https://sputniknews.in/20250606/battle-tested-russian-military-export-in-for-a-new-life-9247953.html
Battle Tested: Russian Military Export In For a New Life
Battle Tested: Russian Military Export In For a New Life
Sputnik India
Quite a discussion has cropped up in Moscow mass media this week, after Ukrainian drones attacked Russian strategic bombers’ home bases, slightly damaging but... 06.06.2025, Sputnik India
2025-06-06T16:09+0530
2025-06-06T16:09+0530
2025-06-06T16:09+0530
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vladimir putin
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indian air force (iaf)
su-57e
sukhoi su-30mki
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Mr. Alexei Vasilyev, independent military writer, has shocked the public, saying that hordes of drones are currently destroying Ukrainian military facilities and ammunition warehouses with absolute accuracy, while the family of Tupolev strategic bombers are idling on the ground. Modern warfare, Vasilyev says, shows us that one may as well take a civilian liner, like the Russian Tu-214, and turn it easily into anything from a sky tanker for refueling to a surveillance airship or to a missile-carrier.Not so, answers another expert, Mr. Roman Gusarov. The existing Tu-95 and Tu-22 are perfectly equipped to do their job, he says, and do not forget that both machines have underwent several rounds of modernization. As long as they can carry modern missiles, they are fit for business. To add, these old warriors have been made sturdy and are able to use shorter landing strips, which a civilian liner cannot do.The same discussion goes, like, on again, off again about virtually any kind of weaponry these days. Yesterday I’ve glimpsed a TV documentary about the famous tank factory in Urals mountains, that has just fulfilled an order for the T-80, the tank rumored to be the main battle horse of the operation in Ukraine. That machine does look weird today, sporting an ugly grill able to repel drones. But, anyway, the tank is very much around, while only a year ago a similar discussion has been raging almost everywhere: what do we need tanks for, these days, when only drones seem to be the weapon of choice?To add, Russia is by far not the only nation that holds such discussion. India has just had only three days of hostilities, but the experts are still at it. India urgently needs Russia’s Su-57 to maintain air dominance, says Mr.Aninda Dey in the Firstpost. The author’ logic is as such: Operation Sindoor saw a paradigm shift in aerial combat—a different kind of ‘dogfight’. The IAF and PAF hadn’t breached each other’s airspace yet were engaged. So, dogfight is increasingly becoming obsolete. A jet with a big radar envelope and loaded with a 400-km PL-17 or 300-km PL-15 BVRAAM doesn’t need to engage with an enemy aircraft at close range.But, goes on the writer, when Pakistan acquires the J-35, the IAF will be at a massive disadvantage. Moreover, the IAF operates only 30 squadrons, much below the sanctioned strength of 42, and 8 more squadrons are set to retire over the next decade. Only two jets may solve the problem, says Aninda, and the Russian Su-57E has a clear advantage over the American F-35.The reasons, as listed, are numerous. First, the F-35A, the conventional landing-and-take-off variant, costs around $80-$110 million per unit. The Su-57 costs around $35-$40 million. Besides, the F-35’s maintenance cost is much higher than the Su-57E’s. Second, the US doesn’t allow allies, like Israel, Australia, Italy, Japan and others, which use the F-35 to manufacture it under licence. They only produce components and offer maintenance services. Third, user countries can’t modify the F-35 without US permission with the US controlling its hardware and software. On the other hand, India has been manufacturing the Su-30MKI under licence. And so on, and thank you, dear Aninda Day, for liking our sky warrior, we like it ourselves.And that discussion, again, is only one more example of how much the modern warfare experience changes the concepts of what weapon to develop, produce, purchase, and maintain. Which means that Russia’s military industry is in for an international boom. The words “battle-tested” say it all, and these days are been repeated all the time and at all possible venues, applied to Russia’s wares.And this is where we need a closer look at the trends, evident in all these venues. First, Russia is edging towards a successful ending of a war with, virtually, all the West, and that’s about 50 big or small nations. So, is the Russian industry capable of fulfilling orders and meeting deadlines, while the national army still demands huge replenishment of arsenals? Will it be able to take such orders tomorrow?A meeting has recently taken place in Kremlin, where the President Vladimir Putin has stated that in 2024 Russia, our enterprises, has fulfilled their export commitments in general. In some instances, he added, mutually satisfactory decisions were made together with our foreign partners, while forms and ways of interaction were flexibly and promptly adjusted.Second, exactly how big is international demand for Russian weapons even now? Here, again, we have to guess, since international statistics in that area seem to be in disarray. It has been reported by SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) that, in 2024, France has overtook Russia as the second biggest arms exporter, with the US still being #1. Moscow experts have immediately said that something was wrong with SIPRI’s methods of calculation, Russia is still #2 with 13.75 billion of US dollars of exports. Vladimir Putin enigmatic phrase, namely, “Russia remains among the top five leaders of the global arms market and retains its leading export positions in many areas”, only adds to the mystery.But if there is one thing that contains no mystery at all, that is the future. Turning back to Putin’s speech, it says that the current order portfolio for Russian military equipment is considerable – amounting to tens of billions of dollars – and Russia has to actively augment the volume of export deliveries. There was an exact figure of 60 billion dollars’ worth of orders only for the Rostech corporation, mentioned in a couple of interviews.In any case, the expert community reads all the tea leaves in only one way: Russia is going to take the first place in global military sales. The reason is all too obvious (shall we say these words again – battle-tested weapons?). So, the question is, what will be the most needed weapons of tomorrow.Being a pessimist, unable to predict eternal peace on Earth for the coming years, I may only quote again Vladimir Putin, who said, in the same meeting, that “special attention should be directed towards advanced systems that are requisite for our Armed Forces and hold export potential. These include robotic aerial, ground, maritime, and submersible systems; laser complexes; and troop command systems employing artificial intelligence technology. Such equipment signifies the future of the global arms market”.Dmitry Kosyrev is a Russian writer, author of spy novels and short stories. He also did columns for the Pioneer and Firstpost.com
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vladimir putin, russia, us, india, indian air force (iaf), su-57e, sukhoi su-30mki
Battle Tested: Russian Military Export In For a New Life
Quite a discussion has cropped up in Moscow mass media this week, after Ukrainian drones attacked Russian strategic bombers’ home bases, slightly damaging but failing to seriously harm any aircrafts. What do we need these big bombers for, asks one group of experts, causing furious reaction of yet another group of their colleagues.
Mr. Alexei Vasilyev, independent military writer, has shocked the public, saying that hordes of drones are currently destroying Ukrainian military facilities and ammunition warehouses with absolute accuracy, while the family of Tupolev strategic bombers are idling on the ground. Modern warfare, Vasilyev says, shows us that one may as well take a civilian liner, like the Russian Tu-214, and turn it easily into anything from a sky tanker for refueling to a surveillance airship or to a missile-carrier.
Not so, answers another expert, Mr. Roman Gusarov. The existing Tu-95 and Tu-22 are perfectly equipped to do their job, he says, and do not forget that both machines have underwent several rounds of modernization. As long as they can carry modern missiles, they are fit for business. To add, these old warriors have been made sturdy and are able to use shorter landing strips, which a civilian liner cannot do.
The same discussion goes, like, on again, off again about virtually any kind of weaponry these days. Yesterday I’ve glimpsed a TV documentary about the famous tank factory in Urals mountains, that has just fulfilled an order for the T-80, the tank rumored to be the main battle horse of the operation in Ukraine. That machine does look weird today, sporting an ugly grill able to repel drones. But, anyway, the tank is very much around, while only a year ago a similar discussion has been raging almost everywhere: what do we need tanks for, these days, when only drones seem to be the weapon of choice?
To add, Russia is by far not the only nation that holds such discussion. India has just had only three days of hostilities, but the experts are still at it. India urgently needs Russia’s Su-57 to maintain air dominance, says Mr.
Aninda Dey in the Firstpost. The author’ logic is
as such: Operation Sindoor saw a paradigm shift in aerial combat—a different kind of ‘dogfight’. The IAF and PAF hadn’t breached each other’s airspace yet were engaged. So, dogfight is increasingly becoming obsolete. A jet with a big radar envelope and loaded with a 400-km PL-17 or 300-km PL-15 BVRAAM doesn’t need to engage with an enemy aircraft at close range.
But, goes on the writer, when Pakistan acquires the J-35, the IAF will be at a massive disadvantage. Moreover, the IAF operates only 30 squadrons, much below the sanctioned strength of 42, and 8 more squadrons are set to retire over the next decade. Only two jets may solve the problem, says Aninda, and the Russian Su-57E has a clear advantage over the American F-35.
The reasons, as listed, are numerous. First, the F-35A, the conventional landing-and-take-off variant, costs around $80-$110 million per unit. The Su-57 costs around $35-$40 million. Besides, the F-35’s maintenance cost is much higher than the Su-57E’s. Second, the US doesn’t allow allies, like Israel, Australia, Italy, Japan and others, which use the F-35 to manufacture it under licence. They only produce components and offer maintenance services. Third, user countries can’t modify the F-35 without US permission with the US controlling its hardware and software. On the other hand, India has been manufacturing the Su-30MKI under licence. And so on, and thank you, dear Aninda Day, for liking our sky warrior, we like it ourselves.
And that discussion, again, is only one more example of how much the modern warfare experience changes the concepts of what weapon to develop, produce, purchase, and maintain. Which means that Russia’s military industry is in for an international boom. The words “battle-tested” say it all, and these days are been repeated all the time and at all possible venues, applied to Russia’s wares.
And this is where we need a closer look at the trends, evident in all these venues. First, Russia is edging towards a successful ending of a war with, virtually, all the West, and that’s about 50 big or small nations. So, is the Russian industry capable of fulfilling orders and meeting deadlines, while the national army still demands huge replenishment of arsenals? Will it be able to take such orders tomorrow?
A meeting has recently taken place in Kremlin, where the President Vladimir Putin has
stated that in 2024 Russia, our enterprises, has fulfilled their export commitments in general. In some instances, he added, mutually satisfactory decisions were made together with our foreign partners, while forms and ways of interaction were flexibly and promptly adjusted.
Second, exactly how big is international demand for Russian weapons even now? Here, again, we have to guess, since international statistics in that area seem to be in disarray. It has been reported by SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) that, in 2024, France has overtook Russia as the second biggest arms exporter, with the US still being #1. Moscow experts have immediately said that something was wrong with SIPRI’s methods of calculation, Russia is still #2 with 13.75 billion of US dollars of exports. Vladimir Putin enigmatic phrase, namely, “Russia remains among the top five leaders of the global arms market and retains its leading export positions in many areas”, only adds to the mystery.
But if there is one thing that contains no mystery at all, that is the future. Turning back to Putin’s speech, it says that the current order portfolio for Russian military equipment is considerable – amounting to tens of billions of dollars – and Russia has to actively augment the volume of export deliveries. There was an exact figure of 60 billion dollars’ worth of orders only for the Rostech corporation, mentioned in a couple of interviews.
In any case, the expert community reads all the tea leaves in only one way: Russia is going to take the first place in global military sales. The reason is all too obvious (shall we say these words again – battle-tested weapons?). So, the question is, what will be the most needed weapons of tomorrow.
Being a pessimist, unable to predict eternal peace on Earth for the coming years, I may only quote again Vladimir Putin, who said, in the same meeting, that “special attention should be directed towards advanced systems that are requisite for our Armed Forces and hold export potential. These include robotic aerial, ground, maritime, and submersible systems; laser complexes; and troop command systems employing artificial intelligence technology. Such equipment signifies the future of the global arms market”.
Dmitry Kosyrev is a Russian writer, author of spy novels and short stories. He also did columns for the Pioneer and Firstpost.com
