Ivan Goncharenko is deputy general director of Russia’s Rosoboronexport State Corporation, which promotes Russian aviation defence products worldwide. He has come to Paris with 50 Russian defence companies in buoyant spirits. He speaks to Liz Moscrop about their future plans.
Traditionally, manufacturers use the air show at Le Bourget to announce major milestones and set out their stalls for the future. 2007 is no different for Rosoboronexport, which arrives with a strong order book to the tune of $30 billion and long-term goals.
Says Goncharenko: “I would hope that Russia’s participation in the Paris air show will contribute to more cooperation with foreign partners worldwide. In 2006, volumes of Russian defence exports reached a record level of $5.3bn.” He adds: “Supply of aviation platforms, and equipment and provision of space services still makes up around half our exports.”
According to Goncharenko, Russian aviation manufacturers all participate in major regional tenders to build multi-role fighters and combat helicopters. He says the industry looks favourably on these packages, which compete well on both price and technology.
World trends
Russia has exhibited at Paris regularly since the early 1960s. This year’s stand focuses on world trends in warfare systems and highlights Soviet and Russian-made military equipment in service. The full range of export versions of the Su-30MK family is on show: the Su-27SK multi-functional fighter, the Su-32 fighter-bomber and a cockpit dummy of the Su-35 state-of-the-art multi-role fighter. Sukhoi will show off the latest modifications to its Su-27, the Russian air force’s most advanced fighter.
MiG aircraft are out in force with a wide range of fighters, including the MiG-29 light fighter, the MiG-29SMT fighter, the MiG-29K ship-borne aircraft, the MiG-29SE front fighter, the MiG-31E fighter-interceptor, and MiG’s trainer series: the MiG-29UB, MiG-29KUB and MiG-AT. Yakovlev has brought its Yak-130, which can be used as either a trainer or as a light combat aircraft.
Goncharenko is keen to promote Russia’s technological capabilities: “Besides ready-made flying platforms and arms systems, we are keen to work with partners in up-gradating and modernising previous generation Soviet aircraft and helicopters. In this sphere we are in active cooperation with leading European companies like BAE Systems, MBDA, Snecma, Thales, Sagem, EADS, Rolls Royce and Finmeccanica.”
Source: Flight Daily News
