Russia touts military aircraft, weapons

MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- A delegation from Russia's Rosoboronexport, part of the Rostec State Corporation, is marketing aircraft and weapons at the Bahrain International Airshow.

Rosoboronexport said talks will be held "with representatives of the armed forces of the Middle East and North African countries displaying an interest in buying Russian aircraft, helicopters and air weapons."

The Su-35 and MiG-29M/M2 multirole fighters, Yak-130 combat trainer, Il-76MD-90A military transport, Ka-52 and Mi-28NE attack helicopters, Mi-35M transport/attack helicopter, and Mi-17 type military transport helicopters are seen as having great export potential for the region, the company said.

"Interest from foreign customers, including in the Middle East and North Africa, is growing," said Sergey Kornev, head of the Air Force Equipment Export Department, who leads the Rosoboronexport's delegation. "This stems from both launching new aircraft models to the international market and high operational effectiveness of modern Russian military aircraft, including its capabilities for delivering surgical strikes on ground targets.

"Demand is supported by an excellent cost-effectiveness ratio and Russia's reputation as a reliable and responsible partner in military-technical cooperation."

As part of its marketing strategy at the show, Rosoboronexport is holding a presentation called "Russian Military Aircraft Fighting against Terrorism," which analyzes the Russian aircraft's capabilities for use in counter-terrorist operations.

The Bahrain International Airshow ends Saturday.