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Russia sells armaments to APR countries

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16. /ITAR-TASS/. Within the framework of the DSA-2014 International Asian exhibition of armaments and military hardware, which opened here, Russia's Rosoboronexport Company will discuss current and long-tern projects with Malaysian partners in the interests of all armed services, Nikolai Dimidyuk, Rosoboronexport's director for special assignments and leader of Rosoboronexport delegation, told journalists.

The OAO (public joint-stock company) Rosoboronexport is the only state-run organization in the Russian Federation for the export of the entire spectrum of products, services, and technologies of military and dual-use purpose. The Company accounts for over 80 percent of the export of Russian-made armaments and military hardware.

The Malaysian Ministry of Defence soon plans to announce a tender for the delivery of versatile fighter planes, and Russia will take part in it offering an upgraded Su-30MKM, Dimidyuk told Itar-Tass in an exclusive interview.

"We believe that we shall have high chances in that tender, considering the successful operation of both the Su-30MKM jetfighters, supplied under a contract, dated 2003, and the MiG-29N," he pointed out.

Countries in the Asia-Pacific Region (APR) account for the largest scope of deliveries of Russian products of military purpose. Most keen competition has now developed for this APR market, Dimidyuk said.

In the coming days, he said, Russia plans to return to discussing with Malaysia the possibility of delivering the main domestically-made combat tanks to that country. Two years ago, at the DSA-2012, the Malaysian side took interest in the characteristics and operational capabilities of the modernizwd tank T-90S. "By the number of novelties incorporated, this is actully a new tank, the combat qualities of which, such as firepower, protection, and mobility, excels the batch-produced T-90S tank to a high degree. Unfortunately, those contacts did not undergo a further development," Dimidyuk said.

The Rosoboronexport delegation leader also said that within the scope of the DSA-2014, the Russian side plans to sign an agreement on industrial partnership with one of Malaysian companies. Russia has supplied Malaysia with the first batch of air-to-air missiles RVV-AE, a contract for which was signed at the DSA-2012 exhibition of armaments and will fulfil obligations under that agreement towards the end of the current year. "The contract is being filled successfully. The first batch of missiles has been already supplied to the customer and the second, and concluding one, is to be turned over to the customer before the end of this year," he said.

Russia plans to particiate in a Malaysian tender for the delivery of medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems, offering the Buk-M2E and and for short-range systems with the Pantsir-S1 missile and gun mounts, Dimidyuk said.

As for naval topics, the Malaysian military, Dimidyuk said, take interest primarily in everything connected with the defence of the 200-mile economic zone. "In this respect, we offer patrol boats such as, for example, the Mirazh, Sobol, Mangust, and various options of the integrated system for the monitoring of the coastal zone," he said.

The Rosoboronexport delegation leader also said Russia and Bangladesh had concluded an agreement on the delivery of five combat transport helicopters Mi-171SH to that country. Interest in getting the Mi-171SH is expressed by "quite many countries". Out of delegations that visited the display stand of Rosoboronexport at the DSA-2014. an earnest interest in the helicopter, according to Dimidyuk, was evinced, in particular, by representatives of Malaysia and Nepal.

Dimidyuk also said that Russia would begin to deliver combat training aircraft Yak-130 under the agreement on the purchase of 16 such planes by Bangladesh next year. "In Bangladesh, we have sold 16 such planes to Bangladesh, and in APR as a whole there is a very high interest in this plane: it has made quite a good showing in most arduous conditions," Dimidyuk added.