The arms market has reached its highest level since the Cold War in five years. Export of British weapons Export of military equipment and weapons
Belarus took 18th place in the top 25 largest exporters of major types of weapons. This is stated in the report of the Stockholm International Peace Institute SIPRI.
The report analyzed data from 2012 to 2016. The leaders of the ranking are the USA and Russia. The United States exported weapons worth $47.2 billion, Russia - $33.2 billion. The top five is completed by China, France and Germany, which have sold weapons worth $8.8, 8.6 and 7.9 billion over the past 5 years. Neighboring Ukraine entered the Top 10 exporters, selling $3.7 billion worth of weapons.
Belarus is in 18th place, having exported $625 million worth of weapons during the specified period. China spent the largest amount on Belarusian weapons - $170 million, followed by Vietnam - $150 million, and Sudan - $113 million.
Top 25 countries in the world for arms exports 
Structure of Belarusian arms exports by country The largest amount of money was earned from the sale of aircraft - $312 million and air defense systems - $195 million. The third place in terms of profitability is the sale of armored combat vehicles - $96 million.
Structure of Belarusian arms exports by type Last year there were two large arms deliveries: to Myanmar and Vietnam. The report states that the Myanmar Ministry of Defense spent $51 million on Belarusian weapons. Most likely, we are talking about the purchase of the Kvadrat-M anti-aircraft missile system, developed by the Belarusian enterprise OJSC ALEVKURP.
SAM "Kvadrat-M", Myanmar. Photo: defense-blog.com The air defense systems were present during the military parade. Myanmar became the first recipient of the Kvadrat-M complexes modernized by Belarusian specialists.
S-125−2TM "Pechora-2TM". Photo: viethaingoai.net Vietnam is also a traditional buyer of Belarusian air defense systems. For example, back in 2015, the Vietnamese Air Defense Forces and Air Force successfully tested three S-125−2TM Pechora-2TM complexes modernized by the Belarusian company Tetrahedr. All three S-125−2TM Pechora-2TM air defense systems successfully hit 100% of targets.
If we talk about the import of weapons to our country, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense purchased the most military equipment from Russia - for the entire period, costs amounted to $475 million.
We have already written about the supply of the latest Mi-8MTV-5, Yak-130 combat training aircraft, armored personnel carriers (almost 900 thousand dollars per unit) and other military equipment.
The report also mentions supplies from Ukraine worth $10 million and from China worth $2 million.
What is SIPRI and how is the rating calculated?
The Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) maintains databases of arms transfers around the world. Information on the sale of weapons is included in the database only if the fact of delivery is reliable. SIPRI is funded by the Swedish government and receives grants from other sources.
Since 1969, the institute has been publishing the SIPRI Yearbook (in Russian, the publication is published jointly with the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences). The publication provides an overview of the global arms market, the disarmament process and the international security situation based on data from open sources.
The Stockholm Institute also ranks the world's top 100 arms manufacturers. To calculate a manufacturer's place in the ranking, conventional units are used - an indicator indicator expressed in US dollars and 1990 prices. Thus, according to the researchers, it is possible to derive comparable indicators for a long period.
The Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has published new data on arms trade between countries between 2011 and 2015. Below are the top 10 countries that became major arms exporters during this period.
1. USA
Market share: 33%The United States, with a 33% share of the arms market, remains the main arms exporter based on the results of 2011-2015, having increased its share during this period by 27%.
“As tensions rise and regional conflicts escalate, the US maintains its leading position as an arms exporter, well ahead of its competitors,” says Aude Fleurant, director of the Military Expenditure Program at SIPRI (Arms and Military Expenditure Programme).
“Over the past five years, the United States has sold or transferred weapons to at least 96 countries, and the US defense industry has numerous export orders, including the delivery of 611 F-35 military aircraft to nine countries,” he notes.
2. Russia
Russia took second place among arms exporting countries.
Compared to 2006-2010 supplies of Russian military equipment increased by 28%.
However, SIPRI points out that in 2014 and 2015. exports were significantly lower than in 2011-2013 and were at the levels of the previous five-year plan.
In 2011-2015 Moscow supplied weapons to 50 countries, notes the Stockholm Peace Research Institute.
The largest buyer of Russian weapons was India with 39% of the volume of weapons sold by Russia, second and third places are shared by China and Vietnam - 11% each, Vedomosti notes.
3. China
Chinese arms exports grew by 88% and took third place in the market.
“China continues to expand its military capabilities through both arms imports and domestic production,” said Simon Wezeman, senior researcher at the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.
At the same time, China also entered the top 5 leaders among arms importing countries. The country ranks third in this ranking, behind only India and Saudi Arabia.
4. France
France, having moved into fourth place, reduced arms supplies by 9.8%.
During 2015, France signed several major arms contracts, including the first two contracts for the supply of the Rafale military aircraft.
At the same time, imports from European countries decreased by 41% between 2006-2010 and 2011-2015.
5. Germany
Germany dropped to fifth place with a market share of 4.7%.
For the period from 2011 to 2015. Germany's arms exports have halved.
In Europe as a whole, import volumes fell by 41% between 2006 and 2010 and between 2011 and 2015.
6. UK
The UK took sixth place in the ranking, becoming one of the largest arms exporters to Europe. The main direction of British arms exports has become the Middle East - a region in which military operations are constantly taking place and, accordingly, there is a constant need for arms supplies.
7. Spain
The main recipients of Spanish weapons also became the countries of the Middle East - Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, as well as Australia.
8. Italy
Italy is one of the world and European leaders in arms exports.
It is worth noting that Europe is purchasing Russian weapons.
So, for the period from 2011 to 2015. Europe purchased 6.4% of all Russian weapons sold.
At the same time, SIPRI points out, supplies to Europe increased by 264%, mainly due to the purchase of Russian weapons by Azerbaijan (according to the methodology of the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, it belongs to Europe): it accounted for 4.9% of all Russian exports weapons (in 2006-2011, Baku purchased only 0.7% of weapons sold by Russia), Vedomosti reports.
9. Ukraine
The main recipients of Ukrainian weapons are countries such as Nigeria, Thailand, Croatia, China and Algeria.
Among the weapons are T-72 tanks, armored personnel carriers BTR-4EN, BTR-3E1 and others.
As a result, Ukraine became the ninth largest arms supplier in the world.
10. Netherlands
The Netherlands closes the top ten with a market share of 2%.
The main buyers of weapons from the Netherlands are countries such as Egypt, India, and Pakistan.
It is worth noting that in recent years the Netherlands has been losing its position in the arms market. If in 2008 the country was among the top 5 largest arms exporters in the world, now it has dropped to 10th place.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, in 2013-2017, the volume of arms exports from Russia decreased by 7.1% compared to the previous five-year period. Nevertheless, Russia retained its status as the world's second largest arms exporter. However, in some markets, Russia is significantly ahead of the United States, despite the fact that total American arms exports in the reporting five years were 58% higher.
According to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIIP), Russia is the second exporting country with a market share of 23%. And arms exports from the United States in 2013-2017 increased (compared to 2008-2012) by a quarter, providing 34% of the world volume. “Based on deals signed during the Obama administration, US arms sales between 2013 and 2017 reached their highest levels since the late 1990s. These deals and further major contracts signed in 2017 ensure that the United States will maintain its position as the largest arms exporter in the coming years,” explained Aude Fleurant, director of the SIIPM Arms and Military Expenditures Program.
The largest importers of Russian weapons are India (35%), China (12%) and Vietnam (10%). American weapons are mainly exported to Saudi Arabia (18%), UAE (7.4%) and Australia (6.7%). France took third place among the largest exporters in the published list of SIIPM (6.7% in global export share). The main markets for France are: Egypt (25%), China (8.6%) and India (8.5%). The global volume of arms exports in 2013-2017 increased by 10% compared to the previous five-year period (2008-2012). According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, three quarters (74%) of global arms exports were provided in 2013-2017 by five countries: the USA, Russia, France, Germany and China. The world's largest arms buyers are India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and China. These countries import 35% of the weapons sold. For example, in the total volume of weapons purchased in 2013-2017 by India, which is considered the largest buyer of weapons in the world (12% of global purchases), Russia’s share was 62%.
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The National Interest 02/28/2018Kabakov said: “The constant race between offensive and defensive weapons stimulated the development of the military-industrial complex and contributed to the renewal of military equipment in different countries, thereby providing manufacturers with the opportunity to make money.” He believes that Russia occupies a strong position in the global arms market. Russia is continuously researching and developing new types of weapons, and therefore the likelihood of losing its position in the market is very small. Russia will continue to be one of the world's largest arms exporters. Fifth place in the list of the largest arms exporters is given to China, which shows the fastest growth rates: over the past five years, the increase in the volume of supplies of arms and military equipment to the world market compared to the previous five-year period was 38%. China supplied its weapons to 48 countries from 2013 to 2017. While Russia supplied its weapons to 47 states over the same period.
Russia remained the second largest arms exporter after the United States at the end of 2016, according to the annual report “Global Arms Trade” by the British military-analytical publication Jane’s (IHS Markit group). According to this publication, Russia supplied $6.34 billion worth of weapons to foreign customers last year, which is 8.8% less than in 2015 ($6.95 billion). However, another reputable provider of information on international arms transfers, the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, believes that Russian arms exports in 2016 increased compared to both 2014 and 2015.
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively from foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.
Those directly related to the export of Russian weapons were present. In particular, the amount of Russian arms exports in 2017 was officially announced. Details also emerged on the possible production of T-90S/SK tanks in Egypt, and Rosoboronexport announced the promotion of the new Russian Viking anti-aircraft missile system (Buk-M3) on international markets.
The Kremlin named the volume of exports of Russian weapons and military equipment in 2017
In early March, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin held the first meeting of the Commission on Military-Technical Cooperation between the Russian Federation and Foreign States in 2018. Traditionally, at the beginning of the meeting, the results of the work for the previous year were summed up. Vladimir Putin noted that Russia still holds a high mark, confirming its status as one of the leading supplying countries on the international arms market. According to him, the volume of foreign supplies of Russian-made weapons and military equipment has been growing for the third year in a row, in 2017 it amounted to more than $15 billion, the Russian President reports.
The President emphasized that the ability to work effectively even in conditions of economic sabotage and political provocations underlines the strengths of the Russian system of military-technical cooperation (MTC), its stability and very great potential. This assessment belongs to the buyers themselves and potential purchasers of Russian weapons and military equipment. At the same time, the geography of Russian cooperation through military-technical cooperation is constantly expanding, and the number of our partners already exceeds 100 countries.
At the meeting, it was noted that at the end of 2017, the volume of signed contracts almost doubled, exceeding $16 billion. Currently, the order portfolio for Russian weapons and military equipment is estimated at more than $45 billion. This means that the Russian military-industrial complex is provided with orders for the supply of various types of weapons and military equipment for several years to come.
During the meeting, it was noted that the experience of modern wars and conflicts shows us that it is unacceptable to neglect the means of protecting people and protecting state sovereignty. Therefore, the Russian Federation will actively develop military-technical cooperation with all interested states, including in the most high-tech segments for those types of weapons - air defense systems, aviation equipment, Ground Forces, Navy - which have shown exceptional effectiveness during military operations in Syria.
New details on the assembly of T-90S/SK tanks in Egypt have become known
According to the Algerian online resource menadefense.net, licensed assembly of Russian T-90S/SK tanks in Egypt should begin in the 4th quarter of 2019, after supplies of vehicle kits begin from Russia. Supplies will be carried out by JSC Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod. According to the Algerian publication, according to an agreement reached between Moscow and Cairo, Egypt will receive and assemble at its enterprises 400 T-90S/SK main battle tanks, of which 200 vehicles will be supplied in the form of ordinary vehicle kits (SKD), and another 200 in the form of kits SKD, which involve welding and assembly of some elements (turret and hull). The program for assembling Russian tanks in Egypt is designed for 2019-2026 with a planned rate of 50 combat vehicles per year.
As a specialized blog notes, in the previously published annual report of Uralvagonzavod for 2016, the list of priority areas of military-technical cooperation included “work on a project to create an enterprise for the licensed assembly of T-90S/SK tanks (SK - command version) at the customer “818” (Egypt)". Financial details of the deal with Egypt were not disclosed. At the same time, in 2018, Russia already began deliveries of T-90S/SK to Iraq, which ordered 73 tanks. The first part of 36 combat vehicles was handed over to the customer in February of this year, the remaining tanks are planned to be delivered to Iraq by the end of April. In addition, Vietnam also bought similar tanks.
It is worth noting that since 1992, in Egypt, at Tank Plant No. 200, located in Helwan, the licensed assembly of American M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks has been carried out from vehicle kits supplied directly from the United States as part of military assistance; the tanks assembled here are in service with the Egyptian army . The plant itself was built back in 1984 as part of an agreement with General Dynamics Corporation. The construction cost was $150 million, and the work was also financed by American military aid to Cairo. In total, from 1992 to the present, the United States has already financed the supply of 1,105 vehicle kits for M1A1 Abrams tanks to Egypt in addition to the 25 ready-made Abrams delivered in the same 1992. Moreover, the first 75 machine kits are of the SKD level, the rest are of the CKD level of varying degrees of localization. Previously, Egypt planned to produce 1300-1500 M1A1 tanks in the country, however, at present, the prospects for the production of these tanks at the Egyptian plant No. 200 no longer look as certain as before, although the assembly of Abrams tanks here will apparently continue.
Rosoboronexport has begun promoting the Viking air defense system to foreign markets
At the end of March, Rosoboronexport announced the start of promotion of the newest Russian air defense system Viking (Buk-M3) to foreign markets. According to Sergei Ladygin, General Director of the Rosoboronexport company, at present, among competitors on the global arms market, the Viking anti-aircraft missile system simply has no equal. “This complex has retained all the best qualities that were inherent in the Buk line of air defense systems; it represents a new word in the development of medium-range air defense systems. The manufacturer has endowed the new complex with a set of unique characteristics that meet modern demands in the field of protecting infrastructure and troops from air strikes carried out by modern and promising means of air attack, including in conditions of fire and electronic countermeasures from the enemy,” noted Sergey Ladygin.
According to "", the highly mobile, multi-channel medium-range air defense system "Viking" is a further development of the world-famous line of air defense systems of the "Kub" - "Buk" series. Compared to the Buk-M2E air defense system, the firing range of the new complex was increased almost 1.5 times - up to 65 kilometers. In addition, the number of simultaneously fired targets was increased by 1.5 times - 6 air targets with each self-propelled firing system (SPG). At the same time, the number of anti-aircraft guided missiles ready to launch in a firing position consisting of two combat units increased from 8 to 18.
“The Buk-M3 air defense system adopted by the Russian Army and its export version called “Viking” demonstrated a very high level of combat effectiveness during exercises and operation. The Viking complex has the ability to destroy, with a very high degree of probability, not only aviation targets, attacking elements of high-precision weapons, but also tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as ground and sea targets,” Ladygin emphasized. At the same time, the Viking anti-aircraft missile system received a number of unique features; they had not previously been implemented in any air defense system.
For example, the Viking air defense system has the opportunity to integrate launchers from another Russian anti-aircraft missile system, Antey-2500, which provides the ability to engage air targets at a distance of up to 130 kilometers. The combat control point of the new air defense system has the ability to interface not only with the standard radar, but also with other radar stations, including foreign ones. In addition, the Viking air defense system provided for the possibility of autonomous use of fire units and even individual self-propelled guns, which increases the total defended area and the number of objects protected from air strikes, and also allows foreign customers to minimize the cost of organizing a full-fledged air defense system.
Fact about Azerbaijan's dissatisfaction with the quality of Russian weapons
At the end of March, the Belarusian opposition publication “” (based in Poland) published a large article by Yuri Baranevich entitled “Supplies of Russian weapons to Azerbaijan cause discontent in Baku and indignation in Armenia.” Regardless of the level of information presented and its reliability, it can be noted that for the Republic of Belarus (for the completely official Minsk) such material would also be beneficial in the sense that Azerbaijan has traditionally been a buyer of Belarusian weapons, including a potential buyer of the Polonaise missile system ", which is positioned as a counterweight to the Russian Iskander-E OTRK, which were previously supplied to Armenia. Currently, Belarus is a fairly large player in the international arms market, selling military products worth approximately one billion dollars a year. The result for a country with a population smaller than the population of Moscow is more than worthy.
The above article stated that Azerbaijan is dissatisfied with the quality and state of military-technical cooperation with Russia and is trying to find an alternative to such cooperation. It is reported that at the end of 2017, during a closed meeting of the Russian-Azerbaijani commission on military-technical cooperation, official Baku raised the issue of Moscow’s fulfillment of its obligations to supply various military equipment under existing and completed contracts. It is reported that during the commission, Baku expressed a fairly large number of claims.
Firstly, Azerbaijan indicated dissatisfaction with the fulfillment of the terms of contracts for the supply of BMP-3, BTR-82, T-90S, Msta-S self-propelled guns, Tor-M2 air defense systems, Smerch MLRS, as well as other types of weapons to the country Russian production. It is noted that the main complaints of Baku are related to the inconsistency of the supplied military equipment with the lists of technical equipment specified in the contracts, the lack of technical documentation for the equipment, the failure of some types of military equipment due to obvious manufacturing defects, as well as the lack of components necessary for carrying out routine repairs of the supplied to the land of technology.
Secondly, Baku complains about specific problems: missiles for the Smerch MLRS do not explode when fired, and ammunition for BTR-82A machine guns does not reach the target at all; On Mi-35 helicopters, thermocouple breakdowns are constantly observed, which prevent the engine from starting, automatic fire systems and firing of Shturm-V and Ataka-M missiles do not work properly, and malfunctions in the operation of on-board equipment also occur.
In addition, despite the fact that the Azerbaijani side categorically insists on eliminating all identified problems during the current year, Russia points out the impossibility of these requirements and proposes to ensure that the issue is resolved by 2021.
The passages indicated above were officially refuted by the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, as reported by the website of the local news agency. The country's Ministry of Defense noted that the messages that appeared in the media do not correspond to reality and are provocative in nature. The defense department especially emphasized the fact that Azerbaijan pays special attention to the issue of acquiring various types of weapons and military equipment in certain manufacturing countries, choosing the best, highest quality and effective military products that the Azerbaijani army needs to increase its combat potential.
The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, in response to a request from 1news.az, noted: “New Russian-made weapons meet the increased requirements for modern weapons systems, and also significantly increase the fire and maneuver capabilities of units, and especially those that perform combat missions at the forefront of the defense of our troops.” .
TRENDS
In 2015, the share of arms exports in total Russian exports reached a historical maximum. In absolute numbers, the dynamics are not so favorable, but the volume of contracts already concluded suggests that Russia will remain among the leaders in the global arms market for a long time.
The tank on the Armata platform was developed taking into account the export potential of Russian armored vehicles (Photo: Ilya Pitalev / RIA Novosti)
From statements by Russian officials it follows that in 2015 Russia sold weapons and military equipment worth over $15 billion. Thus, the share of foreign sales of military products reached a record value of 4.4% of total exports. The Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (ACT Center) gives a similar estimate - 4.22%. Five years earlier, in 2011, the share of military exports barely exceeded 2.5%. However, this achievement was achieved not so much due to the growth of the segment, which increased by no more than 10% compared to 2011, but rather due to the fall in civilian exports, which decreased by a third during this time, mostly just last year, due to for falling oil prices. Therefore, to understand the real state of affairs with the export of Russian weapons, its absolute volumes and the country’s share in the world market are much more important. However, it is not so easy to objectively assess these indicators.
Statistical deviations
For obvious reasons, the global arms trade is not the most transparent area of the economy; complete and reliable data on it in the public field is rare. Experts make assessments based on direct (statements from authorities, company reports, contract data) and indirect (assumptions about the volume of illegal supplies) data. The share of illegal supplies increases when the number of armed conflicts increases, and now is such a time.
It is not surprising that published data differ, sometimes significantly. For example, according to estimates of the American Congress, published by The New York Times, US revenues from arms sales in 2014 amounted to $36.2 billion, and Russia - $10.2 billion. The assessment of the Center for Analysis of the Global Arms Trade (TSAMTO) was different - $31.541 billion from the USA and $13.092 billion from Russia. OJSC Rosoboronexport, which controls more than 85% of Russian military exports, indicated in its annual report for 2014 the volume of external supplies of military products (MP) in the amount of $13.189 billion. And according to the AST Center, in 2014 Russia supplied weapons and military equipment worth $15 billion, including $13 billion through Rosoboronexport.
Rosoboronexport has not yet published a report for 2015; The AST Center estimated Russian arms exports over the past year at $14.5 billion (a decrease of 4% year-on-year), TsAMTO - at $13.944 billion (an increase of 6.5%), and taking into account the “unaccounted volume” - more than $15 billion, that is, approximately the same amount that appeared in the statements of officials.
When analyzing the arms market, assessment methods vary quite a lot. TsAMTO estimates the value of exports at current prices for the current year and averages the data over a four-year period. The AST Center calculates in current prices and, for comparison, in prices five years ago.
The Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is not at all interested in current prices, which, in the opinion of this organization, distort the real picture. Its calculations are carried out in 1990 prices, and exports count not only real sales, but also production licenses and even gratuitous transfers of weapons. For example, Russian exports in 2014 included estimates from the “military traders of Novorossiya.”
As a result of all this controversy, there is a strong discrepancy in the assessment of the shares and rankings of exporting countries. The only thing that all experts agree on is the definition of leaders: the United States is in first place, Russia is in second, and the rest follow with a wide margin. But the leaders’ shares are distributed differently. According to TsAMTO estimates (at current prices), the United States controlled 44.77% of global defense exports in 2015, and 41% of the world market over the last four-year period. Russia accounted for 15% of global supplies, and in general over the last four-year period - 18.3% of the world market. According to SIPRI (in 1990 prices), the United States accounted for 36.62% of the arms market in 2015 and 32.83% over the last five years, while Russia accounted for 19.15 and 25.36%, respectively.
First things first - airplanes
In the structure of Russian arms and military equipment exports, the dominant share is occupied by military aviation - more than 56% in 2015 and almost 44% over the five-year period (according to SIPRI estimates). The Russian Federation's report submitted to the UN Register of Conventional Arms indicates the supply of 28 aircraft - apparently, 14 Yak-130 units sold to Bangladesh, six MiG-29 for India and four Su-30 each delivered to Kazakhstan and Vietnam, and also 62 combat helicopters, most of which were in India (24 units) and Peru (16 units), presumably these are Mi-17s of various modifications.
In second place in sales over the five years are naval equipment (14%), followed by missiles (13%), as well as armored vehicles and air defense systems (10% each). At the same time, against the background of the growing share of aviation equipment, other types of weapons are losing their positions.
According to SIPRI estimates, in 2011-2015, Russia accounted for every fourth military aircraft exported in the world and every second air defense system. And also every fifth armored vehicle, every fourth warship, every fourth missile and every fourth engine. In fact, this is not so - SIPRI’s assessments are not entirely quantitative and not entirely monetary, since they calculate the equipment supplied for export in certain general conditional prices of 1990. So it’s difficult to judge the actual supply volumes based on SIPRI data, but the existing database allows us to see the dynamics. And she says that, despite the price advantage, Russia over the past two years has been reducing not only the total volume of arms exports, but also its share of the market both overall and in its main types.
For almost all main types of military equipment that have weight in the export structure, Russia’s share in 2015 was below the five-year average. For comparison, the US shares in all major types, with the exception of naval ones, showed positive dynamics.
Foundation for the future
Exporting countries have so far managed to retain regular consumers of military products and not overlap too much, since in order to change suppliers, it is sometimes necessary to completely re-equip combat units, and this is quite expensive.
The majority of Russian arms exports over the five years went to Asian countries (68%), followed by Africa (11%), the Middle East (8.2%), and Europe (mainly the countries of the former USSR - 6.4%). Over the five-year period 2011-2015, 39% of exports went to India, China and Vietnam (11% each), and Algeria received 7.28% of Russian military supplies. In 2015, the ratio shifted towards China and Vietnam: their shares increased to 15%, while supplies to India decreased to 35%. Also, the share of Algeria decreased to 5%, but the shares of Iraq and Kazakhstan increased to 7.5%. All this does not take into account Syria, data for which is not available in all sources. If we talk about smaller markets, supplies to Pakistan, Belarus and Bangladesh have recently increased, and Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Peru, Rwanda, Thailand and Zambia have appeared among buyers. At the same time, supplies to the UAE, Sudan, Uganda and Malaysia stopped.
Despite the emerging decline in volumes, Russian defense exports have prospects for maintaining and even expanding market share. Firstly, in 2015 there was a significant increase in the number of new contracts signed. The most important of them is the agreement for the supply of 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters to India for $1.1 billion, half of which can be shipped this year. Also last year, we agreed to sell 46 Ka-52 helicopters (amount unknown) to Egypt and 24 Su-35 fighter jets for $2.5 billion to China over three years (data from the AST Center). In addition, supplies will continue under previously concluded contracts. In particular, these will be Mi-28NE helicopters for Algeria, frigates and diesel-electric submarines for Vietnam.
The Russian army's rearmament program should also support domestic manufacturers of weapons and military equipment; With the funds allocated for it, manufacturers will be able to maintain the competitiveness of their products in the foreign market. Therefore, given the significant gap between the market leaders and the group of countries fighting for third place, at least Russia is not yet in danger of losing second place in the arms market.
