Moscow: Saudi Arabia is close to signing
a USD two billion deal to buy Russian arms, a Russian defence
industry source was quoted as saying today.
"Work is nearly complete on a set of contracts on the
delivery of Russian arms and military technology to Saudi
Arabia, with a total value of around two billion dollars," the
source told Interfax news agency.
"For many of these contracts, all the technical and
financial details have practically been agreed, for others
work is still ongoing," he added.
Riyadh may purchase up to 150 helicopters -- 30 Mi-35
attack helicopters and up to 120 Mi-17 transport helicopters
-- more than 150 T-90S tanks, around 250 BMP-3 infantry
fighting vehicles and "several dozen" air defence systems,
the source said.
Contracts for the sale of the tanks and the
helicopters "could be signed as soon as this year," he told
Interfax.
Spokespersons for Rosoboronexport, Russia's
state-owned arms export monopoly, and for the Federal Service
for Military-Technical Cooperation, which oversees the arms
trade, could not be reached for comment today.
Saudi Arabia -- a close US ally -- has long bought
most of its arms from the United States and Western Europe,
but in recent years has been in talks on buying military
equipment from Russia.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, August 29, 2009, 17:35