Africa Interested in Russian Counter-UAV Systems: Design Chief of Russian Special Technology Center
© Sputnik . Maxim Blinov
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On Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed Russia's commitment to enhancing the security and defense capabilities of African nations, particularly in light of recent revelations regarding Ukrainian collaboration with terrorist groups opposing Mali's government.
African countries are showing considerable interest in Russian counter-UAV systems, said Roman Ivanov, the Chief Designer of the Russian Special Technology Center.
"There is an intermediary between us and the customer, namely 'Rosoboronexport,' which can see these orders. Based on their data, indeed, there are many orders; pre-contract and contract work has increased two to three times. Primarily, these are African countries aiming to restore internal stability due to the significant changes in the political landscape on the African continent. [...] Therefore, we see substantial interest across Africa," he said.
He also listed foreign countries that are purchasing Russian Orlan unmanned aerial vehicles.
"We supply and, of course, train foreign specialists. As of today, they are mainly represented by countries that are partners in the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] and the former USSR. These include Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan. Deliveries there are often carried out by the Russian Ministry of Defense. They transfer some of their equipment to these countries, and foreign personnel come to us for training to complete their tasks," the specialist added.
Earlier in September, Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport informed Sputnik that it is working on several cooperation projects with African nations, valued at over 50 billion rubles (about $536 million). Additionally, the company intends to establish joint ventures for the production and maintenance of armored vehicles, aviation equipment, automotive machinery, and small arms.
