Leading Brand for Air Defense

Almaz – Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation remains firmly at the top of the list with international rating agencies analyzing prominent arms makers

Undoubtedly, Almaz – Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation (Almaz - Antey for short) keeps firm on the list of largest and most advanced arms makers coming from all parts of the world. This fact is reflected in the Top 100 from Defense News, a US-based weekly doing its own rating. For three years in a row, this publication places Almaz-Antey – Russia’s leading defense industry enterprise - at no. 11 position on the list. This rating applies both to amount of income and innovation of products for military applications. Visitors to the Army 2017 international military technical forum in Kubinka, Moscow Region, can judge the matter for themselves. Inspecting exhibits the Corporation placed on display here, they can make sure that the world’s most popular and reliable antiaircraft systems are delivered under the brand of Almaz-Antey.

Enduring success of the Russian maker in the global marketplace is due to the high technological level, unrivalled performance and reliability of its products, and the cutting edge of innovations being applied to these products. This explains why the Corporation’s worldwide sales have showed a stable tendency for growth – the fact being continuously reflected in high marks with the world’s rating agencies. Such has been the case with the Top 100 from Defense News; this rating has been published since 2000 and largely accepted as the most authoritative worldwide.

Mr. Yan Novikov, general manager of the Almaz - Antey Corporation, emphasizes that ‘The Corporation is a prominent player in the international market for antiaircraft and missile defense equipment. Despite tough and tense competition in the global marketplace for defense products which are our specialization, we have been keeping our leading positions in that segment for a number of years recently. The Corporation has also managed to maintain its leading positions in the Russian market on the whole spectrum of high-tech products for antiaircraft and missile defense, air-and-space defense, means of reconnaissance, as well as air traffic control and airspace management.’

Mr. Novikov stresses that numerous examples of antiaircraft and missile defense equipment in the Corporation’s product range are in service with many nations round the globe. ‘This gives us a firm footprint for expanding the scope of cooperation with those customers who seek ways to improve their assets through collaboration with the original equipment manufacturer – namely the company that developed, manufactured and supplied these systems.’

‘Our activities in the sphere of military-technical cooperation with foreign countries demonstrate results that go in line with the tendency of the past few years for a high solvent demand in the market for defense equipment which is Almaz - Antey’s specialization. Deliveries of our products to foreign customers go through a government-appointed mediator — Rosoboronexport, or directly in such cases when the Corporation exploits the lawful rights to carry out its own activities in the international market for defense equipment.’

The Corporation is a prominent player in the international marketplace for antiaircraft and missile defense systems. In the grand total of export sales generated by the Russian industry in the military equipment market for antiaircraft and country’s missile defense systems, the share of the Corporation products amounts to 65-75%.

Many nations round the globe show their continuous affection for the Corporation’s products and remain customers for them. In the areas of technical performance and operational merits, as well as pricing, the antiaircraft and missile defense systems being supplied by the Corporation demonstrate the same or higher level in comparison with the best specimens available elsewhere. Furthermore, in certain parameters these systems are superior to their closest foreign analogues.

This finds reflection in the fact that many buyers from different regions round the world opt for Almaz - Antey products. Therefore, the following fact shall make no surprise. It compares the exact amount of shipments made to foreign countries in the two consecutive years and related to equipment developed and manufactured by the Corporation. The respective figure for 2016 was roughly two and a half times higher than that for 2015.

Today, defense systems from Almaz - Antey are in service with dozens armed forces round the globe. This fact makes the Corporation look for ways to improve its services to end-users, and offer them upgrade packages as necessary. Despite growing competition for best air defense solutions, the number of countries that intensify efforts in development of new air defense weapon types increases. Notwithstanding, Almaz - Antey’s positions in the global marketplace remain stable. More than that, our customer base has been expanding, with new clients joining in traditional ones on a regular basis. This fact finds reflection in the news reports by the international media.

The statements made above are also applicable to upgrade and modernization programs. Despite ever increasing number of proposals coming from different market players, the end-users tend to go for those offered by Almaz – Antey Air and Space Defence Corporation. Many of our customers consider us as the only one among other possible collaborators who can deliver on its promises with outstanding quality.

Contracts for components and SPTA (spare parts, tools and accessories) continue to prevail in the order backlog that the Corporation has so far managed to win through direct foreign sales, executing its lawful rights to perform commercial activities in the markets for military equipment outside Russia. Prospects for near future: exploiting further its lawful rights for foreign trade, the Corporation may seek to increase the share of ready-to-use antiaircraft equipment and services on upgradation of those systems that are already in operation in foreign countries. The aforementioned services include those rendered through local technical centers in the customer territory that are set up to undertake aftersales support on defense and special-purpose equipment.

Almaz - Antey has increased the amount of work it does for foreign countries on training of their personnel in operation and maintenance of the equipment being supplied to those customers by the Corporation and its member companies. Much attention is paid to the issues pertaining to setting up regional service centers in the countries that are members in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and other issues in the context of the Joint air defense system for CIS and its development.

Seemingly, the theme that is most widely discussed in the international mass media, and to do with the Corporation’s activities, has been that of the S-400 surface to air missile (SAM) system shipments to a growing number of foreign customers. Solvent demand for that system is so huge that makes some experts express concern whether the existing manufacturing capacity is enough to fulfil all the commitments, given the fact that the Corporation is doing a large amount of work under the State defense orders for equipment intended for the Russian Armed Forces.

Addressing such concerns, Mr. Yan Novikov, general manager of the Almaz - Antey Corporation, says the following words. ‘On few occasions previously, we announced that last year the Corporation completed construction and put in operation two large factories — in Nizhny Novgorod and Kirov. These factories are meant to be end-manufacturers. Besides, we are on target to complete, later this year, our North-East Regional Center in St. Petersburg that would comprise three plants and three scientific institutes. With such capacities in place, we – no doubt – can manage both the State defense orders and foreign contracts.’