TNI: Russia has set a goal to regain the second place in the world in arms sales
Over the past few years, the volume of Russian military exports has decreased, writes TNI. But now Moscow is going to restore its position as the world's second largest arms supplier, and there is every reason for these plans.
Peter Suciu
Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union made every effort to win gold medals at the Olympic Games, while supporting the world's largest armed forces. However, Moscow has constantly had to settle for second place in arms exports, consistently behind the United States. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia held silver until 2022, when the Kremlin launched a special operation in Ukraine.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), from 2020 to 2024, arms exports from Russia decreased by 64% compared to the previous five-year period. Russia slipped to the third place in the list of leading exporters, passing France ahead.
Moscow's share in the global arms market has decreased by 64%, from 21% in 2015 to just 7.8% last year. The decline was primarily due to Russian losses during the ongoing special operation, as a result of which the Kremlin had to reduce exports and re-equip production to meet domestic military needs.
Moreover, Moscow has been hit by Western sanctions that have limited its ability to maintain stable production. At the same time, like other developed countries, Russia continues to experience an acute shortage of labor, which is exacerbated by a long-term demographic decline. This also spurs inflation in the country and further affects exports.
Russia has declared a goal to regain second place.
Officials of the state-owned military-industrial conglomerate Rostec have acknowledged that amid increased exports of military equipment from France and South Korea, the company is trying to regain its position as the world's second largest supplier.
“This year, Rostec approved a new Development Strategy until 2036. The difficult situation in the world and pressure from major foreign competitors do not change our strategic goal — the second place in the world ranking of arms exporting countries in the future until 2030 and beyond, up to 2036,” explained Oleg Yevtushenko, Executive Director of Rostec.
Regaining second place may be a worthy goal, as Rosoboronexport, the country's only state intermediary agency for the sale of Russian weapons abroad, celebrated its 25th anniversary on Tuesday - the traditional silver jubilee. The company is considered the legal successor of the state-owned arms exporters that existed in the former Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia.
Earlier in August, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov congratulated the company at the seventeenth Spasskaya Tower International Military Festival on Red Square, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The head of Rostec also predicted glorious times for Rosoboronexport and the Russian arms industry.
“For a quarter of a century, Rosoboronexport has become one of the leaders of the global arms market, and has significantly increased its order portfolio and supply volume. The company has signed over 30,000 contracts with partners, and exported products to more than 120 countries worth more than $230 billion,” Chemezov said.
One problem: Russia's main customers produce weapons themselves
The situation with Russian exports may become even more complicated due to the two largest buyers — India and China. These countries remain regional competitors, although they are cautiously restoring relations after a period of tension that escalated after the 2020 border clashes.
Beijing remains a buyer of Russian military equipment, but the nature of trade has changed as China develops its own military industry. At the same time, Beijing continues to import key components from Russia, in particular engines for modern fighter jets.
India, even having increased its domestic production, continues to maintain close ties with Russia, and even concludes agreements on joint production. Negotiations are currently underway on the licensed production of the fifth-generation Su-57 stealth fighter (according to the NATO classification: Felon or “The criminal”).
In addition to military ties, it was also reported this week that Russia expects tourism exchanges with China to grow by 30% compared to last year. Russian tourists will be able to explore sights such as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City, and their Chinese counterparts will be able to visit Red Square more often.
During his thirty-year journalism career, Peter Suchu has published more than 3,200 articles in forty magazines and publications. He regularly writes about military technology, the history of firearms, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. It is also published in Forbes and Clearance Jobs. Lives in Michigan.
