MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. Russia’s arms exporter Rosoboronexport plans to sign a contract with Brazil next year on supplies of Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft artillery weapon systems, the company’s first deputy director general, Ivan Goncharenko has said.
"We have been holding talks with Brazil’s partners on this issue since 2013. A pre-contract work is continuing now. We expect to sign a contract in 2016," Goncharenko said ahead of the MAKS-2015 air show held near Moscow.
The head of Russia’ s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Alexander Fomin, said earlier the contract was due to be inked this year.
Brazil’s Defense Ministry is expected to purchase 12 Pantsir-S1 systems mounted on chassis of Germany’s Rheinmetall. Three batteries are planned to be formed for three branches of armed forces.
European company MBDA earlier announced plans to develop jointly with Brazil’s AVIBRAS a medium range anti-aircraft system, AV-MMA, that could replace the Russian-designed Pantsir-S1.