Russia's Air Force Procurement Plans

Moscow is planning to procure 600 new combat fighters and about 1000 helicopters by 2020. Israel’s defense industries are expected to also try to be involved in the large-scale effort.

Can the “special” relations between Russia and Israel help the Israeli defense industries? Russia wants to equip its air force with another 600 combat fighters and another 1000 helicopters by 2020, as announced by President Putin. This represents a tremendous procurement effort which will also include the development of a long-ranged strategic bomber. The entire Russian air force procurement project will cost nearly $620 billion.

Russia is very good at developing aerial platforms, but has always lagged behind the West in developing avionic systems. It seems that many Western companies will make an effort to be involved in the Russian air force’s procurement project, and Israeli defense industries will attempt to be involved in the Russian projects as well.

As previously reported on IsraelDefense, Russia's appetite for Israeli UAVs is considerable. Russia is negotiating with Aeronautics for a UAV deal worth $50 million. In the past, Russia has procured Searcher-2, Bird-Eye 400 and I-View 150 UAVs from Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).  Sources in Moscow recently stated that the Defense Department is negotiating over the procurement of several of Aeronautics’ UAV models. According to the sources, the UAVs in question are the Aerostar, Orbiter-2 and Sky-Star models numbering between 48 to 72 UAVs with several control stations.

Russia conditions any deal with the transfer of technological knowledge. Israel assesses that Russia views Israel as "UAV world power" and it wants to use Israeli knowledge in order to establish an independent UAV industry. As reported by IsraelDefense, Israel and Russia will cooperate in the development of advanced UAV systems. Well-informed sources have said that both countries are heading towards the development of at least one type of UAV suitable to Russia's operational requirements.

Russia signed a deal two years ago worth nearly $400 million for UAVs produced by IAI. The deal included Searcher-2 and BirdEye-400 UAVs. It also included the construction of a Russian assembly line. Sources close to the subject said that the coming cooperation is part of a greater “strategic understanding” that serves both sides in a variety of issues. This is how, according to foreign sources, a Russian decision was made to refrain from selling various types of antiaircraft missiles to Iran. The sources said that the planned cooperation would include the transfer of technologies relevant to production.

It has been reported in the past that Russia intends to conclude the development of the initial “Russian UAV” by the end of 2014. In April, the Defense Ministry published  technical specifications for developing the UAV, according to which the UAV is meant to possess a modular structure, and capable of carrying various equipment and armaments. The Russian company Tranzas received an instruction to begin test flights for the UAV at the start of 2014 so that it will be able to enter operational service by the end of the year.

Sources say that it is a large-scale UAV with a take-off weight of one ton. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia’s military must develop a variety of UAVs. Russia intends to invest $10 billion in the next few years to procure various UAVs to serve all branches of the Russian military, and is now seeking to refurbish its air force’s aircraft, and the defense industries will apparently make an effort to be involved in this effort. It can be assumed that there will be many limitations on the export of Israeli avionic systems for Russia's new combat fighters and helicopters, but sources say that "appropriate niches can be found.”