On Sunday, February 4, the international arms exhibition World Defense Show opens in Riyadh. The forum will present products for the ground forces, navy, air force, as well as various solutions in the field of security and satellite protection.
As Rosoboronexport General Director Alexander Mikheev said on the eve of the World Defense Show, the exposition of Russian companies at the exhibition has doubled.
“The World Defense Show is being held for the second time and has already become one of the key events for the global defense industry. Compared to 2022, the scale of the Russian exposition has doubled, and Rosoboronexport is represented at all possible exhibition venues,” Mikheev said.
As part of the World Defense Show business program, Rosoboronexport specialists plan to hold negotiations with partners from Saudi Arabia, the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
The World Defense Show was established in 2022 by the General Directorate of Military Industries of Saudi Arabia. As the department notes, the kingdom spends more money on the defense sector than anyone else in the world and plans to localize weapons production by 50% by 2030.
"Excellent prospects"
This year Russia will present more than 100 weapons. At the open exhibition, Rosoboronexport will show Titan and Spartak armored vehicles and Orlan family of drones. At the airfield in Riyadh, visitors can get acquainted with the Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft, and in the pavilion - with the latest products for air defense, air force, ground forces and navy.
“As part of a single Russian exposition, more than 20 defense enterprises are presenting their products, including the Almaz-Antey VKO concern, the Special Technology Center, Remdizel, the Rostec state corporation and its members High Precision Complexes, UAC and Technodinamika,” - says the Rosoboronexport website.
Russian exposition at the first World Defense Show
© JSC Rosoboronexport
Thus, equipment that has already confirmed its characteristics “in real combat operations” will be shown to the ground forces. Among such models are the BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle with dynamic protection (DZ), the ZSA tactical-level protected ambulance, the Spartak and Typhoon-K armored vehicles.
Let us remind you that in the Northern Defense zone the BMP-3 received high marks for firepower and mobility. The vehicle is in demand in modern assault operations and is capable of effectively destroying firing points and tank-dangerous infantry. Firing from a 100-mm gun is carried out according to target designation from UAVs and military personnel. The BMP-3 is also capable of hitting targets with a 30 mm automatic cannon and several machine guns.
Another advantage of the machine is its high level of buoyancy. It is capable of crossing water obstacles without preparation and reaching speeds of up to 10 km/h. According to Rostec, in terms of all its characteristics, the BMP-3 still has no competitors in the world. The main foreign buyer of this platform is the UAE, which purchased about 600 units.
After the start of the SVO, the BMP-3 acquired a new dynamic protection complex, which eliminates the detonation of adjacent EPS units when hit by a grenade or anti-tank missile.
Another Russian novelty is the Spartak armored vehicle with increased mine protection. Its front and side projections are capable of withstanding hits from armor-piercing incendiary bullets, and the bottom provides protection for the crew from explosive devices up to 6 kg in TNT equivalent under the wheel.
“The suspension, diesel engine, centralized tire inflation system, winch and air conditioning provide high cross-country ability and comfort when driving over rough terrain,” Rosoboronexport reports.
The export version of Spartak's armament consists of a fully rotatable armored turret with a 12.7 mm Kord machine gun. At the same time, the version for the Russian army is equipped with the S-60 anti-aircraft artillery system of 57 mm caliber.
The curb weight of the Spartak is no more than 12.5 tons, the load capacity is up to 2 tons, and the engine power is 312 hp. With. maximum speed - at least 100 km/h, range (based on control fuel consumption) - 1 thousand km.
Armored car "Spartak"
© JSC Rosoboronexport
The world premiere, as stated by Rosoboronexport, will be a demonstration of a full-scale prototype of the Titan special-purpose armored vehicle with a remote-controlled combat module.
“This MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected. -
RT
) class vehicle has high ballistic and mine protection. It has excellent prospects in the Middle Eastern market, including due to the possibility of installing foreign-made combat modules on it,” the company notes.
Also, a significant part of the Russian exposition will be taken up by air defense systems. The Almaz-Antey concern will present in Riyadh a wide range of anti-aircraft missile systems and complexes of various ranges, including the S-400 Triumph, S-350E Vityaz, Viking (export version of the Buk-M3), " Buk-M2E", modification of the Tor air defense system.
The High-Precision Complexes holding (part of Rostec) will show at the World Defense Show the Pantsir-S1, Pantsir-S1M anti-aircraft missile and gun systems (ZRPK) and the Pantsir-ME naval modification, the Verba MANPADS and "Igla-S".
For the first time, the state corporation will demonstrate in Saudi Arabia the Dzhigit support-launcher, designed for firing MANPADS missiles on a “fire-and-forget” basis. The design of the product ensures a salvo launch of two ammunition at once.
“The high mobility of the complex provides it with high stealth and survivability on the battlefield. “Dzhigit” can also be on duty in stationary modes,” says the Rostec Telegram channel.
The Russian premieres at the World Defense Show will be the Il-76MD-90A, modern Russian fighters, bombers and training aircraft.
“The world's best combat reconnaissance and attack helicopter Ka-52, military transport and transport-combat helicopters will be presented at the Rosoboronexport stand. In addition, at the exhibition “Rosoboronexport” will show various aviation weapons,” the company’s website reports.
Also at the World Defense Show there will be an exposition of Russian UAVs and means of countering small drones. These include the Orlan-10, used during the SVO, and its modification, the Orlan-30, equipped with a laser target designator-rangefinder and equipment for detecting camouflaged enemy positions.
“Kalashnikov” (part of Rostec) will demonstrate in Riyadh the “Cube” loitering munition, which has proven itself well in the Northern Military District, and the Supercam S350 aircraft drone, which is considered the flagship among the concern’s unmanned aerial systems.
“The drone (Supercam S350. -
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) can effectively perform aerial photography and video monitoring at altitudes from 150 m to 5 km. The device is already in wide demand among Russian operators. The Supercam S350 is capable of solving missions in the air for hours, transmitting information over long distances, and has a range of high-tech payloads, including a high-performance optical system. The flight speed of the device can reach 120 km/h,” Rostec reports.
The military modification of the Supercam S350 is successfully used in the Northeast Military District zone. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the drone is indispensable for long-term aerial reconnaissance and effectively ensures the targeting of artillery pieces, MLRS and mortars at enemy targets.
"Political decision"
According to Alexander Mikheev, representatives of the armed forces and security forces of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East are of great interest “in the latest Russian defense products that have been tested in modern combat conditions.”
“We are ready to offer our partners unique formats of cooperation, including localization of Russian weapons production and joint development of promising models,” Mikheev said.
As RISI expert Sergei Ermakov noted in a commentary to RT, the special operation served as an incentive to increase military-technical cooperation (MTC) with Saudi Arabia. In his opinion, the kingdom is interested in acquiring a wide range of military products that have undergone combat testing in the Northern Military District zone. Riyadh can also acquire technology for the production of such weapons.
“Back in February last year, the Russian Ambassador in Riyadh Sergei Kozlov said that Moscow and Saudi Arabia have intensified work to expand military-technical cooperation. Therefore, participation in the World Defense Show may result in the conclusion of new arms contracts or preliminary agreements in the field of military-technical cooperation,” says Ermakov.
In turn, in a conversation with RT, military expert Viktor Litovkin linked the intensification of military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Riyadh with the cooling of relations with the United States, which in recent decades has been the leading supplier of weapons to the kingdom. In this regard, Russia has the opportunity to increase its presence in the arms market of the Arab state.
“The purchase and sale of weapons is primarily a political decision. Relations between Washington and Saudi Arabia are steadily deteriorating. At the same time, the kingdom is moving closer to the countries of the Global South, Russia and China. We are seeing the formation of a favorable political background for concluding new military contracts,” Litovkin summed up.