Arms sales record in Russia in 2012

Exports of military equipment from Russia, second arms supplier in the world after the United States reached a record level of $ 15.2 billion (11.4 billion euros) in 2012, announced Monday, January 21 a senior official quoted by Russian news agencies.

This figure must be further refined at the end of January or beginning of February, more than 12% of the government's goals, said Alexander Fomin, the director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation. It is, moreover, an increase of 15% compared to the year 2011, during which Moscow had delivered $ 13.2 billion for weapons.

AMONG ITS BIGGEST CLIENTS OF INDIA AND CHINA

Russia has more than doubled its sales abroad compared to the early 2000s. The country has among its largest customers in India and China. He continues to sell equipment to Syria, but says it is mainly air defense weapons and not itself. Mr. Fomin said that Afghanistan, Ghana, Tanzania and Oman were among the new customers of Russian industry in 2012.


In December 2012, Russian President Vladimir Putin had welcomed the military record exports and stated that the new contracts signed in 2012 (possibly later deliveries) also represented, such as shipments, over $ 15 billion. At the end of December, he took his official visit to India, the largest importer in the world, to sign agreements worth billions of dollars, primarily for helicopters and fighter planes.