What’s Been Bought

It’s usually challenging to discover what the Russian military bought in any given year.  But it’s somewhat easier now that procurement is increasing.

Shoygu in the Videoconference (photo: Mil.ru)

On January 14, Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu reviewed 2013 procurement in a year-opening videoconference.

He indicated that GOZ-2013 was fulfilled at 96 percent for RDT&E, 93 percent for armament and military equipment purchases, and 91 percent for repairs and servicing.  Purchases increased by 70 percent over 2012.

Beyond that no details.

If Shoygu’s scant and statistical, Topwar.ru’s Kirill Ryabov rescues us.

Ryabov says GOZ-2013 amounted to 1.45 trillion rubles, two-thirds more than 2012.  Roughly the same accounting as Shoygu’s 70 percent.  But Ryabov’s also tracked what was bought.  He doesn’t give full citations for his data.  But it’s a working list.

He starts with air defense:

• 6 S-400 SAM battalions.
• 6 Pantsir-S1 missile-gun systems (ZRPKs).
• 24 Tor-M1-2U SAMs (SA-15 upgrade).
• 12 Tunguska ZRPKs.

More than 300 combat and support vehicles for the Ground Troops, including:

• 2 Iskander-M SSM brigades (107th in the Eastern and 1st in the Southern MD).
• 54 BTR-82A APCs.
• 12 BMO-T flamethrowers.
• 90 Tornado and Grad MLRS.
• 20 Khosta SP guns.
• 40 Msta-S SP howitzers.
• 16 Zoopark counterbattery radars.
• 16 Leyer-2 EW systems.
• 10 Redut-2US communications systems.

And reportedly more than 5,200 other vehicles and automobiles.

It gets murkier from here on . . . .

For the Air Forces, Ryabov indicates OAK, in 2013, got orders for 60 military aircraft for 62 billion rubles.  Only 35 were reportedly ordered in 2012.

• 2008 contract for 36 [sic?] Su-34 fighter-bombers was completed in 2013, and Sukhoy started filling the 2012 contract for 92 more.
• 12 Su-35S were delivered ahead of schedule.
• 8 Su-30SM, 12 Yak-130 trainers, and an An-140-100 transport were delivered or will be soon (?).

For helicopters:

• 19 Ka-52 / Alligator.
• 8 Mi-28N / Night Hunter.
• 3 Mi-35M.
• 3 Mi-26.
• 5 Mi-8AMTSh.
• 7 Mi-8 (jamming variants).

For the Navy, 12 large and 43 small ships were reportedly launched.  Thirty-five ships and craft of various types were commissioned into the fleet.

Anything more specific requires additional investigation. 

Two Borey-class SSBNs (which can’t perform their primary mission) were accepted for service.  Steregushchiy-class (proyekt 20380) FFL Boykiy joined the Baltic Fleet.

Steregushchiy-class FFL Boykiy (photo: Topwar.ru)

As if on cue, Deputy Defense Minister (armaments chief) Yuriy Borisov held a press-conference on January 16 to discuss last year’s GOZ.

According to him, the Su-35S has not been accepted, but it’s about to be.  Initial deliveries aren’t far behind.  More than 2,200 armored vehicles and other transport means were purchased, and 1,700 modernized.  He said the share of modern armor has reached 24 percent.

The year just past definitely continued the trend of more military procurement from 2012.  But is it enough to get the volume of weapons systems Russia’s military and political leadership wants before 2020?

Remember what procurement lists floated in 2010 looked like:

• 56 S-400 “units.”
• 10 S-500 systems.
• 600 aircraft.
• 1,000 helicopters.
• Bulava SLBMs.
• 20 submarines.
• 15 frigates.
• 35 corvettes like Boykiy.
• Mistral-class amphibious ships.
• Several new ICBMs.

Even relatively healthy acquisition like GOZ-2013 won’t get to these numbers.