MOSCOW. May 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Joint Russian-Belarussian projects in the sphere of designing, producing, and upgrading armament and military hardware will be exhibited at the Milex 2003 arms show that is to take place in Minsk, Belarus, from May 13 to 16.
Upgrade of the S-125 Pechora air defense missile system to the Pechora-2M level and the T-90S tank being supplied to India are among these projects, Colonel General Vyacheslav Ovchinninov, adviser to the director general of the Rosoboronexport state- owned arms trading company, said on Wednesday.
"Upgrade of the S-125 Pechora air defense missile system to the Pechora-2A level is a result of cooperation between Russian and Belarussian enterprises in the framework of the Oboronitelnye Sistemy (Defense Systems) international financial and industrial group. Development of the Pechora-2M system was founded by extra- budget funds," Ovchinnikov said.
In response to a question from Interfax-Military News Agency, he said that 24 Russian enterprises and four Belarussian enterprises were directly involved in the modernization of Pechora that is still in the inventory of about 30 states in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Each of them used the services of three or more subcontractors. As a result, at least 100 enterprises took part in the upgrade.
Belarussian enterprises are also involved in implementing the contract for supplies of T-90S gun and missile tanks to India and their licensed production there, Ovchinnikov went on. The tank is fitted with the ESSA IR surveillance asset produced jointly by Russia, Belarus and France. The Belarussian company Peleng acts as developer and head assembler of the asset. About 50 percent of components for the device are supplied by Russian defense industry enterprises.
In addition, Russian arms traders are planning to exhibit the MIG-29SMT multifunctional frontline fighter, BTR-80A and BTR- 90 armored personnel carriers, T-80U tanks, BMD-3 infantry fighting vehicle, 300-mm 9K58 Smerch multiple launch rocket system, 120-mm 2S31 Vena automated self-propelled gun, 152-mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzer, and modernization proposals for T-72M1, T-62, and T-55 tanks and BMP-1, BMP-2, and BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles.