LE BOURGET, June 15 (RIA Novosti) - The volume of Russian arms exports in 2009 will exceed $8 billion, the head of Russia's delegation to the International Paris Air Show said Monday.

"I hope very much that we will fulfill this plan. Aviation has always occupied a considerable part of our exports - 48-50% in 2008, and I think this tendency will be preserved for 2009," Alexander Fomin, first deputy head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said at Le Bourget 2009.

The general director of state arms exporter Rosoboronexport told RIA Novosti on Monday that military aviation would account for more than half of Russian military exports in the next five years.

Anatoly Isaikin added that Rosoboronexport alone exported goods worth $6.72 billion in 2008, and said sales to European counties represented about 5-7% of Rosoboronexport's total trade volume.