MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax-AVN) - A large facility specializing in repairs and upgrade of armored vehicles is to be set up on the basis of the Transport Machine-building Plant in the south-western Siberian city of Omsk, a high-ranking official of the Russian defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday. The source said that the principal objective of the move was to improve the financial and economic situation at the plant. Another reason was great demand for upgraded T-55, T-62 and T-72 tanks, as well as for other armored assets to be exported to nations with limited financial capabilities in Africa and Southeastern Asia, above all. Director General of the Russian Conventional Weapons Agency Alexander Nozdrachev told Interfax-Military News Agency that the Omsk plant was "to be resurrected." Nozdrachev said he did not rule out the possibility of structural changes at the plant; yet, he added that the principal technologies of the enterprise would be retained. The competent personnel of the plant will continue working as tank-builders. Nozdrachev added that the concept of further developing the plant had already been elaborated in co-operation with local authorities. The Omsk-based plant is, along with the Uralvagonzavod enterprise, one of Russia's largest tank-building centers. Nozdrachev stressed that the plant could be also used for upgrading Soviet-made armored vehicles that had been exported to Middle Eastern nations; many requests for modernizing these assets have already been sent to Russian enterprises. The Omsk Transport Machine-building Plant is one of the largest enterprises of the Russian defense industry; it has been recently engaged in mass-producing T-80U tanks as well as some engineer vehicles. Mini-tractors are manufactured at the plant within the framework of the conversion program.