Western sanctions have led to increased global demand for Russian military equipment
Western sanctions against one of the leading enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex, Uralvagonzavod, did not lead to a drop in demand for Russian military equipment.
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The general director of the corporation, Oleg Sienko, spoke about this in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, admitting that the sanctions affected the enterprise, but also pointing out that Western Europe suffered serious losses - reputational and financial.
In particular, we are talking about a joint Russian-French project of a new wheeled vehicle “Atom” for deliveries to third countries.
“What was beneficial to both us and Western Europe is being phased out at the behest of Washington,” noted Oleg Sienko. – Let’s take the same “Atom” project. I repeat, he could become very promising. The French refused to continue working together. And they were the only ones who lost. At the largest arms exhibition IDEX-2015, held in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, Emirates Defense Technology presented its new project - the Enigma heavy wheeled infantry fighting vehicle. And now the Emirates have decided on a combat module for it. It will be the same one that we designed for “Atom”. It is based on an automatic 57 mm AU-220M cannon. Military and civilian specialists from the UAE came to Nizhny Tagil, assessed how the cannon fired, and were satisfied. The issue of installing our module on the Enigma infantry fighting vehicle and conducting comprehensive tests at the UAE test sites, which should begin next year, is now being decided. So we are creating a new cooperation. And this is not an isolated example.”
Also, the general director of Uralvagonozavod recalled that military delegations of the highest level came to the military-technical exhibition held in Nizhny Tagil.
“We were not surprised that, along with technical specialists, the RAE-2015 exhibition was visited by the chiefs of general staff and defense ministers of a number of countries,” said Oleg Sienko. “And this is due to the fact that interest in our military equipment is growing. Of course, sanctions can be imposed against us, and attempts can be made to discredit our tanks and armored vehicles. But the real war that is currently going on in the Middle East gives it an objective assessment.”
“There is no indestructible equipment,” adds the publication’s interlocutor. – The question is the price-quality ratio and ease of operation. The American Abrams has more powerful protection and weapons than the T-72. But it is also disproportionately more expensive. And what? On the Internet there is a video of the penetration of the frontal armor of an Abrams by an ancient Soviet ATGM, long removed from service in the Russian army. And the front of the turret of this tank is equal to a meter of monolithic armor. At the same time, the old T-72s of the Syrian army are successfully fighting in urban environments against ISIS militants. And again, on the Internet there is footage of cumulative shells hitting the T-72 turret, the dynamic protection being activated, and no penetration.”
Western sanctions have led to increased global demand for Russian military equipment.