Russia’s Rostec State Corporation is set to lead the country’s joint exhibit at MILEX 2023, an upcoming international trade fair showcasing arms and military equipment that the company will be looking to export, in Minsk, Belarus, from May 17 to 20, 2023.
However, Russia is already struggling to fulfil arms delivery commitments for previous yeas, including to the Indian Air Force (IAF), that stated, in March 2023, that Russia has failed to provide crucial defence supplies to India’s military due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Tristan Sauer, aerospace and defence analyst for GlobalData said that “Russia is evidently looking to offset the reputational damage done to the Russian defence industry by the lacklustre performance of their technology in Ukraine.
“Regardless of performance, Russian industry’s problems have only been exacerbated by the sanctions and targeting of defence infrastructure.
“Russia are already delaying and cancelling commitments to longstanding customers like India, so the viability of acquiring Russian defence equipment over the next few years seems questionable at best.”
On 21 March, the IAF made a statement to a parliamentary committee, which subsequently published it on its website, Reuters reported. According to a representative from the Indian Air Force, Russia had intended to make a significant delivery this year, but it has been confirmed that this will no longer be taking place.
Russian air power and defences on display at MILEX 2023
“We’re showing innovative competitive R&D products that demonstrate strong technology capacities of Russian enterprises,” said Alexander Mikheev, Director General of Rosoboronexport, a subsidiary of Rotsec, in a release announcing the exhibion at MILEX 2023.
The MILEX exhibit from Russia features a range of products from 17 manufacturers, which includes large holding companies affiliated with Rostec. Rosoboronexport will show its latest models of air materiel, which include the Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft, the Su-35 multirole fighter, the Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopter, and the Mi-35M transport/attack helicopter. Upgraded versions of the Mi-28NE and Ka-52 attack helicopters will also be showcase, which offer superior combat strength and the ability to engage small ground and low-speed air targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Among the systems on display at MILEX will be the Viking surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, which has been developed and produced by the Rotsec. The system has the ability to engage a wide range of airborne threats, including tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, strategic, tactical and army aircraft, precision-guided weapons, unmanned aerial vehicles, and helicopters, even those that utilise stealth technology. The Viking has the capability to be integrated with precision guided weapon protection systems, including the Tor short-range SAM system.
The Tor-M2KM SAM system has been specifically engineered to defend against attacks from a diverse array of aerial weapons, including unmanned aerial vehicles, across varying altitudes. The fighting module on display at MILEX can be utilised in a stationary capacity to protect facilities, as well as being adaptable to a variety of chassis and platforms.
The upcoming MILEX display of the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft gun/missile system in Minsk is set to showcase the capabilities of the Rostec-affiliated holding company High Precision Systems. The system is designed to engage targets with missiles at ranges spanning from 1200 m to 20 km, and at altitudes ranging from 15 m to 15 km. The system is equipped with guns that can engage targets at ranges from 200 m to 4 km, and altitudes up to 3 km. The Pantsir-S1 has the capability to operate independently while engaging up to four air targets at the same time.
