Russia is an old partner of many Latin American countries in the sphere of military-technical cooperation. Status of strategic partnership existing between Russia Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Peru, and facilitates relationships in this area.
The other day at a meeting of the presidential Commission on military-technical cooperation of Russia with foreign States, President Vladimir Putin said that the export of Russian military products in 2015 amounted to 14.5 billion dollars. Russia ranks second in the world behind the United States in the list of arms suppliers. V. Putin noted that there are new promising markets for arms sales, including Latin America. Here is the largest buyer of Russian military equipment is Venezuela, in recent years, Russia has successfully interacts with defence cooperation with almost all countries in Latin America.
Dynamically developing relations in this field with Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua and some other countries who prefer not to publicly demonstrate your interest in the “products” from Russia: transactions of this kind cause irritation of Washington, which may follow repression of financial, economic and political nature.
However, the behavior of potential clients of Rosoboronexport and Latin American companies-manufacturers of IWT is significantly different from what was observed 10-12 years ago. A lot about the capabilities of Russian arms in Latin American military learned after the demonstration of his power in Syria. At the meeting in Santiago de Chile the international exhibition of arms and military equipment FIDAE-2016 Russia was represented by 15 production companies: “Rosoboronexport”, companies “machine engineering technologies”, “Almaz-Antey”, the company “Helicopters of Russia” and “MiG”, NGO “Basalt”. Potential customers were presented the Mi-171A2, Ka-32A11VS helicopter, the Ansat, the Yak-130УБС, su-35S, su-30MKI, MiG-29M/M2, the plane-amphibian be-200. Were also presented complexes that serve air defense system – WITH-300ВМ, SAM Buk-M2E, tor-m2km. The exhibition was shown and civilian products: the SukhoiSuperjet 100 aircraft, which is successfully used by the Mexican airline Interjet, and wide-body medium-haul MS-21.
According to Anatoly Punchuk, Deputy Director of the Federal service for military-technical cooperation, who headed the Russian delegation at FIDAE, the portfolio of foreign orders for Russian arms exceed $ 50 billion. Of this amount, the share of Latin America is approximately one and a half billion dollars. “Russia views Latin America, says Pinchuk, as one of the promising markets for the promotion of domestic military production”. He also emphasizes that today the most important partner of Russia is Venezuela.
The Venezuelan leadership does not exclude the possibility of U.S. military intervention in the internal Affairs of the country under the pretext of the occurrence of “threats to democracy”. President Nicolas Maduro constantly reminds Venezuelans: “the Bolivarian army, Navy, air force, police, the people of Venezuela should be on the alert”. The government tries to avoid a situation in which “foreign imperialist boots” would affect the country. Complete modernization of the Armed forces of Venezuela was completed in just ten years.
The protection of air borders of Venezuela carry out the su-30MK2 planes and helicopters Mi-35M. In the fall of 2015, the Ministry of defense of Venezuela said that the government has allocated an additional $ 480 million for the acquisition of 12 multi-role fighters Су30. The Venezuelan air defense forces are equipped with Russian AAMS “Antey-2500”, “Pechora-2M” and Buk-M2E. The Venezuelans also jet systems of volley fire “Tornado” and 152-mm self-propelled artillery MSTA-S.
A longtime partner of Russia in military-technical cooperation is Peru. At different times in this country were delivered by 18 helicopters of various types, which are perfectly proven. At the end of 2013 Moscow and Lima have signed a new contract for the delivery of 24 military transport Mi-171SH helicopters worth $ 500 million. The contract has been completed, the devices are successfully operated, demonstrating exceptional durability in mountain conditions. Peruvians intend to purchase an additional batch of helicopters for various purposes, the negotiations have already moved into practice. With the growing of the Peruvian armed forces helicopter fleet of class “Mi” Russian experts contribute to the maintenance center and repair of helicopters. Similar service centers will be established in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. Building a system of after-sales service technology is one of the priorities of “Rosoboronexport”.
Russian helicopters is unpretentious, easy to use and repair. Tactical and technical characteristics is not inferior to Western models, and parameter “price – quality” superior to them. The same can be said about fighters and bombers. On delivery delays do not happen, everything is debugged to trifles.
Russian rotorcraft, including helicopter, operated successfully in Brazil. The agreement on military-technical cooperation with this country was signed eight years ago. For a long time this segment was fully occupied by American and European manufacturers, for each contract the Russians had and have to fight. The competition is tough, however, Russia occupies 14 % of the arms market of Brazil. According to estimates, Russia is second only to France, the privileged partner of Brazil in this area, but ahead of the United States, Sweden and Israel.
Brazilians interested in heavy transport helicopters Mi-26 and rotorcraft civil use of Mi-171A1 and Ka-32A11BC, Ka-226T and “Ansat”. There are preliminary agreements on procurement training and combat aircraft Yak-130УБС, Tiger armored vehicles, supersonic cruise missile BrahMos joint Russian-Indian production and anti-missile systems.
Large supplies in Brazil are in the field of air defence; in the world market Russia has always been a leader in this type of arms.
At the same time Russian manufacturers are intensifying military-technical cooperation with Argentina and Mexico; both countries are interested in enriching their quality of parks helicopter equipment.
At the exhibition FIDAE-2016 the representatives of Peru, Mexico, Uruguay and Brazil have shown interest in special vehicles from Russia. According to Anatoly Punchuk, “the best advertising opportunities of the Russian cars is their successful participation in the Dakar rally (race route is laid on “crazy relief” Bolivia, Chile and Argentina). According to Punuka, there is another important aspect: “…we are always ready to accommodate the wishes of foreign users to the technical appearance planned for the supply of equipment. There were cases when Russian specialists developed and installed a brand new components on equipment, such as engines and transmission”.
Steven blank, Russia expert from the American Foreign Policy Council, questioned the openness and transparency goals of the Russian military-technical cooperation with the Latin Americans: “In Latin America,” he writes, “apart from diplomacy, trade, arms sales and investments of the Russian policy also included the following elements: support of the rebels in the Western States; the desire to organize against military bases of the USA in order to involve Latin America in a new rivalry between the super powers; efforts to establish cooperation with the intelligence services of like-minded governments, to Moscow then might try to undermine certain regimes in Latin America”.
Look at Russia through the prism of the cold war Blanca leads to the conclusion that she once again was involved in a geopolitical struggle with the United States in the Western hemisphere. Other analysts stress that Russia is trying to put an end to the US hegemony in the international arena. In Latin America it is supposedly aimed at the establishment of military bases in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba and some other countries. Moscow, says blank, “courting” them through the supply of weapons and energy.
At the same time, the Russian presidential aide for military-technical cooperation Vladimir Kozhin stressed Russia’s desire not be limited only to deliveries to Latin America finished military products. The issue about the transfer of Russian partners in the region modern technologies and modernization of their military industry. “Are developed and approved a long-term programme of cooperation. An example of this is Cuba, we hope to develop similar cooperation with Argentina,” – said Kozhin. JSC “Rosoboronexport” and other Russian companies conduct systematic marketing work, paying great attention to the market entry of countries “that have traditionally focused on other arms suppliers”. The Russians are confident in the competitiveness of their weapons.
Significant that, unlike the Americans, Russia very rarely connects delivery the PTS to political conditions. For Latin America, where political stability can boast of a few countries, this is especially important.
