Jane’s on Russian Defense Industry Capabilities
August 8, 2006 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
Russia’s defense industry could have a hard time meeting its export commitments, reports the September 1 issue of Jane’s Defence Industry. Defense agreements with Venezuela alone could reach $3 billion, a sum equivalent to almost 50 percent of Moscow’s total military exports in 2005. Venezuela is also considering additional purchases, including Tor M-1 and Osa-10 air-defense missile systems. Yet Russia already has significant commitments to other key customers, including China and India, which accounted for 70 percent of its defense exports in 2005. In addition, Moscow recently reached a defense accord with Algeria valued at $7.5 billion, in which it agreed to supply Algeria with eight battalions of S-300 PMU2 surface-to-air missile systems among other things. Further agreements with Algeria worth between $2 billion and $3 billion are expected. Jane’s questions whether Moscow will be able to keep these ambitious commitments, as its defense industry remains tied to “old-fashioned management practices and organizational structures at odds with free-market principles,” and has thus fallen into “poor health.” (Link)
» More stories on: Industry, Proliferation, Russia
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble)
Iran Builds Homegrown Missile Industry
August 5, 2006 :: Bloomberg :: News
Iran is building up its own missile industry using Chinese and Russian technology, reports Bloomberg. The Islamic Republic began developing its manufacturing capabilities in the 1980s during the Iran-Iraq War. With the threat from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq now gone, Tehran has “every intention of becoming a major regional power,” according to William Cohen, secretary of defense under President Bill Clinton, and intends to become self-sufficient in the production of weaponry, in particular ballistic missiles. Iran therefore no longer simply relies on imports from China, Russia, and North Korea, and has become adept at copying or even improving on those countries’ technologies. “The Iranians are at a stage now where they can build most of these weapons themselves locally,” said Guy Ben-Ari, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Among Iran’s homemade missiles that it has exported to Hezbollah and perhaps other Islamic terrorist organizations are the Zelzal-2 short-range ballistic missile, which carries a 600-kilogram warhead; the Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 short-range ballistic missiles, which carry 90- and 175-kilogram warheads respectively; and the Noor (Tondar) radar-guided anti-ship cruise missile, an Iranian copy of the Chinese C-802 (CSS-N-8). (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Industry, Iran, Proliferation
» Missile details: Zelzal-1/2/3
Head of Rosoboronexport on Arms Cooperation
June 2, 2005 :: BBC Worldwide Monitoring :: News
Military cooperation between Russia and Belarus is growing rapidly, reports the Belarusian daily Zvyazda. The article quotes Sergey Chemezov, director-general of Russia’s Rosoboronexport arms company, as claiming that Russian-Belarusian interaction accounts for one third of manufacturing and research facilities in the former Soviet Union, and 30-35 percent of jointly developed weaponry. This includes the S-300P and S-300V missile defense systems, which are exported worldwide. Russia has also signed military cooperation agreements with Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Zvyazda notes that Chemezov is pursuing a single pricing policy in order to boost revenues. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Former Soviet Republics, Industry, Russia
» Missile system details for: S-300P (SA-10 Grumble), S-300V (SA-12A Gladiator, SA-12B Giant)
