Russia to participate in farnborough airshow

The goal of Russia's participation in the Farnborough international air show on July 22 through 28 is demonstration of the increased capabilities of Russian enterprises of the defense industry.

Victor Komardin, deputy general director of the Rosoboronoexport Federal Unitary State Enterprise /FGUP/, said this at a meeting with journalists on Wednesday. The government has appointed Rosoboronoexport organizer of the Russian defense exhibition at Farnborough.

"We will present over twenty enterprises and organisations of the national defense industrial complex. In our pavilion information on over 200 specimens of Russian military equipment and armaments will be presented as mockups, posters and ads", he said.

Komardin said that Russia will draw the attention of the Western market to new machines and trainers for aircraft and space pilots, the possibility of updating Russian aviation technology owned by countries of the former "Eastern military bloc".

He regrets that, owing to the position taken by organizers of the airshow /they actually back the demand of the French Noga firm to arrest Russian pilots because of the 70-million debt allegedly unpaid to it by Russia/, Russia cannot demonstrate its latest warplane and helicopter models.

"After all, contracts take years, and not at airshows, to prepare", said the Rosoboronoexport manager.

Komardin stressed that esteem for Russian planes and armaments grow year in and year out. "In the past year we have concluded over 1,000 contracts with 69 countries and sold over four billion dollars' worth of military products. It is the largest amount in the last ten years", he said.

The Rosoboronoexport portfolio has over 13 billion dollars of signed contracts, said Komardin.