MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport has exported about 50 warships worth $24 billion since 2000, the company’s press office reported on Monday.

"Over the last years, the share of naval hardware in Rosoboronexport’s export deliveries has equaled about 12% on average. Incidentally, this is comparable to the share of our competitors from leading military hardware exporting countries. Since 2000, we have exported about 50 warships, a third of which are submarines," the press office quoted Rosoboronexport CEO Alexander Mikheyev as saying on the eve of the International Maritime Defense Show in St. Petersburg.

"The total volume of naval hardware deliveries has reached $24 billion over this period," he added.

Rosoboronexport’s task at the 2017 International Maritime Defense Show is to lay the basis for signing new contracts, he added.

Almost 50 foreign companies will participate in the International Maritime Defense Show, due to kick off this week, bringing together some 400 participants, Alexei Frolkin, deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, told reporters.

"There will be 49 foreign companies and a total of 400 participants," Frolkin said, noting that representatives of companies from Australia, Argentina, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland are expected to attend the event.

United Shipbuilding Corporation CEO Alexey Rakhmanov said "foreigners mainly act as suppliers of equipment - everything that we can use to build ships." The corporation’s exhibition stand is unprecedentedly large this year, with 43 replicas of various ships on display."

At the 2017 International Maritime Defense Show, Rosoboronexport will demonstrate its entire range of naval armaments and hardware supplied to foreign customers at the 2017 International Maritime Defense Show. Some naval weapon systems will be rolled out for the first time while naval hardware well-known to arms market players will feature fine-tuned versions. Rosoboronexport’s representatives will hold meetings with more than 20 worldwide delegations. The International Maritime Defense Show will be held in St. Petersburg on June 28 - July 2.