Uganda intends to discuss with Russia development of the regional hub for maintenance of the military equipment, including aircraft, in the African country, Ugandan Defense Minister Vincent Ssempijja told Sputnik on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit.
"Yes, sure that is true. We are looking forward to that. We think it's more feasible now to have maintenance of the equipment in Uganda or in the region. Uganda can be the hub for other countries, you know, African countries since long ago have been repairing defense equipment from Russia, so having maintenance hub both for ground and air machines is quite important," Ssempijja said.
The minister added that he will discuss this issue with his Russian colleagues. According to Ssempijja, Uganda's geographical location makes it a suitable place for a hub that will be convenient for states in different parts of the continent.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Dmitry Shugaev, director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS), stated that African countries are interested both in creating capacities for the repair and maintenance of equipment already delivered, and for the production of modern small arms.
"Today, in addition to the acquisition of military products, African countries are interested in creating facilities on their territory for the maintenance and repair of previously delivered equipment, primarily aircraft and armored vehicles. There is also interest in creating capacities for the production of modern small arms," he said.
He added that African countries are interested both in the latest models of weapons and military equipment, such as helicopters, aircraft and air defense systems, and in the modernization of previously delivered weapons.
According to Shugaev, modern air defense systems, aviation and armored vehicles are in stable demand from North African partners. He stressed that African nations traditionally purchase modern Russian weapons and military equipment, noting that this is primarily due to the tactical and technical characteristics and reliability of Russian military products.
Shugaev emphasized that Russia is ready to develop cooperation in the field of defense technology, including the creation of conditions for high-quality maintenance of the delivered military equipment on the territory of African states.