Uralvagonzavod will start making new tanks in three years

02.03.2012 — News

SVERDLOVSK REGION.

In 2015 Russia will put a new tank into line production. Oleg Sienko, General Director of the Uralvagonzavod Research and Production Corporation, OJSC, has informed that at the moment the key parts and components are being checked, while the tests of the pilot model are scheduled for 2014. The corporation intends to manufacture and supply 2,300 tanks by 2020.

Besides, the corporation will continue upgrading T-72 tanks that are currently in service with the Russian army. Uralvagonzavod signed a contract with the RF Ministry of Defense for 215 tanks to be supplied in 2012. According to O. Sienko, the same number of tanks will be upgraded annually within the next eight years.

Experts think that Uralvagonzavod will need another factory to be able to meet its commitments. With reference to the data of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade, Russia exported 482 tanks in 2006-2009. In 2008-2009, 189 military vehicles were manufactured for the RF Armed Forces. The volume of export sales can increase in the next two years; however, the present-day capacity of the Nizhny Tagil factory is not sufficient to meet its obligations on both export and domestic contracts.

Oleg Sienko says that Uralvagonzavod will have a capital inflow of 100 billion rubles for its further growth: 60 billion rubles will be allocated by the government, while the corporation will be responsible for raising the balance. However, Vladimir Schelokov, General Director of the Union of Defense Industry Enterprises of the Sverdlovsk Region, told RusBusinessNews that 60 billion rubles is not enough to build a new factory and the other portion of the investment is still hanging at poise.