Weapon of the Soviet Type Will Appear Again in Afghanistan and Iraq from the Countries of the East Europe

As the Chairman of board of directors of the international consulting agency "FarWest, LLC" Jacob Kosman informed "FORUM.msk" by phone, on joint session of board of directors and the supervisory council of agency which took place on the latest weekend in France the decision to renew the activity of a consulting network "FarWest" in Afghanistan and Iraq was made.

Several months ago the work of the network in these countries was interrupted. It was connected both with the absence of guarantees of personal safety of the personnel and with the threats heard to apply on the companies included in the network a law of the USA "about non-distribution in connection to Iran ". This law imposes embargo on the deliveries to Iran of the equipment and technologies which, in opinion of the USA, "can be used for development of the weapon of mass destruction, cruise and ballistic missiles”.

The law forbids to the state structures of the USA to sell and transfer the goods and services to the companies to which its action is distributed as well as to buy them from these companies. It’s forbidden also to the private American companies by this law to deliver and get from them products of military or dual-purpose.

To the present moment, Jacob Kosman noted, "we received assurances that no discrimination and repressive measures against us would be undertaken. Therefore since September we renew the work. It is necessary for the fulfilment of our contract obligations on consultation which we have before the private companies from the USA, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Jordan".

Jacob Kosman didn’t exclude that "a change in the attitude, probably, was not in the last instance connected with the recent decision of the Department of State of the USA to apply the law "about non-distribution in conection to Iran" on "Rosoboronexport”. As it is known, information of CIA about the contract ostensibly signed in July for the sum of 200 million dollars between "Rosoboronexport" and the Ministry of Defence of Iran on repair and upgrade of 30 front bombers Su-24 which should be executed by Aircraft Holding Company "Suhoj" became the reason for it. According to the American side, Su-24 ostensibly can theoretically be used as the carrier of the weapon of mass destruction.

As a result of the decision taken by the Department of State, as it’s foreseen, the contracts, prepared for signing for the sum almost of 1 billion dollars providing deliveries of ammunition, shooting guns, lights armor and helicopters for equipping of the Afghan and Iraqi troops, will not take place. It means that these orders as it’s been done earlier with the deliveries to the world market of automatic devices AK-47 and АКМ will be transferred from "Rosoboronexport" to the private companies of the countries of the East Europe and Jordan. Production of the Soviet type which is called in "Rosoboronexport" counterfeit, as is known, is made and stored in these states that, however, is not supported and will be hardly supported by resolusions of the international degrees of jurisdiction. Jacob Kosman also informed that alongside with Afghanistan and Iraq the personnel of the companies which are included in the network "FarWest" works now in eight countries: United Arab Emirates, France, the Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, China (Hong Kong), Columbia and Brazil. "We don’t work in Russia but we have partners there".Besides Jacob Kosman told that "we, apparently, suffered from introduced by the USA sanctions against Venezuela on the deliveries to this country of arms and military technics". It is connected to actual failure of the prepared contract on delivery of planes "SuperTucano" produced by Brazilian aviation concern "Embraer".

At the same time problems in Venezuela cannot complicate promotion of "SuperTucano" on the markets as the Air Forces of Brazil ordered 99 planes – almost one third from which had been already delivered. The Air Forces of Columbia made the decision to get 25 planes. Besides it is expected that the countries of Asia and Middle East will get up to 200 planes.

Jacob Kosman shared his expert opinion about military - technical cooperation of Venezuela with Russia. He, in particular, believes that in May of this year "the USA embargod the sale of the weapon to Venezuela obviously in connection with the beginning of practical realization of the Russian - Venezuelan contracts on delivery of 100 thousand automatic devices AK-103 and helicopters signed correspondingly in May and March of the previous year".

In answer to it the president of Venezuela Ugo Chaves has recently made visit to Russia during which, in particular, has visited the capital of the Udmurt Republic - Izhevsk. As we know, conclusion of new transactions for a total sum more than three billions dollars was the result of the visit. At that a half of this sum has fallen to the share of the contract on the delivery of 24 pieces of warplanes Su-30МК2 which, starting from this year, should be transferred to the buyer in the quantity of 8 units annually within three years.

Besides Su-30 Venezuela will get 38 pieces of helicopters Mi-35, Мi-17 and Мi-26 for the sum of 500 thousand dollars. Furthermore the factories for production of cartridges and tommy-guns AK-103 will be created there. At last, Ugo Chaves announced about his intention to buy in Russia modern means of air defence after demonstration to him in Izhevsk area ZRK such as "Osa", "Torahs - М1".Orders of Venezuela and also the block trade concluded in March with Algeria on principle "weapon in exchange for write-off of the debts" all in all makes up a half of the stock of orders of "Rosoboronexport". It will allow essentially diversify the geography of deliveries earlier focused mainly on India and China. At the same time, Russia for the foreign policy reasons, probably, has already missed a chance to create one more large market - in Iran by having refused under the pressure of the USA and Israel to deliver there ZRK S-300PMU2 and having limited itself to ЗРК "Torahs - М1" and upgrading of the aircraft technics delivered before.

In conclusion of our telephone interview Jacob Kosman expressed an opinion that "grey schemes" of deliveries to the world market of arms and military technics from the arsenals of the armies of the countries of the former USSR and the Warsaw contract, basically, obviously have been left in the past.  "Grey schemes" regarding PZRK are leaving last". Basically “greay” and “black” markets of the Soviet technologies of military and dual-purpose became things of the past as "practically everything has flowed away long time ago and nothing new is present or expected".

At the same time, Jacob Kosman expects blossoming of "grey" deliveries to the world market from China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan and Iran, " which on the base of the Soviet and Western technologies mastered by them adjusted release of the wide nomenclature of own arms and military equipment. At that an example of "Hizbollah” which quite successfully used Iranian anti-tank and anti-ship rockets against Israelis in Lebanon - is only the beginning".

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