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2022-08-28 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Perun: Russian Arms Exports - Will the Ukraine invasion tank their market share?

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Posted by DarthVader 2022-08-28 11:27|| || Front Page|| [8 views ] Top

#1 Their market share is tyrants who only need to keep the peasants down and not make an unwelcome visit with the neighbors. For that, the Russian equipment is good and cheap enough to meet requirements.

Posted by Procopius2k 2022-08-28 11:47|| 2022-08-28 11:47|| Front Page Top

#2 If I were a rat-bag dictator shopping for implements of destruction, my checklist would look like this:
* Simple enough to operate that my uneducated peasant soldiers can use it.
* Comparable equipment to what my semi-hostile neighbors, local hard boys, and any prospective rebels use. Most of them have Soviet/Russian kit already. (btw, did we ever trade Basketball Girl for Victor Bout?)
* Reliable supply. Buying arms is investing in weapons systems. Even the lowly AK-47, which is common enough to become its own currency, is a system of rifles, ammo, spare parts, and training. It's like PC vs Mac. Whatever choice you make involves vendor lock-in.

What happens if you are in the middle of a minor war and your vendor decides it is sanctions time? The reason does not matter. Maybe you are evil. Maybe you are bothering some endangered minnow or still using plastic grocery bags. The result is the same - no more stuff for you!

Based on the above, Russian arms are a viable choice.

Posted by SteveS 2022-08-28 20:52|| 2022-08-28 20:52|| Front Page Top

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