MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti) – President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russian weapons exports had grown 15 percent since the start of the year, in comparison with the same period last year.
“The first results of the year once again confirm that Russia’s ties abroad in regard to military-technical collaboration are continuing to strengthen,” the president told a gathering of defense industry officials.
Last year, Russian weapons exports were up 12 percent year-on-year, at $15.7 billion. In April, Putin said Russia controlled more than a quarter of the world’s arms market.
On Monday he emphasized the need for Russia to consolidate its positions on the global aircraft market, especially in after-sales servicing.
Russia has a “solid portfolio of orders” for helicopters, he said, adding that about 9,000 Russian-made helicopters were currently in operation in more than 100 countries.
Putin reiterated state support for arms manufacturers, recalling that in the past three years they received more than 27 billion rubles ($820 million) from the federal budget in subsidies alone.
India is the leading buyer of Russian arms, with Vietnam, Myanmar, Venezuela and Middle Eastern nations also among Russia's top weaponry purchasers.
