Russian defence companies saw a 20% rise in sales last year, according to a new report analysing the world’s top 100 arms producers. Several Russian manufacturers have moved up the pecking order from 2012 with Almaz-Antey – maker of air defence systems – now almost in the top ten.
Details of the strong growth in the Russian defence sector were revealed 15 December by Swedish think-tank the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in its annual report on the top 100 international defence firms.
‘The biggest driver [of sales] has been the domestic market,’ explained Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher with