Russia has become the world’s second largest arms supplier after the US, and launched a huge army modernization program worth more than $350 billion, and it it can be considered a great achievement, according to Pukhov.
Russia has a number of significant advantages in its military industry of the US, Pukhov said.
In addition, Russian equipment is not as expensive as that of the US. Russian armaments could be constructed by “less sophisticated machines” that will make production cheaper.
The other advantage is the fact Russian arms are “very user-friendly,” allowing people without specific education and skills to operate them.
“US fighter aircraft look like Swiss watches, but Russian fighters look like tanks. Would you prefer to fight with a tank or a Swiss watch?” – Pukhov joked.
After all, Pukhov declared that the country’s military industry is referred in many aspects to the Russian methods of waging wars, which originated in 15th century, proving the famous saying by Otto von Bismarck that “Russia is never as strong as it looks, and Russia is never as weak as it looks.”
Suspension of cooperation with the West prompted Russia to launch an import substitution program. The military equipment and arms import substitution plan was finalized in December 2014.
Russia is currently undergoing a $325-billion rearmament program for a 70-percent modernization increase in its military's weaponry by 2020.
