Russia not to supply air defense systems to India in near future

MOSCOW. February 2. KAZINFORM - Russia is not planning to supply air defense systems to India in the near future, deputy director general of the Rosoboronexport state-owned weapons trading company Viktor Komardin told a news conference on Monday.

Komardin will lead a Rosoboronexport delegation at the Aero India-2009 exhibition, to be held in the Indian town of Bangalore on February 11-15. "India has begun to develop air defense according to scientific principles of other countries, and has progressed far in this field," he said answering an Itar-Tass question. "Simple purchases no longer suit them. Of course, as marketing experts, we constantly offer them our air defense systems; little strokes fell great oaks, as the saying goes." Russia also offers organic air defense systems. "We offer these as well," he said. As for the supply of 80 Mi-171 helicopters to that country, which contract Rosoboronexport recently won, the first batch will be shipped by the end of this year," Komardin said. According to the Rosoboronexport official, India and southeast Asia account for more than half of the portfolio of orders of the Russian company; Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.