MOSCOW, April 28 (RIA Novosti) - Rosoboronexport, Russia's state-controlled arms exporter, is looking to strengthen its positions on markets in Latin America, a company official said Friday.
"We are currently holding talks on military hardware supplies with a number of countries in Latin America," Nikolai Shvets said, citing as an example a contract with Venezuela for new AK-100-series Kalashnikov assault rifles.
Rosoboronexport, which accounts for 85% of Russia's total arms exports, has also signed contracts with Uruguay on supplies of various-purpose heavy trucks with enhanced cross-country ability.
The region's aircraft market also holds great potential for upgrading and repairing planes and helicopters previously sold to several countries in the region, Rosoboronexport said. Various versions of the MiG-21 Fishbed, MiG-23 Flogger and Su-22 Fitter planes are in use with the Cuban and Peruvian air forces.
Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Columbia, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru have at various times purchased Soviet- and Russian-built helicopters, mainly the Mi-18/Mi-17 military transport models. Peru, Nicaragua and Cuba have also purchased Mi-24 Hind attack choppers.
A Rosoboronexport delegation visited Cuba earlier this month to sign a number of "serious documents on military-technical cooperation" between the two countries, Shvets said, without elaborating.
President Vladimir Putin said in March that Russia increased its military hardware exports to more than $6 billion in 2005, and supplied 61 countries. India and China remain leading importers of Russian armaments, with 80% share of total supplies.
