Iraq War Generates Free Publicity for Russian Weapons

Frontpage Magazine ^ | 04-07-03 | Agency France Press

[Norm640]

The war in Iraq, which has seen stiff Iraqi resistance against US and British troops, has opened up market opportunities for Russian weapons used by Baghdad's forces, military experts said.

"We got a great advertising gift for our weapons in Iraq," Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov was quoted as saying by the Interfax-AVN news agency on Friday.

The conflict will "generate a surge in interest in anti-aircraft defences and radio-electronic equipment," predicted Alexander Nozdrachev, head of the state-run Russian Agency for Conventional Weapons, quoted by Interfax-AVN.

Russian weapons sales last year totalled 4.5 billion dollars (4.1 billion euros), concentrated mainly on just two countries, China and India, although Russia has expanded sales to other regions.

"The war is useful for Russia. The Iraqi army is creating publicity for Russian weapons," respected business daily Vedomosti commented recently.

"Old launch-grenades, anti-tank missiles and mines, as well as primitive anti-aircraft equipment" from Soviet times "are inflicting losses on the coalition forces," Vedomosti said.

US M1 Abrams battle tanks, the most advanced tank in the world, have been damaged by hand-held rocket-propelled grenades, the RPG-7s, and Malyutka anti-tank missiles, which were designed in the 1960s, defence analyst Konstantin Makienko said.

"The scandal around the Kornet anti-tank missiles could boost interest in these arms," added Makienko, from the Centre for Strategy and Technologies Analysis.

The United States has accused Russian firms of selling Iraq anti-tank missiles and satellite jamming devices as well as night-vision goggles, in violation of the UN embargo. Moscow has firmly denied the allegations.

One of the firms concerned hit back at Washington, accusing the United States of "trying to find a scapegoat because their bombs are not falling as accurately as they want."

"The US weapons have been the cause of many mistakes in Iraq," hitting their own forces or civilians, Makienko pointed out.

With significant ground operations in the Iraq war, the "demand for Russian tanks and anti-tank missiles will rise," predicted Ivan Safranchuk from the Centre for Defence Information.

This will be particularly the case in other members of Washington's "axis of evil," Iran and North Korea (news - web sites), who fear the United States will target them after Iraq, Marat Kenzhetayev from the Russian Centre for Disarmament Problems told Vedomosti.

Most in demand will be TOR-M1 Short-range Air Defence Missile Systems (SA-15 under NATO (news - web sites) classification) and S-300 surface-to-air missiles (SA-10 Grumble), from Syria, Iran, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, according to Makienko.

According to some analysts, there has already been a surge in interest for Russian weapons at the IDEX-2003 arms exhibition, the biggest in the Middle East, which took place on the eve of the war in Abu Dhabi from March 16 to 20.

[Stavka2]

Yup, be proud, modern US equipment has been proven effective against 50-30 year old Soviet made equipment, manned by Arabs.....if the US military failed on this one, I'd be demanding my money back on over priced toys.

[TomB]

"The scandal around the Kornet anti-tank missiles could boost interest in these arms," added Makienko, from the Centre for Strategy and Technologies Analysis.

Yup, be proud, modern US equipment has been proven effective against 50-30 year old Soviet made equipment, manned by Arabs.....if the US military failed on this one, I'd be demanding my money back on over priced toys.

The Kornet-E is brand new.

And you STILL need to fix your tagline

[BlueLancer]

When you absolutely, positively ...
...have to get your ass kicked overnight ...
...Buy Russian arms.

[TomB]

LOL

"50-30 year old Soviet made equipment"

He says that as if there's any other kind.

[Chi-Town Steve]

It appears to me that the Russians design these weapons to defeat there own weapons. They do not seem to be able to stop US military equipment. Armies who need to protect themselves from other armies that have this equipment are fine.

The only thing I see that they can say for the Russian military hardware in this war is that Russian Anti Aircraft guns can keep the US plaines from flying low. Big deal. We can bomb acurately from up high.

The Russian surface to air missile can force US planes to make a few adjustments in the intended flight path to the target. So they can almost hit a US plane , big deal.

The Russian tanks can blow up without causing damage to the Masques and Hospitals they are parked next to. Ok . Now I see the selling point to the Arab countries.

[Stavka2]

Yeah there is: T-80U/T-90, SA400, SU-33s, and a host of other stuff. Go look it up.

[Stavka2]

What Kornets they had...and there is still debate since first reports were of wire guided missiles and Kornets are laser guided fire/forgets, they were minor in quantity.

[TomB]

they were minor in quantity.

...and useless in quality.

So the question remains, IF there is no current Russian technology in use in Iraq, just what is Ivanov talking about?

[No Truce With Kings]

"The Russian surface to air missile can force US planes to make a few adjustments in the intended flight path to the target. So they can almost hit a US plane , big deal."

I think it was Nasser that said he wished the Soviets would stop selling him surface-to-air missiles, and start selling him surface-to-aircraft missiles. So, it's not a new problem.

[Chi-Town Steve]

LOl!!!!

I never heard that before.

[Stavka2]

When deployed properly they are not useless but quite effective...hell, want to kill an Abrams in a city: mobility kill 1 RPG on the back grates into the Turbine...catastrophic kill 2-3 RPGs on the top hatches from above....just because there are ways of doing something, does not mean that it was done by the Iraqies. Were the bridges blown? Were the damns blown? Were the airstrips spiked or the roads cratered or the wells blown or the ports destroyed? No, they weren't. Were main streets in Baghdad barrackaded and mined? No, they weren't. Did they have the resources to do all this? Yes they did. Did they have the knowledge, drive or professionalism to do this? No, they didn't. Doesn't mean the next guy: Iran/N. Korea or who ever isn't going to do this...just because the Arabs make lousy soldiers.

[TomB]

1 RPG on the back grates into the Turbine...catastrophic kill 2-3 RPGs on the top hatches from above...

You are being a little simplistic on this assessment. There have been tanks lost, but it isn't clear yet how. But if ONE RPG can stop an Abrams, given the large number fired at our armor, you would have see many more disabled.

[mtbopfuyn]

I couldn't get past the first paragraph. Apparently Putin has hired a marketing firm to dump their inferior products on third world regimes. Move over Ronco.

[TomB]

Move over Ronco.

Maybe we'll see Billy Mays doing late nite infomercials for the Russian arms industry.

"With each purchase of Russian armor, you get a free 5 gallon tub of Oxy-Clean to get the blood stains out of the upholstery!"

[Trailerpark Badass]

Doesn't mean the next guy: Iran/N. Korea or who ever isn't going to do this...just because the Arabs make lousy soldiers.

Oh please...

[RightOnline]

Er....umm..........methinks that these Russians would get "F's" in product marketing.

I wouldn't think that the rest of the world would be too interested in the weapons used by the side that is getting their asses royally kicked by OUR weaponry, but then again, what do I know? :)

[RightOnline]

No doubt that the Russians build a nice fighter aircraft. Absolutely no question about that whatsoever.

The only problem................the nations that A) can afford them, and B) would buy fighters from Russia as opposed to the US or the UK don't have any pilots worth a s**t. Doesn't matter if you have the best aircraft on the planet if the man flying it has one foot in the Stone Age and has to fly against the best fighter pilots in the world (e.g. American or Israeli or British).

THAT, my friend, is the reality.

[TomB]

I wouldn't think that the rest of the world would be too interested in the weapons used by the side that is getting their asses royally kicked by OUR weaponry

"But you can't beat the price.....and you're getting FREE Oxy-Clean!!!!!!!

[Stavka2]

True, same goes for tanks and everything else. Even worse when the newest tank they have is 30 years old and an export model.

[Stavka2]

Maybe you noticed, there were 56K dead vets from N.Korea, or are you saying they were just incompetant and we should just charge on in to N. Korea...you'll lead the first wave of course...right?