Non-Subscriber Extract
Russian roulette
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| 07 December 2006 |
By Alex Vatanka and Richard Weitz
The Russian defence industry has begun to see the Middle East and North Africa as a potential market for export growth. In the Arab states, Russia regularly ranks second or third among weapons-exporting countries after France or the UK. Its most prominent customers are currently Algeria and Syria, while other important arms purchasers include the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority. Moscow's existing or Soviet-era arms relationships with many Arab states, such as Syria, Libya and Yemen, also facilitate ties.
Advancing geo-strategic interests are clearly part and parcel of Moscow's motivations. Russian policy makers believe that their extensive arms transfers enhance Moscow's ties with Arab governments, some of which have often warily considered Russia through the prism of its atheist and subversive Soviet past or its subjugation of Chechnya and its predominantly Muslim population.
Algeria-Morocco rivalry
One of the most significant indications of Russia's possible influence in the Middle East and North African arms market was the sale to Algeria of an arms package worth some USD7.5 billion in March 2006, with an option for another USD2-3 billion in possible follow-on contracts.
Under these deals, Russia will deliver dozens of advanced warplanes including 28 Su-30MK interdictors, 36 MiG-29SMT fighters and 16 Yak-130 training aircraft. Russian companies will also provide 300 T-90S main battle tanks, eight battalions of S-300 PMU Almaz-Antei surface-to-air missile systems, as well as other weapons systems. Russian firms also will upgrade or repair certain Soviet-era weapons, such as Algerian T-72 tanks.
The motivation for the Algeria deal appears to have been primarily commercial and related to energy security. However, there may also be other benefits. Russian government officials have already expressed the hope that Algeria's military modernisation will encourage similar purchases in North Africa. In particular, Morocco and Libya are identified as potential markets.
When asked whether Russia's March 2006 deal might upset the balance of power between Algeria and Morocco, Ivanov replied: "No one is preventing Morocco from buying our arms and we are ready to consider such proposals, all the more so, since we already have military and technical co-operation with Morocco."
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© 2006 Jane's Information Group
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