Rosoboronexport plans arms factories in Latin America

Russian arms exporter, Rosoboronexport is planning to set up licence-manufacture facilities in several Latin American countries, a news agency report quoted a company official as saying, “possibilities are now under discussion for the establishment of factories in a number of countries for the production and assembly of these under licence". Russian Rosoboronexport State Corporation has secured over $25 billion various defense contract for the coming years, according to a company official. The company official said, "Rosoboronexport views its participation in the LAAD-2009 as a major event aimed at further developing Russia's military-technical cooperation (MTC) with countries in that region. Much interest among Latin American partners is currently generated by Russian-made aircraft, helicopters, air defence systems, radars, ships, armoured vehicles, small arms, as well as training facilities. "Latin American countries also manifest considerable interest in the Rosoboronexport-offered possibility of payment for the supply of arms and military hardware with reciprocal deliveries of national export commodities or through the filling of quotas for the development of resources. Rosoboronexport is now busy promoting the entire spectrum of military and dual-use products, technologies and services to world markets. The orders placed with the Corporation for the coming years run at over $25 billion," added the company official. Sergei Svechnikov, leader of the Rosoboronexport delegation at LAAD 2009, was quoted in the same report as saying, "Brazil is our strategic partner. We regularly participate in the (LAAD) exhibition in Rio de Janeiro. By giving greater scope to MTC with Brazil and other Latin American countries, and by offering unique products of Russian defence enterprises to partners on terms that are attractive to them, we accomplish the main task: progressively to develop our relations".