It seems that one of the most important dimensions of Russias fixation on Ukraine is one little discussed in the mainstream media. That dimension, namely the importance to Moscow of Ukraines surprisingly well developed military industrial complex, is a key reason Russian President Vladimir Putin wont let go of Ukraine. Moreover, the bulk of Ukraines military industrial complex is in Ukraines south and east, which adds clarity to Russias focus on those parts of Ukraine. Readers may remember the apocalyptic Hollywood thriller, 2012, and the Russian tycoon who owned an enormous jet loaded with exotic sports cars, boasting of the plane, Its Russian. Well, the truth is, it wasnt Russian. It was Ukrainian. It was an Antonov AN225, the worlds largest airplane. Antonov, based near Kiev, also designed and manufactures a medium-size transport plane, the AN70, a series of gliders like the AN15, a regional jet (the AN148), and a series of advanced jet engines. In fact, the Russian presidents office owns two AN148-100Es. Ukraine is also home to Motor-Sich, a firm that designs and manufactures aircraft and helicopter engines, as well as turbine engines for pumps for gas, oil and other applications including power-generation. Basically all of Russias military helicopters use engines made by Motor-Sich. The firm also makes the engines for Russias Yak 160 fighter/trainer. Russian military analyst Vladimir Voronov says Russia has an ambitious plan to add 1,000 attack helicopters to its armed forces, but this would be almost impossible without Motor Sichs provision of engines. Ukraine also boasts an advanced space rocket and missile design and production industry, one of the few nations in the world that has a mature space rocket production complex. Located in south-eastern Ukraines Dnepropetrovsk, it produced many of the rockets in the early Soviet space program, as well as parts for many missiles and rockets such as Russias famous Soyuz, and components for the International Space Station. It also designed, manufactured and today still services Russias main intercontinental ballistic missile, the deadly SS18. Ukraine is also home to what at its high tide accounted for 30% of the Soviet Unions shipbuilding industry (Global Security), and it continues to provide shipbuilding services for many nations, including China for whom it provided the Varyag, which the Chinese finished and turned into their first aircraft carrier, theLiaoning, which recently entered service. Voronov has reported on a recent Russian military campaign to expand ship production, but that Russias own shipyards are failing to meet capacity so Russia has increasingly sought Ukrainian help. Ukraine is also a major producer of ships engines. Voronov concludes that of the 54 surface warships acquisitions the Russian navy has currently planned, 31 would have Ukrainian engines in them, though of course all of this is in question with the recent decision by Ukraines government to halt all arms deals with Russia because of Russias aggression in Crimea, etc. Ukraine is also a major producer of armored personnel carriers and tanks (its Kharkiv facilities designed and manufactured the T34, T54, T64, and T80 tanks, and its T84 is as good or better than Russias best tanks presently, some experts argue), air to air missiles for fighter planes (Kievs Razumov Center says Russia gets half of these from Ukraine), surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, and is home to a vibrant parts and systems design and manufacturing industry that services many sectors of Russias military, including Russias newest Su50 PAK/FA fighter aircraft. For Moscow, the loss of Ukraine to the EU (or worse, to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as well), would mean the potential loss of all of this capacity, and the need to replace it rapidly, not to mention the loss of military secrets that could help competitors of the Russian military industrial complex. Ukrainian scientists and engineers know many of Russias deepest military secrets, and in fact fathered some of them. Moreover, a quick look at a map and the realization that Ukraines tank/armour industry is in eastern Ukraines Kharkiv, its shipbuilding industry is in the souths Mykolaiv, its space/rocket/missile industry is in Dnepropetrovsk and its Motor Sich is in Zaporizhia, both in southeastern Ukraine, and it may be clear why it is these same regions of Ukraine that are experiencing the worst (Russian-instigated) anti-Kiev violence at present. The value and importance of Ukraines military industrial complex to Russia is an important reason Moscow will not let go of eastern and southern Ukraine, and consequently it may be that sanctions alone will not be enough to make Putin back down. atimes/atimes/Central_Asia/CEN-01-270514.html
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:50:12 +0000
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