Do not tell my Iskanders: Ukraine decided to become a weapons superpower

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Не смешите мои «Искандеры»: Украина решила стать оружейной сверхдержавой

 

At the exhibition of arms Defexpo India 2016, held from 28 to 31 March in South Goa, the Ukrainian participants stated that they would replace Russia in the sphere of military-technical cooperation with India.Federal news Agency remembered the “outstanding” achievements of Ukraine in this field.

From a sick head on healthy

“We are here to help with the headache, with which India one can not cope. For almost 10 years Russia vehemently blocked our attempts. We have proposed many solutions that can give a new life to the arms of the Soviet time, because we are the original manufacturers of the equipment”, — pathosly declared the exhibition to journalists by the representative of the concern “Ukroboronprom” Petro Fedoruk.

From military “migraine” Ukraine offers to treat India in two main areas: firstly, the modernisation and repair of Soviet anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMS) including man portable (MANPAD) and, secondly, in the rebuilt former Soviet aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, now Indian aircraft carrier “Vikramaditya”.

Не смешите мои «Искандеры»: Украина решила стать оружейной сверхдержавой
 

In the first case, the Ukrainians openly lie: those SAMS and MANPADS, which were discussed (“Shilka”, “Tunguska”, “Square”, “Needle”, etc.), not only that were developed in the USSR, so also those enterprises, which are located on the territory of modern Russia. So any “original manufacturers” Ukrainians can’t even be on probation.

 

“Admiral Gorshkov” was indeed built in the Ukrainian Nikolaev (also in Soviet times). However, constructed his shipbuilders of Leningrad and after the collapse of the Soviet Union he was part of the Northern fleet of the Russian Federation, where, of course, and serviced. In 2004 it was sold to India and in the framework of the contract had a major reconstruction in Severodvinsk. Deck-based aircraft on it, of course, also Russian.

The statement of the Ukrainians on this aircraft carrier can call a doctor only Homeric laughter. The state of Ukrainian fleet and the capabilities of local shipbuilding (especially after the Crimean events) is deplorable, to say the least. Symbolizes all that’s rotting on the stocks mentioned Nikolayev missile cruiser “Ukraine”. (Read more in the material of the FAN “Underwater pugs: Ukraine scares the world “strategic” mini-submarines”. Here are a couple of facts there: for all the post-Soviet era, Ukraine built 1 (one) vehicle, and now its main brainchild is collected on the knee of the armored boats with a crew of five people and weapons in the form of two processed a file of towers from the APCS and IFVs.)

The avaricious pays twice

The only thing the Ukrainian side it is possible to believe about is the fact that they’ll do it cheaper than Russia. But could chase the cheapness? In this case, the answer is clear: under no circumstances. Let us explain why.

As for Indian-Ukrainian cooperation, he has long been hampered not “violent block” from Russia, and the fact that in 90-ies, Ukraine supplied 320 T-80UD tanks to Pakistan’s worst enemy India. It is the enemy, not just opponent: both countries are constantly on the brink of war. If the worst scenario — nuclear. Later the Indians gradually replaced by anger at the mercy and in pursuit of more favorable conditions, which are definitely necessary for the country, the world’s largest importer of weapons in the world, tried to establish cooperation with Ukraine.

In 2009, the Ministry of defence of India signed a contract with Kiev for the modernization of hundreds of light transport aircraft An-32. Here, Russia really could not help: products of the concern “Antonov” is the zone of responsibility of Ukraine, on the territory of which the production and repair capacity. With 40 cars was supposed to be repaired on the Ukrainian territory and the remaining Indian, with involvement of specialists of “Antonov”.

Не смешите мои «Искандеры»: Украина решила стать оружейной сверхдержавой
 

In the end, last year Indian military sounded the alarm about the fact that Ukraine has returned only 35 cars. After a long search for “the lost ones” still showed up on one of the subsidiary factories of the concern. Was also stopped modernization in India, as Ukraine has not fulfilled obligations relating to the supply of spare parts. Now India is negotiating with Russia on the joint construction of a Transporter to replace An-32.

On parole and on one wing

Even more loud aircraft scandal recently soared to new heights. It all started in 2013, when the company “Ukrspecexport” has signed with the defense Ministry of Croatia contract for the renovation and the delivery of 12 MiG-21. Of these, seven machines were Croatian and five were owned by Odesa aircraft repair enterprise: they hadn’t managed to shake off in Yemen. It was planned to run for one year.

Just say that the Corporation “MiG” is a Russian, and Ukrainian companies licensed to service of the equipment it is not allowed. However, the poor Croats who were forced to patch these old planes, developed in the 50s and taken out of service in many countries, operators had no choice.

In early 2014, it became clear that Ukraine breaks the terms. Then began the big questions about the quality of repairs: however, we all know what’s been happening in Ukraine at this time. In July of the same year he Horatiocaine be taken with grief in half, repaired equipment: radar and identification system was not operational, the fuel was leaking. Fines imposed by the Croatian side, are hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the situation has not changed.

And in March of this year revealed the cause of these problems: instead of the normal modernization of the Ukrainian specialists have gathered some sort of Frankenstein’s monster. Like wrote the Croatian media, on one of the machines one wing was Ukrainian, the other — with a decommissioned MiG-21 from Algeria. Fuel tanks were Soviet-made. Fuselages of five aircraft with the Odessa plant was since decommissioned Bulgarian machines. Also supplied technology there were signs with broken serial number.

Garage, where the stolen car being driven in order to disassemble it on spare parts or various kinds of manipulation to hide the traces of theft — that the level of the modern Ukrainian aviaremont.

Came a formidable armor

The situation is not better and with less sophisticated technology. In 2009, it signed an agreement with Iraq to supply 420 armored personnel carriers of the Ukrainian BTR-4 different modifications, as well as medical and armored repair-evacuation machines. Order in the amount of nearly half a billion dollars was paid by the United States.

Already the first batch had to delay because of problems with guns. As of the end of 2013, the Iraqi army had 88 BTR-4, of which nearly 80% could not be operated due to poor technical condition. Another batch of the 42 cars that came in the Persian Gulf in April 2013, the Iraqis turned upon the cause of the cracks in the housing. After long wanderings, colorful deserves a separate article, if not books, in January 2014, armored personnel carriers returned to Odessa. Soon they were transferred to the national guard for use in the war on the territory of Donbass.

Let us add that the successful implementation of the contract with Pakistan, as mentioned above, due to the fact that those tanks were designed in the Soviet era, but they were building their Soviet specialists, using the infrastructure that have not yet come into terminal decline. An illustrative example of how this is happening now, as described in the material FAN “news of Ukraine: Causatively to pay Yanukovych, Savchenko sit in Ukraine”, and the prospect of production of armored vehicles — in the text “Murakhovsky of “urban tank” of Ukraine Is a joke with zero innovation”.

Not fused

Well and a scattering of other samples of military-technical “Peremoga” of Ukraine. From signed in 2012 transactions on the joint production of 100 BTR-4 in the future (obviously under the influence of a sad Iraqi experience) refused Kazakhstan. In 2012, the fault of the Ukrainian side had failed to supply 120 BTR-3E1 in the Sudan: in the previous two years was passed only 10 cars. Previously for the same reasons of the major parties of the APC, otkazalsya (the original customer that funded the development of),Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Не смешите мои «Искандеры»: Украина решила стать оружейной сверхдержавой
 

In 2014, was annulled a contract to sell 50 T-64БМ1М in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Initiated by Kiev, who decided to use them in the Donbass. The representatives of the DRC who know what a civil war, were sympathetic to this decision, but stressed that any further procurement from Ukraine of anything refuse.

And last year was cancelled the deal on the repair of the Peruvian An-32B. The official reasons were not reported, unofficial called a significant increase in the cost of works and spare parts, taken by Ukraine unilaterally. Now Proactive change all their machines of that type on the Italian counterparts.

Mikhail Afanasyev

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