Russians target African defence market- field BrahMos at AAD-2008
20 Sep 2008
Moscow: The Russians are making a concerted effort at targeting the African defence market, which, they confess, has been left virtually open for the Chinese. A massive Russian delegation, backed up with impressive displays, is making its presence felt at the Africa Aerospace and Defence-2008. This is the largest aerospace, defence, and security exhibition in the region and is currently open for public exhibition at the Air Force Base Ysterplaat near Cape Town in South Africa.
The biennial event involves weapons manufacturers from all over the world and focuses especially on aerospace, defence as well as military and dual-purpose equipment.
For the Russians it will be their fifth visit to the exhibition, this time under the Rosoboronexport banner, which is the state-owned arms exporter. The Russians will have 250 displays in the form of mock-ups, models, posters, video footage and advertising pamphlets.
The Indo-Russian joint venture BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile is on display. The multi-role cruise missile can be launched from multiple platforms for a wide range of targets, at land or sea. It has been successfully tested for launch from land and sea-based platforms and is currently awaiting tests from aircraft and submarines.
The Russians also have their Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30MK Flanker fighter-interceptors on display as well as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29SKM Fulcrum air-superiority fighter.
The Nizhny Tagil-based Dzerzhinsky Ural Railroad Car Works (Uralvagonzavod) is displaying its T-90S tank. This company, based in Russia's Ural region, has developed most of the country's post-war battle tanks.
The Arzamas Engineering Plant and the Tula Instrument Design Bureau have brought their BTR-80A armored personnel carriers (APC), Metis-M and Konkurs-M guided anti-tank missiles and surface-to-air-missile (SAM) systems, respectively.
The Tula-based Splav (Alloy) State Research and Production Association is displaying its Grad and Smerch multiple-launch rocket systems.
The Popov Radio Plant based in Omsk, West Siberia, is displaying a new-generation mobile telecommunications system carried by the Vepr off-road vehicle.
The Russians have also brought the Hashim RPG-32 rocket launcher system, developed by the Jordan Russian Electronic Systems Co. Ltd. and Basalt Co, near Moscow.
