Non-Subscriber Extract
Russia prepares to sell weapons worth $2.5 billion to Libya
By Keri Wagstaff-Smith
16 April 2008
Russia has prepared arms contracts for defence exports to Libya, which may exceed USD2.5 billion, according to a report from Russian military news agency Interfax-AVN on 14 April.
Citing an industry source, Interfax-AVN said that "a set of contracts for the export of Russian aircraft, anti-aircraft missile systems, naval and army weaponry to Libya may be signed in the near future. All the technical and financial formalities have been co-ordinated. The total cost of the contracts may exceed USD2.5 billion."
Interfax-AVN said that "according to unofficial information", the list of potential armaments for export to Libya includes: "several squadrons" of Russian anti-aircraft missile system, including the S-300 PMU2 Favorit; about 20 Tor M1 and Buk M1-2 anti-aircraft missile systems; two aircraft squadrons - one Mikoyan MiG-29 SMT and one Sukhoi Su-30 MK; and several dozen Mil Mi-17, Mi-35 and Kamov Ka-52 helicopters.
There are also plans to sign contracts for the modernisation of Soviet-made weaponry, which makes up nearly 90 per cent of Libya's armaments.