Russia takes advantage of the war in Ukraine to promote its combat-proven weaponry
President Vladimir Putin intends to revitalise Russia's ailing economy - whose GDP in 2022 has plunged by -2.1%, according to the World Bank - with all the means at his disposal, revive its ailing industry and invigorate its weakened financial system in order to fuel a war in Ukraine that has been going on for more than 17 months and is on the way to becoming bogged down.
The Kremlin is making strenuous efforts to boost its military-industrial complex and revive its arms exports by any means necessary. But these are actions that are covered down to the last detail in the eleven sanctions packages and restrictive measures imposed by Brussels, the latest of which was adopted in the second half of June.
However, Russia's armed forces need to renew their combat losses, replenish their arsenals and upgrade their weapons systems in order to compensate for the deliveries of arms, materiel and ammunition that the European Union, the United States and NATO countries are dumping on Zelensky's troops.
This is what President Vladimir Putin and one of his most trusted men, 68-year-old General Sergei Shoigu, who has been defence minister for more than a decade, are trying to do. Together with Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, they are encouraging the development of high-tech weaponry, robotic weapons systems and unmanned aerial vehicles with artificial intelligence that, according to Shoigu, "are superior to those of NATO countries".
The wide range of weapons systems, materials and logistical and medical equipment from Russia's military-industrial fabric will be on display at the ninth annual Army 2023 International Military-Technical Forum, which is being held from 14 to 20 August at the Patriot Exhibition and Congress Centre in the vicinity of Moscow.
Finding ways to cooperate and export
The "Patriot" complex covers 5,500 hectares and at Army 2023 both private companies and large state corporations, such as Almaz-Antey (air defence systems), Uralvagonzavod (combat vehicles), and the giant Rostec (ammunition, small arms, combat aircraft), with hundreds of subsidiary companies, are exhibiting their innovations. In total there are around 1,500 Russian companies attending - exhibiting more than 28,500 innovations - along with 82 companies from third countries.
In parallel to Army 2023, the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) is taking place. It brought together delegations from 59 nations and more than 3,000 politicians, military personnel, academics and specialists from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe to hear presentations by ministers, senior defence officials and military commanders from countries that are friends and allies of the Kremlin.
Both the Forum and the Conference are organised by the Ministry of Defence and opened by General Shoigu and not by President Putin, as in 2022 and previous editions. Nevertheless, Putin appeared via videoconference to emphasise that both events contribute to "strengthening Russia's military alliances and technological cooperation for the benefit of security and stability in the emerging multipolar world".
The two events allow General Shoigu, his deputy, General Aleksander Fomin - Deputy Defence Minister - and the head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Dmitry Shugayev, to hold bilateral meetings with the ministers, chiefs of defence staff and heads of delegations from the countries that have come to the Kremlin's call.
They have done so, for example, with the head of the Bolivian Armed Forces, General Hugo Eduardo Arandia, and with the Venezuelan Vice-Minister of Defence, General Renier Enrique Urbáez. The aim of the Russian authorities is to learn about the land, naval and air armament and logistics needs of friendly or allied countries and, if possible, to finalise sales contracts or cooperation agreements.
New T-14 Armata is the star of Army 2023
China plays a special role in Army 2023. President Xi Xinping has sent a large delegation led by Defence Minister General Li Shangfu and has erected a pavilion with three of its most advanced systems, the CH-4 multirole combat drone and the HQ-22E and FK-2000 mobile platform anti-aircraft missiles.
The air shows are being held at Kubinka air base near Moscow, where the Russian Air Force's main export-focused aircraft, such as new versions of the Sukhoi Su-57 and Su-35 twin-engine fighters, as well as drones and air defence systems and an extensive range of missiles, have been grouped together.
Dynamic ground demonstrations take place at the Alabino manoeuvring range, also near the capital, where the T-90MS tank, BTR-82A wheeled armoured personnel carriers, Z-STS Akhmat and the tracked amphibious vehicle can be seen evolving. But the star of the show on display is the new T-14 Armata tank, which heads a whole family of heavy tracked vehicles.
Weighing 48 tonnes and armed with a 125-millimetre gun, the T-14 was first shown at the Victory Day military parade held on 9 May 2015 in Moscow's Red Square, when it was still in the preliminary stages of development. The survivability of its three-member crew is novel, being encased in an armoured capsule inside the tank's barge rather than in the turret, as is the norm. The gunner remotely controls the 125-millimetre gun as well as its two machine guns.
On the occasion of both celebrations, Putin has accused NATO member states of "increasing and improving their offensive capabilities, taking military confrontation into outer space and cyberspace, as well as using military and non-military means to put pressure on third countries". And in a clear allusion to China and India, he pointed out that "new economic and political centres" are being consolidated in order to achieve "just" solutions and improve "the quality of life and well-being of millions of people".