All that the Air Force, Army, Navy and Special Forces may need

Russia is steadily increasing its arms exports to the world market. Last year Rosoboronexport, the sole arms trade state company, raised its military sales value in excess of 8.6 billion USD, which largely surpasses the 7.4 billion USD level achieved in 2009, thus setting a new record of the recent years. The equipment was imported by 58 countries, whereas Rosoboronexport cooperates with more than 70 countries in total.

Notwithstanding Russia’s active penetration into new regional markets, India still remains its principal partner in military technical cooperation that started in 1964 with first deliveries of the MiG-21 fighters. Aerospace technologies have always been at the heart of this cooperation, and this is where most of the largescale and promising projects are going to be developed.

The Su-30MKI multi-role fighter produced by licence at the HAL’s industrial facilities is a vivid illustration of the fact that besides advanced military equipment Russia transfers to India also advanced manufacturing and repair technologies. These days the Indian Air Force is operating more than one hundred of these modern-type multi-role fighters to reliably protect the national air space. Their further upgrading is foreseen at the next stage of the programme. In particular, it includes plans to integrate the BraMos Russian-Indian missile into the onboard weapon system of the fighter.

At the present time Russia is also engaged in upgrading at Indian industrial facilities the MiG-29 fighters that are still in service. On 4th February 2011 the new MiG-29UPG modification made the maiden flight, and is expected to complete the main scope of its flight testing programme by the end of this year. Along with this project, the contract for the delivery of a shipborne version of this fighter, the MiG-29K, is efficiently implemented.

Yet the most famous project is the joint development of the fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). The programme was initiated last December when the contract for the FGFA design study was signed during the visit to India of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. At the present time both countries are jointly developing the new generation fighter, and such countries are only a few. Historically it is the biggest India’s military programme that will in fact define security of both countries in the decades to come.

The multi-purpose transport aircraft (MTA) development project is as much important since the MTA aircraft are to enter service with the air forces in both countries. It is expected that the aircraft will be used both by military services and businesses operating on the commercial transport market.

The fact that Russia has been able to realise the most ambitious joint projects in such areas as systems development, technology transfers and licence production namely with India reveals a high level of strategic partnership of the two nations. Rosoboronexport counts on elaborating these activities to allow further expanding mutually advantageous cooperation. Investments into such projects will pave the way to the future. Meanwhile the Indian armed forces will soon need diverse military aircraft. It concerns, in particular, the IL-76/78 transport and tanker aircraft. These aircraft are quite popular in India and earned good reputation. Rosoboronexport promotes upgraded versions of these multi-purpose aircraft featuring the new avionics system, and PS-90A-76 efficient engines meeting ICAO noise and emission standards. The upgrades have the advantages such as the capability of performing flight operations from unpaved airfields, lower acquisition and maintenance costs compared with those of competitors, existence of support infrastructure and vast operational experience with aircraft of this type.

Specialists also point to the Be-200 multi-functional amphibian aircraft. It can be equipped with a modern open-architecture surveillance and detection system designed to support implementation of maritime patrol, search and rescue, cargo/troops transportation, and medical evacuation missions. The fire-fighting version of this unique aircraft, which is in service with the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations, boasts high performance characteristics and has already showed itself to a good advantage both in Russia and abroad.

Rosoboronexport markets a wide range of helicopter systems as well. Exports of Russian rotary-wing aircraft have been steadily growing in recent years. Among the most popular export items are the Mi-17 helicopters, delivered now to the Indian Air Force.