Funded by booming oil and gas profits, the Russian military is in the midst of a huge equipment upgrade, all backed by Putin's promise to increase its spending by $770 billion from 2014 to 2020.
That's a big chunk of change it would like to put into its own coffers. The Russian Newspaper Pravda no doubt agrees and has announced Moscow makes the best military hardware in the world.
There's no doubt that the former communist country makes a lot of it, and supplies much of the world that doesn't buy from the U.S. with its gear.
Eighty-eight countries, in all, buy military hardware from Russia and they keep coming back. The following list is a small portion of what they want.
Russia's T-90 main battle tank tank is just as advanced as the America's M1 and costs half as much
Produced from 1995 onward, the T-90 is a modernization of the Soviet T-72.
The overhaul is remarkable and the fact the T-90 costs anywhere from $2.8 to $4.3 million compared to the M1 Abrams $8.6 million is more remarkable still.
Manufacturer Kartsev-Venediktov has pumped the tank full of electronic warfare capabilities, and it's filled with laser warning receivers, an electronic jamming system and a three-tiered protection system consisting of turret armor, explosive reactive armor and a full countermeasures suite.
Despite the T-90's well advanced status it's only a stop-gap piece. Russia's T-99, coming by 2020, will serve as the new main battle tank, infantry fighting vehicle, and armored personnel carrier.
Production begins of the T-99 begins in 2014.
The MSTA-S 2S19 can run on six different types of fuel
While this artillery platform is pretty interesting on its own — a 152mm self propelled howitzer that entered service in 1989 — perhaps its most compelling feature is its versatility.
The 2MSTA-S 2S19 offers significant automation with loading and firing, allowing the crew to stay mobile while firing and it can run on six different types of fuel including diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, and alcohol. Russia has 800 of them as of 2008.
The MSTA has been adapted into a number of different variants which include a wheeled variant, various enhanced versions, a "laser tank" and a prototype which includes dual howitzers.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is Russia's most advanced operational fighter jet
The Su-35 is a twin-engined multi-role fighter. Since Russia has not been in a significant war since the aircraft's development, the supermaneuverable jet is currently used by the nation's Russian Knights air display team. The Russian Air Force has eleven of them, mostly an upgraded version.
The Air Forces of Libya, India, Malaysia and Algeria have considered purchasing the craft.
Exporter Rosoboronexport lost $4 billion after the Libyan revolution because of cancelled contracts, so the future of the jet outside of Russian borders remains unclear.
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