Defense & Intelligence Policy, Business and Technology

Russian arms trade agency chief sees continued cooperation in weapons sales

Defense News: LE BOURGET, France — The world arms market goes through business cycles and the present outlook is stability over the next two to three years, Dmitry Shugaev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russia’s arms trade agency, said June 20 at the Paris Air Show. The FSMTC “does not see an upsurge,” he told reporters at the trade show, which entered its second day. Shugaev communicated with an interpreter, but it was clear he understood spoken English. Foreign sales of aircraft account for 40 to 50 percent of Russian weapons, of which 35 percent are land systems, including ground-based missile defense, and 15 percent naval systems, he said. That split was based on annual Russian arms exports of an estimated $15 billion.

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