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Open Source Backgrounder: Russian Strategy In Sub-Saharan Africa, Mil & Industrial Partnerships-What Is Russia Up To?
[SmallWarsJournal] What African Countries are of Interest to Russia?Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sudan, Guinea Russia has historical partnerships with Angola, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe (Strategic Culture, 2018) Why is Russia Interested in Africa? Africa is part of Russia’s overall global strategy to challenge the West and squeeze NATO out of strategic regions Russia is interested in building military & naval bases in strategic regions of Africa Russia desires power and influence within the continent of Africa Weapons trade, Russia is a premium supplier of military arms in Africa Russian mining companies want access to diamond reserves, uranium mines Russian energy companies wish to Develop African energy projects Proxy war with U.S. What Russian Weaponry do African Nations Seek from Russia? Small Arms, infantry rifles, pistols, machine guns Grenades Sniper Rifles Air Defense Systems Russian-made jets Russian-made helicopters Essentially any conventional weapons system Russian arms makers produce and sell internationally How Much Trade is Russia Doing with Sub-Saharan African Countries? Russia is doing brisk a brisk business trade in the south Sahara $3.6 billion in 2017 $3.3 billion in 2016 $2.2 billion in 2015 (Strategic Culture, 2018) The Center for Strategic & International Studies puts Russian trade at $4.2 billion a year Why Buy Russian Arms & Weapons Systems? Nations need to defend themselves to foster internal stability and security, to do this a nation requires military equipment, most poor African nations lack the expertise and resources to make arms "Russia has a competitive advantage in the arms trade because of a better cost-benefit ratio, The Africans like that better because it is more at the level they can afford." (Financial Times, 2018) Russia’s weapons are in high demand being cheap and effective as has been proven by their use during the Syrian conflict (Strategic Culture, 2018) Western powers will not sell arms to these nations anyway, Russia is filling a void "" Posted by: newc 2019-01-17 |
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