MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russia’s warships operating in Syria are enjoying great demand from foreign customers, Presidential Aide for Military and Technical Cooperation, Vladimir Kozhin, said on Monday.
"We’ve all seen how our ships are functioning there, what is being launched and how far they [projectiles] are being shot. We see that these ships that had operated in Syria - frigates, corvettes - are in demand now. Still, another sort of demand is on the rise as well: many countries now need to modernize and design warships from scratch," he stressed.
The Russian Aerospace Forces launched military operations in Syria on September 30, 2015, upon Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s request.
On March 14, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of Russia’s main forces from Syria, as the key tasks set by the Russian Defense Ministry had been fulfilled, according to the president.
Military export
Naval equipment has a 7% share in the Russian military exports, Kozhin has stressed.
"On the whole, if we take into account last year’s figures, we supplied $ 15.3 bln worth of military equipment, with aircraft and air defenses leading the way. Warships occupy 7% of the total exports," he stated.
"Many countries are starting to design their own coastal patrol ships from scratch, as well as building naval segments. We believe it means a great increase in demand for various classes of warships in the mid-run," Kozhin said.
According to the top official, it is easy to enumerate the countries that did not turn to Russia and are not conducting negotiations on purchasing ships for their naval forces.
"There are ongoing prospective contracts with China, India and Vietnam, negotiations are being held with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar and many African countries," the presidential aide elaborated.