landing craft. The Project 12150 Mangust fast patrol boat information will also be avaliable.

Along with combatants, the Russian exposition will widely display various naval weapon systems, including the Moskit, Club, Uran, and Yakhont strike missile systems, the Rif-M, Shtil and Klinok SAM systems, and other artillery and ASW systems. Some of the missile will be competitors for Brahmos missile, which is said to be unfairly treated by the Russian JV partners in exports front.

Visitors will get familiar for the first time with the Club-M multirole mobile onshore missile system equipped with the 3M-14E, 3M-54E, and 3M-54E1 missiles, which can accomplish these missions. The system has the following main performance characteristics: fire range – 300 km, missile’s flight altitude – 10-50 m; in the terminal phase of flight the missiles fly at a supersonic speed. The Club-M’s reconnaissance facilities can detect targets at the maximum range. All fire preparation and firing processes are automated. The launchers can be installed on various chassis chosen by the foreign Customer. Indian Navy Has problems with Club missiles on its submarines which veer off course when fired.

Visitors will get information on performance of the Mi and Ka series helicopters: Mi-35, Mi-35P and Mi-35M combat transport helicopters, Mi-17-1V assault transport helicopter, Mi-28NE attack helicopter, Ka-29 ship-based combat transport helicopter, and Ka-31 radar picket helicopter.

Various SAM systems and radar reconnaissance equipment are widely showcased at the Russian exposition. Particularly, the visitors may become acquainted with the capabilities of the S-300PMU2 Favorit mobile multi-channel long-range SAM system. The S-300PMU2is claimed by Russians to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles (with launch range up to 1,100 km). The visitors may also get necessary information on the Buk-M1-2, Buk-M2E and Tor-M1 middle- and short-range SAM systems, Tunguska-M1 missile/gun air defense system, Igla MANPADS, and upgrading projects for the ZU-23 AA gun mount, Osa-AKM, Pechora, and Strela-10M SAM systems.