MOSCOW. May 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia may supply a total of USD500m worth of armament and military hardware to Algeria within a few years, a Russian military expert said on Monday.
Konstantin Makiyenko, deputy director of the Center of Analysis, Strategies and Technologies, was asked by Interfax- Military News Agency to comment on the upcoming negotiations in Moscow that will involve Chief-of-Staff of the Algerian Armed Forces Mohamed Lamari.
Algeria is interested in continuing and mounting military- technical cooperation with Russia, as there is a lot of armament and military hardware bought from the Soviet Union in its army's inventory, Makiyenko said. At the same time, the Algerian market is a place of hot competition among former Soviet republics, primarily Ukraine and Belarus, as well as South Africa, China and Poland. Moreover, the interest in the Algerian market is growing in Western European nations, including France, Germany and Italy.
"Attractiveness of the Algerian market is explained by quite high paying capacity of this oil- and gas-extracting country on the one hand, and by the high demand of the Algerian army and security forces that continue military operations against the radical Islamic opposition on the other hand," the expert said. The nation's macroeconomic situation improves dramatically in periods of high oil prices, which allows Algeria to procure large batches of armament and military hardware. The country's defense spending amounts to about USD3bn a year.
The supply of 22 SU-24 Fencer frontline bombers worth a total of USD120 has been Russia's largest arms trade deal with Algeria over the past few years, Makiyenko noted.
"There is no reliable data on implementation of the deal, but Algeria apparently got 14 such planes before the end of 2001 and will get the rest in 2002," he said.
In 1999, the Promexport arms trading company signed a USD12m contract with Algeria on the supplies of three Fencer planes. They were handed over to the customer in 2000.
In addition to bomber supplies, Russia has sold to Algeria 96 Kh-35 anti-ship missiles and transport and landing helicopters. Moreover, it has repaired Algerian guard ships. According to unofficial data, supplies of Smerch multiple launch rocket systems to Algeria are under consideration.
Ukraine and Belarus hold substantial shares in the Algerian market, the expert said. They sell various types of armored vehicles, strike helicopters and fighters to Algeria. Minsk has undertaken to supply a total of 36 MIG-29 Fulcrum planes to Algeria, but there have been no confirmation of the supply.