WikiLeaks about Russian mil export

Between the classified document I have found the US embassy 2007 year report. Very interesting sometimes...

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 04 MOSCOW 005154


EO 12958 DECL: 10/09/2017

TAGS PREL, ECON, MARR, MASS, PARM, PINR, PINS, RS

SUBJECT: ADDRESSING RUSSIAN ARMS SALES

REF: A. STATE 137954 B. MOSCOW 3207 C. MOSCOW 3139 D. MOSCOW 3023 E. MOSCOW 557 F. MOSCOW 402

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1971. The War of Nerves in Bengal Bay

Today, December 6, the visit of the Indian PM Mr. Manmohan Singh in Moscow has started. I'm glad to see how the meetings between the two leaders of the countries become more often and (hopefully) will become a diplomatic routine, like let's say the meetings between leaders of Germany and France. As I have already written before, there was a meeting between Indian PM and the Russian journalists in Delhi, and now is published the short interview of mr. Manmohan Singh to Russian 'Izvestia' newspaper. He said before the visit: 'We hope, Russia will be able to influence Pakistan and persuade it to not use terror as a mean for the state policy since such policy is counter-productive and contradicts to peaceful neighborhood principles. Russia is an important factor of stability and security in the world. Nobody else can give us what the cooperation with Russia does'. He also marked the common 5th gen fighter project and MTA, as the most prioritized Indo-Russian cooperation project in military sphere.

In addition:
1) The Agreement for cooperation in military sphere on 2011-2020 will be signed/
2) The Agreement for after-selling service for Russian mil equipment wil be signed too during the visit.
3) The planned trading between two countries in 2010 will rech $10 bil.
4) New places for Indian atomic power stations will be discussed with Medvedev and Putin.

Also the big interview with Mr. Manmohan Singh was published in Russian 'Trud' newspaper.

But some days ago, in December 3, was 38 years anniversary of the Indo-Pakistan conflict, 1971. Then the Russian (Soviet) involvement has played an important role in prevention the Anglo-Saxon pressure on India which was directed to save face of their Pakistani ally and not to allow Bangladesh secession. This video is a part from the Russian TV program 'Strike Forces' and it's involved the witnesses of those events. The translation from Russian is mine.

'Borei' and 'Bulava'

As I predicted before, US and Russia have not reached the new agreement about strategic forces in time. In December, 5 the term of the START treaty was expired, but no new accord was signed. In the common declaration yesterday Obama and Medvedev have officially confirmed their failure.

Is a new nuclear race probable now?

Anyway, due to the new circumstances the modern Russian strategic programs become more interesting to everybody. This article from Russian 'Army & Navy Review' magazine 4, 2009, is about 4th generation 'Borei'-class SSBN and 'Bulava' missile. Interesting comparable data between 'Bulava' and early competing 'Bark' program are published in the article. Because limited time I cannot translate the article in full, sorry. Thus, use, please the online translators.

A cheap alternative for submarine launched ICBMs

Dec. 5, 2009 the SALT-1 Agreement is expired. I want to be wrong, but personally I think there is only a few possibility to finalize the new Strategic Weapon limitation treaty between US and RF. The difference in positions is too wide and the time remained is too little. So, the ideas about what to do if a new nuclear race starts, are still actual as well despite some progress occurs in US-Russia relations during Obama presidency. This article is the opinion of a Russian military expert in the Russian English-language magazine 'National Defence', issue 1, 2009.

Army transformation. Part 2.

Part 1.

It's the article of Lieutenant General Vladimir Shamanov, the Chief ot the Main Combat Training and Service Directorate of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, published in Russian English-language 'National Defence' magazine, #1, 2009.

European guru: 'Let's go for common army'

Franco Frattini, the Italian Foreign Minister, made the day. In an interview with The Times at his office in the monumental marble-halled Foreign Ministry on the banks of the Tiber, Mr Frattini said:

"If we do not find a common foreign policy, there is the risk that Europe will become irrelevant. We will be bypassed by the G2 of America and China, which is to say the Pacific axis, and the Atlantic axis will be forgotten. We need political will and commitment, otherwise the people of Europe will be disillusioned and disappointed  (...) It was a necessary objective to have a European army".

- I ask myself why politics in Russia, India and Brasil, who have even more cause for being threated or marginalized by strengthened China-US axis   don't bother to think about more active cooperation in foreign politics and military sphere? Don't they see the changes in the world? Even Japan has changed its foreign politics radically last months...

Russian intention towards China: "We want such an approach no more"

The 'Saturn's chief says about his great unsutisfaction from Chinese pirate coping politics: 

"Our relations with China often represented the following pattern: we sell a number of engines, whereas the other party uses them for copying. We want such an approach no more. In current talks with China  we are proposing to build such relations where none of the partners would have either possibilities or desires to cheat. It would hardly be possible to cooperate with China in the same manner as with France  under the SaM146 project. We need to look for another ver­sion". 

Russian corvettes for Vietnam

Sunday reading. Although closing the Russian Navy base in Kam-Rahn during Putin's first presidency, Vietnam is remained a key Russian ally in South-East Asia and an important counter-balance against growing China's power. After a bloody incident around disputed Spratley islands, Hanoi activized the purchases for its Navy. A number of Russian-made project 1241.8 'Molniya' fast missiles boats equipped with Kh-35 misiles were bought. The 2006 contract for two '2000 t displacement 'Gepard'-class corvettes is under way too. This is an article about the project from Russian 'National Defence' journal:

Moscow afterparty

According to the Russian new agencies and DM reports, the 9th session of India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on military-technical cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) was rather successful. Some of questions and problems were resolved – was declared by the sides. The protocol for prospective joint military programs' realization was signed by two DMs. It includes:

1)      Complete the bureaucratic formality of PAKFA/FGFA project till year end.

2)      Speed up resolving of Gorshkov's payment issue 'in mutual interest'.

3)      Brahmos air version was confirmed, the acceleration of manufacturing too.

4)      New joint ventures in helicopters' development – the plans for this was confirmed. According to Russian DM was told about a prospective medium lift helicopter.

5)      Joint venture for future IFV development will be esteblished.

6)      New modernization programs: Su-30MKI, MiG-27, T-90S, T-72M1, BMP-2.

7)      The project of Program of military-technical cooperation on 2011-2020 and the project of after-selling support & service agreement were discussed. They will be signed in Dec.2009 during Indian PM visit to Moscow.

China tries to achieve engines with enhanced capability for its FC-1 fighter

During long time the Chinese try to achieve RD-93 engines with enhanced capability, the Russian 'AviaPort's correspondent reports. They said that if Russia agrees to sell them this class engine with 9 t thrust they are ready to buy up to 1000 units in total cost of $3.75. Till now Russia didn't agree to repeating and insisting Chinese desire.  India was strongly against this deal. It was said in  Delhi that in such a case RD-93 will be comparable to RD-33MK engine which is installed on MiG-29K fighter exported for India's 'Vikramaditya' carrier, said an 'Aviaport' source.

 So Russia has agreed to export for China only a downgraded 8.3 t thrust variant. This engine is installed on the Chinese FC-1 light fighter, recently exported to Pakistan. The initial China contract with Moscow's 'Chernyshev' plant was for 100 RD-93 engine,  $238 mil, signed in 2005. First 15 engines were departed to China in late 2006.  

Two Kirov's class atomic cruisers will be resurrected

The Russian naval program goes ahead. After declared intention to buy in one of the European countries (France, Nederland or Spain) an amphibious assault ship, also known as a helicopter carrier, a Russian military top said that two additional now conserved nuclear-propelled cruiser Kirov's class can be resurrected and enter the Navy service. The deputy MoD Vladimir Popovkin said to 'Moscow Echo' radio-station yesterday that the program for this is already developed. The atomic cruisers 'Admiral Nakhimov' and 'Admiral Lazarev' will come back to service on Pacific and Northern fleets. For the force projection in the remote pelagic areas Russia needs at least two such cruisers on the North and one – on Pacific he said. The current activation of Russian military policy in Latin America has to be supported by additional transportation and strike capacity. Russia needs it urgently otherwise its old and new friends there never can be calm about US invasion. 

Indian delegation visited RD-33MK production plant

The Indian military delegation has visited in September, 15 a Russian 'Chernyshev' plant, where RD-33/RD-33MK engines for MiG-29K/MiG-35 are manufactured. The deputy Minister of Defense R.K.Singh and HAL's chief Ashok Nayak headed the delegation, 'Interfax-AVN' news agency reports. Two years ago India and Russia signed agreement for RD-33 ser. 3 engine license  production in India and ToT. Only the first 20-40 aircrafts will be produced with imported of the shelf GE404 engines. The current delays in development fully indigenous 'Kavery' engine for HAL's LCA fighter and the new IAF ambitions for better payload pushes Indian tops for seeking more powerful engine for upgrading LCA. The currently installed GE404 doesn't fulfill the IAF specification and isn't powerful enough for Navy LCA variant. According to the new request they need minimum 90 kN wet thrust for the strengthened LCA airframe and increased load. 

Prospects of Russian AF

Hmmm... it could be interesting for the people abroad. An article of RuAF's commander Gen. Alexander Zelin in Russia's English language'National Defence' Journal, issue 1, 2009 with an exellent MiG-35 view on the cover. Has written about PAK FA too. The sequence of the pages are disturbed, so keep it right:

Very revolutionary Russian submarine will keep peace near US borders

In September 2007 a little Russian non-commercial newspaper from N-Novgorod made a row when published information about a previously unknown submarine project. In this news was noted that 'Sarov' submarine is finished its building in Severodvinsk (White Sea). Even the name of its commander, captain Sergey Kroshkin, became known to public. The basic specs of this submarine were also published there. The displacement – 2,300/3,950 t, dimension 72.6 x 9.9 m, deepness – 300 m, draught – 7 m, speed 10/17 knots, autonomy – 45 days. No people was disciplined for this seemingly severe leakage. So, the supposition says it could be an 'intended leakage' of information, kind of peaceful Russian gesture for putting pressure on hawkish Bush administration.

Indian MMRCA competition in new economic reality

The start of comparative trials on the Indian Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender have pulled a lot of attention. First fighter under testing is American F-18 Super Hornet. While F-16 (US), MiG-35 (Russia), Rafale (France), Eurofighter (EU partnership) and Grippen (Sweden) are following it in yet known sequence.

However, the principal question is: whether the huge deal remains as actual as before? Didn’t it loss its importance or\and financial weight? Are Indian's tops still ready to pay for foreign customer that huge sum: $10.5 billions, as was planned early, prior to the world financial crisis was started?

Common sense suggests that nothing could run just as before, while the crisis shown its unhandsome face. Countries like USA, Great Britain, France ponder significant reduce of their military spending. The most ambitious programs, like American stealth-fighter F-22, were cut. Although India happens to be between the less suffering (economically) countries, the behavior of its decision-makers cannot be untouched. The economy gross of India will be significantly lower this year if not negative. The prognosis for 3-years perspective is mostly gloom for World economy, while second wave of crisis is rather possible. Being economy professional the Indian PM Mr. Manmohan Singh would be well aware of consequences for the country's over-stretch in running for too ambitious targets.

In 'liquidity hunger' context the Indian government has already started recalculation and re-consideration of its current military purchase line with clear accent on indigenization and domestic production. Now the recession-induced fall of price on metals and labor has already allowed India activation of its domestic ship-building efforts. Recently a number of new ships for Indian Navy were launched along three country's shipyards.