LOUIS-MARIE CLOUET

Rosoboronexport, Spearhead of the Russian Arms Industry

Russie.Nei.Visions, No.22, September 2007

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Rosoboronexport, a federal state unitary enterprise, is at the heart of Russian political power: it is the key pivot of the arms exports policy and of the ongoing consolidations of the Russian military-industrial complex (MIC). On behalf of its Director Sergey Chemezov, a close relation of President Vladimir Putin, Rosoboronexport has become the driving force for the renewal of Russia's military-technical policy, as it benefits from a quasi monopoly on arms exports. Through Rosoboronexport, the Russian state is seeking to modernize the Russian MIC - token of the country's power and influence on the international scene. In order to ensure the long-term success of its takeover operations of Russian industrial companies, Rosoboronoexport now needs to complete its transformation into an industrial holding company and strengthen its privileged position beyond the next Russian presidential elections to be held in 2008.

Louis-Marie Clouet holds a diploma from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Institute of Political Sciences). He is currently completing a doctoral thesis at the University Pierre-Mendès-France Grenoble 2 devoted to the economy of Russian power and arms export since 1991. 

Russie.Nei.Visions is an electronic collection of policy papers published in French, English and Russian by the Russia/NIS Center, Ifri.