(RIA Novosti) - Russia is planning to increase sales of military hardware in Venezuela by offering the Latin American country a wide variety of advanced weaponry, the state-controlled arms exporter said Tuesday.
Rosoboronexport said it would focus on modern aircraft, including Su-27SK Flanker and Su-30MK fighters and the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter, as well as small arms, at the Expo Ejercito 2006 arms show on June 13-18 in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, reports Trend.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said earlier this year that his country could purchase Sukhoi aircraft from Russia to replace its contingent of U.S. F-16 multi-role fighters after Washington imposed an embargo arms sale to the country.
Military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Caracas has been on the rise since Rosoboronexport and the Venezuelan government signed contracts on arms supplies in 2005.
Russia delivered three out of 15 Mi-17 V5 Hip-H multipurpose helicopters to Venezuela in March 2006 and supplied the country with the first 30,000 of 100,000 AK-103 assault rifles under a $54 million contract in early June.
"The talks during the exhibition will lead to contracts on procuring Russian-made weaponry and military equipment and their integration into systems of national and collective security in the region," Rosoboronexport said.
The Russian arms export monopolist will also present at the show high-tech civilian equipment developed under conversion programs at defense-industry enterprises.