All news

Russia's defense industry enterprise to open S-300, Tor-M1 maintenance centers in China

Almaz-Antey offered China several options of upgrading the previously supplied Tor-M1 complexes, the concern's deputy director Vyacheslav Dzirkaln said

ZHUHAI, China November 12. /TASS/. The joint stock company Almaz-Antey has plans to open maintenance centers in China for servicing the air defense complexes Tor-M1 and S-300, the concern’s deputy director for military-technical cooperation and foreign economic activity, Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, told the media on Wednesday.

He said Almaz-Antey had offered China several options of upgrading the previously supplied Tor-M1 complexes (27 units).

“Also, we addressed the Chinese clients with an offer to open maintenance centers to service these systems, to provide Russian equipment and to train Chinese personnel,” Dzirkaln said.

“The teams of Russian specialists will help China arrange for the maintenance of air defense systems at the yet-to-be created centers,” he said.

Plans to increase operations

Russia’s air defense concern Almaz-Antey is planning to increase the volume of services up to $500 million within independent foreign economic activities, Dzirkaln said.

“In 2007, when we got the right to conduct foreign economic activities, the volume of services reached $2 million, it increased to $46 million in 2013. It will be within $60 million despite the sanctions imposed against the concern,” Dzirkaln said at the Zhuhai Air Show.

“Despite the sanctions, we continue to work. Now we’re carrying out 26 long-term contracts from nine countries at the total amount of over $300 million. Another 33 contracts from 13 states at the sum of over $500 million are being worked out now,” he said.

All contracts are related to supplies of spare parts, repairs and upgrading of supplied equipment. Opening new service centers will make it possible to expand the list of equipment in the near future. Particularly, the concern is expected to open service centers in Algeria, Vietnam and India. A proposal has been put forth by China, Dzirkaln said.

It is China that takes the lead in this sphere, he said, adding that Algeria and India followed it.  He said Almaz-Antey did not make the top three among Russian companies over the volume of services within independent foreign economic activities.

However, Dzirkaln said the company was planning to take the lead “in one or two years in the sphere of repairs, supplies of spare parts, upgrading supplied equipment and opening new service centers abroad”.