Subversive Pessimist
21st August 2004, 14:32
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The Chinese military already uses the S-300 air defense system and reportedly is about to buy up to eight more batteries.
China, the country's No. 1 arms customer, is close to signing a contract for air defense systems worth as much as $900 million, Vedomosti reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the deal.
State arms dealer Rosoboronexport and the Chinese Defense Ministry initialed a contract for the delivery of between four and eight batteries of S-300PMU air defense systems a few weeks ago, Vedomosti reported.
The contract will be signed by the end of the year, one source told the paper.
The manufacturer of the S-300 system, Almaz-Antei Air Defense Concern, refused to comment Thursday, as did Rosoboronexport.
Domestic arms producers and exporters are particularly tight-lipped about deals with China following a bilateral agreement that makes military and technical cooperation classified information.
With S-300 systems retailing for roughly over $100 million per battery, four to eight batteries would be worth $400 million to more than $800 million, said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.
China already has 12 batteries of S-300 systems, Makiyenko said. It acquired eight batteries in the 1990s. Earlier this year, Russia completed the delivery of four more batteries, Interfax reported.
"While the existing S-300 batteries cover the key administrative and industrial centers of Beijing and Shanghai, the new systems will cover areas that face Taiwan," Makiyenko said.
At the same time, China will continue purchasing Sukhoi fighter jets, he said. Last year China reportedly received 19 Su-30MKK fighters and is expected to receive 24 naval Su-30s on a contract from last year.
It has been reported that a new deal for a similar number of fighters is in the works and is expected to be finalized with China soon.
"I estimate that China will need a further 150 fighters, which they could either buy or manufacture under a Russian license," Makiyenko said.
Sukhoi fighter jets are the country's best selling arms product.
Some 150 Su-30s and 70 MiG-29s are likely to be exported by the end of 2010, Ruslan Pukhov, editor of the Moscow Defense Brief, said on Thursday.
Forty-eight Su-30s may be delivered to China, up to 24 to Vietnam, 24 to Indonesia, 24 to Brazil and 10 to India, he said, adding that MiGs would most likely be acquired by countries in Africa and the Middle East.
The Chinese military already uses the S-300 air defense system and reportedly is about to buy up to eight more batteries.
China, the country's No. 1 arms customer, is close to signing a contract for air defense systems worth as much as $900 million, Vedomosti reported Thursday, citing sources familiar with the deal.
State arms dealer Rosoboronexport and the Chinese Defense Ministry initialed a contract for the delivery of between four and eight batteries of S-300PMU air defense systems a few weeks ago, Vedomosti reported.
The contract will be signed by the end of the year, one source told the paper.
The manufacturer of the S-300 system, Almaz-Antei Air Defense Concern, refused to comment Thursday, as did Rosoboronexport.
Domestic arms producers and exporters are particularly tight-lipped about deals with China following a bilateral agreement that makes military and technical cooperation classified information.
With S-300 systems retailing for roughly over $100 million per battery, four to eight batteries would be worth $400 million to more than $800 million, said Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy head of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in Moscow.
China already has 12 batteries of S-300 systems, Makiyenko said. It acquired eight batteries in the 1990s. Earlier this year, Russia completed the delivery of four more batteries, Interfax reported.
"While the existing S-300 batteries cover the key administrative and industrial centers of Beijing and Shanghai, the new systems will cover areas that face Taiwan," Makiyenko said.
At the same time, China will continue purchasing Sukhoi fighter jets, he said. Last year China reportedly received 19 Su-30MKK fighters and is expected to receive 24 naval Su-30s on a contract from last year.
It has been reported that a new deal for a similar number of fighters is in the works and is expected to be finalized with China soon.
"I estimate that China will need a further 150 fighters, which they could either buy or manufacture under a Russian license," Makiyenko said.
Sukhoi fighter jets are the country's best selling arms product.
Some 150 Su-30s and 70 MiG-29s are likely to be exported by the end of 2010, Ruslan Pukhov, editor of the Moscow Defense Brief, said on Thursday.
Forty-eight Su-30s may be delivered to China, up to 24 to Vietnam, 24 to Indonesia, 24 to Brazil and 10 to India, he said, adding that MiGs would most likely be acquired by countries in Africa and the Middle East.