Russia will most likely continue holding a second place on the global market of new multirole fighter jets until at least 2013, a Russian arms trade expert said.
"We are expecting a significant growth of this [fighter jet] market segment both in terms of quantity [68%] and revenues [91%] until 2013 compared to the previous four years [2006-2009]," Igor Korotchenko, head of a Moscow-based think tank on the international arms trade, told reporters on Wednesday.
"According to our estimates, Russia will keep a solid second place during the upcoming four-year period," the expert said.
According to the Russian think tank, at least 1,589 multirole fighters worth over $82.5 billion will be sold on the global market in 2006-2013.
A total of 476 new fighters worth $27.7 billion were sold in 2006-2009. This figure will almost double in the next four years with the demand rising from 119 to 200 planes annually.
The United States tops the list with 472 new fighters worth over $19 bln, which were sold in the past four years and have been ordered for the next four.
Russia currently maintains a second place with 377 new fighters worth over $16.3 bln, trailed by China, the U.K., Sweden and France.
According to Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, the country could sign its first contract for the export of Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets by the end of this year.
The Su-35 Flanker-E, a modification of the Su-27, is a heavy class, long-range, multirole fighter, whose technical characteristics can be compared with those of fifth-generation jets.
MOSCOW, July 22 (RIA Novosti)
