Kommersant, Russia
June 30 2005
Other Side of Details
// What Russian Ministry Keeps from the UN reports on weapons
Recently United Nations published on its website official information
about Russian export of conventional weapons in 2004. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of Russia provided for the document rare details. The
report shows the volumes of the weapons supplied to the countries,
which Russian officials usually do not mention and never comment
upon. However, the experts think that the UN register does not include
all Russian weapon supplies.
In December 1991, the UN General Assembly voted for creation of the
register of conventional weapons, which would be based on the report
of the all principal sales of weapons around the world. The register
includes seven main categories of the weapons: armored personnel
carriers and armored wheeled vehicles; tanks; artillery of big calibers
and multiple rocket launchers; military planes; military helicopters;
warships; missile systems. The missile systems include all types of
guided missiles supplied for army, navy and air force. Each category
shows the country-receiver of certain weapons and amount of the supply.
The main reason for the creation of such register was war between Iraq
and Kuwait and followed operation Desert Storm. The countries submit
the information into the register on voluntary base. According to
the General Assembly decision the states have to provide the annual
data for examination in April of each year. However, these terms
are not followed religiously. For instance, as of today such large
weapon exporters as USA, France, Great Britain, Israel, and also one
of the biggest importers – India, still did not provide the required
information. China does not submit its data into the register since
1997.
In Russia the Foreign Ministry gathers the data for submission, after
it receives the report from Federal Service of Military-Technical
Cooperation, Rosoboronexport (the biggest state owned weapon exporter)
and from the enterprises that have a license to export their own
production. Compare with other countries, Russia doesn’t break
down what types of weapons were sold but simply put total amount of
export. Russia also submits to UN the information about its supply to
the countries, which signed inter-government agreement not to disclose
the details of military-technical partnerships. For instance, Russia
has such agreements with China and Vietnam. Thus, despite the fact
that Russian officials formally announced that “the weapons export
to China and Vietnam traditionally stays without comments,” the
information about it still becomes public.
According to the data sent by the foreign ministry for the year 2004,
the main articles of Russian export in that period were fighter jets.
For instance, 24 aircraft were shipped to China (Su-30MK2; here and
further are shown possible types of weapons), 10-to India (Su-30MKI),
9 in Sudan (8 MiG-29SE and 1 MiG-29UB), 5 in Ethiopia (old Su-27 from
the current Russian air force), 4 in Vietnam (Su-30NK2B), 2 in Yemen
(MiG-29SMT) and 2 in Eritrea (MiG-29SE), 1 in Algiers (Su-24MK).
Besides two ground attack planes Su25 were supplied to Armenia within
the frame of Organization of Collective Security Agreement (OCSA).
The helicopter export in 2004 contained four crafts sold to Sudan
(Mi-24), three in Ethiopia (Mi-17) and one in India (Ka-31). In Naval
weapons systems, Russia sold one ship to India (Frigate Project 11356)
and one to China (Submarine Project 636M). In 2004, Yemen received
128 armored personnel carriers (BMP-2) and Kazakhstan got two within
the frame of OSCA.
However, the supplies of Russian missiles systems look much more
impressive. China received 749 units (guided missiles for jet fighters
Su-30MK2, missiles for the submarine project 636 and complexes of
anti-aircraft defense S-300PMU-1, naval anti-aircraft missile complex
Reef-M and Steel-1). India acquired 122 units (missiles for Su-30MKI,
attack and anti-aircraft missiles for the Frigate Project 11356),
Vietnam purchased 20 units to arm four Su-30MK2B.
However, according to the opinion of independent experts the UN
register does not reflect full information abut Russian weapons
export. “There were several cases when Russian suppliers submitted
to the foreign ministry for the UN registry incomplete information
about its total deals for the year,” Konstantin Makienko, deputy
director of Center of Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, told
Kommersant. “For instance, the results of 2003 did not reflect two
frigates for India and in 2004 one ship Project 12332 for Greece.
Sometimes the reason for the underreporting is not political, but
rather bureaucratic miscalculations. There were some cases when the
suppliers were late with the data and the ministry of foreign affairs
doesn’t have enough competent and informed specialists in the field
of weapons export.”
by Konstantin Lantratov