MOSCOW. June 3 (Interfax-AVN) - The Rosoboronexport state- owned arms trader has already initialed and signed USD2bn's worth of export contracts for SU aircraft this year.
"Since the beginning of this year, USD2bn worth of contracts have been initialed and signed," Mikhail Pogosyan, Sukhoi Military Aircraft Corporation CEO, told a Tuesday news conference at the Interfax main office.
"This indicates that the short- and medium-future development of the enterprise is consistent," he said.
In recent years Sukhoi has greatly enhanced its standing in the world combat aircraft market. All in all Rosoboronexport has signed more than USD10bn worth of export and license production contracts for SU aircraft, with the total number of exported aircraft amounting to 160. About 250 more aircraft will be license-produced abroad in the near future with large participation of the mother company.
In 2002, 60 aircraft were supplied abroad. Thus, SU aircraft accounted for more than a third (above USD1.6bn's worth) of Russian exports of military hardware.
As to the future, contracts for exporting up to 150 Sukhoi- made aircraft, worth up to USD8bn, are expected in the next five years.