Russia arms exporter sells record $13.2 billion in weaponry in 2013

Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport sold $13.2 billion in weapons and military equipment to foreign buyers last year but expects no short-term growth, Rosoboronexport Director General Anatoly Isaikin said in an interview published Monday.

“As of December 31, we have delivered weapons and military hardware at $13.2 billion. This figure exceeded slightly target figures that cannot but gladden us. In general, annual export through our company went up fourfold from 2001 to 2013. In 2013 alone, we have received and considered 1,902 bids of foreign customers. Finally, 1,202 contracts were signed,” Isaikin said.

“For the next two to three years our main task will be to maintain arms exports at $13 billion, which I do not think we will exceed, since the new types of technology potential buyers are interested in should first be adopted by the Russian army, and only then be exported,” Anatoly Isaikin told Russia’s Kommersant newspaper.

Aircraft amounted to nearly 40 percent of the company’s sales last year, followed by anti-aircraft defense systems at just over 25 percent, Isaikin said.

“I would say that Russia is ready to offer everything from small arms to anti-aircraft defense systems,” he said.

He added that there has been great interest from foreign buyers in the new Su-35 heavy jet fighter as well as the inexpensive and lightweight Yak-130 fighter.

As for structure of Rosoboronexport order portfolio, which has made “almost $38 billion” last December, Isaikin noted that “on results of 2013 aircraft of the Air Force make 38.3% of all concluded contracts against 32.3% in 2012.” “Naval vessels have 17% in portfolio, ground military hardware — 14.2%, air defense systems — 26.2%,” Rosoboronexport head noted.

The official doubts that revenues may exceed $15 billion in the near future. Currently, there is a war in Syria, revolutions in Libya and Egypt; there is also an embargo on arms shipments to Iran. "These are the countries that we pinned great hopes on," he said.

According to the head of the agency, Russia's main arms customers are still India, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Venezuela, Algeria and Malaysia. The share of these countries is more than 75 percent of all deliveries.

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