The Research Service of the US Congress has prepared a report on the export of Russian weapons.

According to the author of the document, Congressmen should discuss what steps Washington can take to reduce interest in Russian weapons on the world market.

“What strategies can the United States pursue to make Russian weapons less attractive?

To what extent should the United States offer the export of its own weapons to countries considering the possibility of acquiring Russian weapons?

The Congressional Research Service also called on to find out what methods, in addition to sanctions, will help increase pressure on the Russian defense industry and will contribute to its isolation.

As noted in the report, Russia is the second largest arms exporter after the United States.

Since 2016, the Russian Federation has accounted for about 20% of world sales, more than 45 countries purchase Russian weapons.

At the same time, analysts argue that Moscow uses supplies to "advance foreign policy interests," and trade relations allegedly help "persuade other countries to involve Russia in negotiations" and can be used "to undermine US influence."

"Russia uses the sale of weapons to advance its foreign policy interests, including the development of defense relations and the strengthening of its regional and global influence," the organization assures.

Some members of Congress expressed concern that Russian arms sales support "Russia's aggressive and malicious activities", contribute to conflict, regional instability and compete with US arms sales, the report said.

The Congressional Research Service noted that Washington has already introduced a number of sanctions that limit the possibilities of Russian sales, but they cannot be unequivocally considered effective.

So, referring to the position of Russian officials, the author of the document claims that the sanctions create difficulties for the export of Russia and its potential clients.

At the same time, sanctions pressure can undermine the political goals of the United States itself, because it will cause a negative reaction from the importing countries, the document says.

Restrictions can inadvertently push states towards rapprochement with Russia, the author writes.

Many countries rely heavily on Russian weapons, and an immediate withdrawal from them will be problematic for them.

We will remind, after the events in Ukraine in 2014, Washington imposed sanctions against several enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.

In addition, the United States has the Law on Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions (CAATSA), which allows third countries that have entered into contracts with Russia for the purchase of military equipment to be “punished”.

For example, it was used against Turkey for the fact that Ankara acquired the Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems.

Threats of sanctions from the United States have also repeatedly come to India, which has signed an agreement for the supply of S-400s.

The first kits are planned to be sent to India by the end of this year.

  • SAM S-400 "Triumph"

  • RIA News

  • © Vladislav Sergienko

Fighting a competitor

According to Vadim Kozyulin, head of the Center for Global Studies and International Relations of the IAMP at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the United States fears competition with Russia in the global arms market and is looking for new reasons to hinder its supplies.

“Selling weapons is not just a profit, but also the establishment of partnerships.

Military-technical cooperation also implies a political tie between the two states, certain ties in the field of security.

A cementing bond is being formed, after all, after the weapon, parts, training, and infrastructure will be needed.

Russia today is faced with serious difficulties that have to be circumvented.

But this has already been established with us, ”he said in an interview with RT.

Kozyulin noted that the US State Department almost every year sends a circular to the embassies of different countries with a demand or recommendation, which can be viewed as an appeal not to buy Russian weapons.

Nevertheless, many states see Russia as a reliable supplier that fulfills its obligations.

The editor-in-chief of the National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko, in turn, added that the interest in Russian weapons is due to their technical characteristics.

“In addition to high tactical and technical characteristics, there are arms segments where we are ahead of everyone, including the Americans.

In particular, these are air defense systems, for example, Tor-M2 and Buk-M3.

They have no analogues in the West.

The S-400 air defense system has an American analogue of the Patriot, but the characteristics of the S-400 exceed the latest versions of the US system, ”the expert emphasized.

The fact that Turkey, a NATO member, is buying the S-400 is the best indicator of the competitiveness and attractiveness of Russian weapons, Korotchenko said.

He also drew attention to Washington's unfair methods of fighting in the arms market.

“Information campaigns are underway to discredit our weapons, sanctions are introduced against manufacturers, the settlement system is hampered, the use of dollars in transactions is almost impossible.

Nevertheless, Russia still maintains the second place in the world in terms of export volumes.

Russia never imposes conditions on its customers.

It is clear that the purchase of Russian weapons is the promotion of interests, but this process takes place on its own, not as a conscious goal, "the interlocutor of RT concluded.

Reliable supplier

The Research Service of the Congress notes that Russia is positioning its weapons as reliable and durable at a price lower than the alternatives of the West.

This approach attracts countries that cannot afford "expensive and more complex Western systems."

In addition, unlike in Russia, some suppliers often set conditions related to human rights and domestic policies.

It is also believed that deals with Moscow are concluded faster, service employees write.

Key buyers of Russian military equipment are Algeria, China, Egypt, India and Vietnam.

The Russian Federation exports aircraft, air defense systems, warships and submarines, radars, missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, small arms and other types of weapons abroad.

As the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugaev said in June, last year Russia sold weapons worth more than $ 15 billion. According to him, the Russian Federation adheres to the established plan, despite the unprecedented pressure on Russia's partners from competitors and the consequences of the pandemic. influenced the industry.

The US Congressional Research Service also drew attention to the Russian defense industry as a whole.

The report says that it provides the country with modernized and modern military equipment for its own armed forces, but at the same time it allegedly faces a number of problems, including inefficiency, low production capacity, lack of modern equipment, and others.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at the opening of the Army-2021 military-technical forum, announced the reliable operation of the enterprises of the Russian defense-industrial complex (MIC). 

"They (defense industry enterprises. -

RT

) not only reliably ensure the supply of weapons and equipment for our army and navy, but are also ready for international cooperation, for the broadest cooperation in the development and production of modern weapons," the head of state said.

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin

  • RIA News

  • © Evgeny Paulin

Commenting on the theses of the report, Igor Korotchenko called the statements about the “ineffectiveness” of the Russian defense industry as “black PR”.

“We have world-class companies that are among the top leading military-industrial firms - the Almaz-Antey aerospace defense concern, the Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation, and the United Aircraft Corporation.

These are global brands, they produce demanded and competitive weapon systems, ”he stressed.

It is worth considering that with high efficiency indicators, Russian military spending last year amounted to $ 61.7 billion, while the United States, the world leader in defense spending, allocated $ 778 billion for this purpose.

“Russia is modest in this matter.

The export of arms is only a small help for the defense industry, ”said Vadim Kozyulin.

The expert also said that, despite the large investments in the military sphere, the US defense industry has its drawbacks.

For example, the United States lags behind in the development of hypersonic technologies and nuclear modernization.

In September, the Pentagon said that the United States was extremely slow to modernize its combat capabilities.

So, for example, it will take 10-15 years to improve the existing 400 silos of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the department admitted.

Components of hypersonic missiles are also being tested belatedly.

In May of this year, the US Navy conducted a test of the engine that will be used in the missiles.

Note that Russia put hypersonic technology on alert back in 2019.

The program to modernize the United States' nuclear arsenal also takes time.

In February, the deputy head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces, General John Hayten, expressed the opinion that while the Russian side is completing the process of improvement, Washington is just beginning it.

This lag is a problem for the United States, the military is convinced.