AK-47, AK-203, Su-27: Which Countries Have Licenses to Produce Russian Weapons

Russia not only sells weapons to other countries, but also offers to organize licensed production (transfer of the necessary technical documentation for the product) abroad. Among the countries that can produce Russian weapons are India, China, and the UAE.

India

The Indian corporation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received a license to produce the two-seat multirole fighter Su-30MKI. Since 2000, more than 200 aircraft have been assembled at Indian facilities. Russia also acted as a supplier of aluminum and titanium.

The state of Uttar Pradesh is home to the production of Kalashnikov assault rifles AK-203. It was organized by the company Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (founders Rosoboronexport and the Kalashnikov concern).

China

In Soviet times, the production of AK-47s was established in China. Chinese developers modified the machine gun, calling it the "Type-56." However, the weapon was not of high quality, so the Soviet side revoked the license. Nevertheless, Chinese copies of the AK-47 can still be found in the country.

In the 90s, a factory for the production of the fourth-generation Su-27 supersonic heavy fighter appeared in China. The contract was for 200 aircraft, but only 100 came off the assembly line.

The Chinese also received a license to produce the BMP-3. They borrowed some technical solutions, creating their own combat vehicle based on the ZBD-04A platform.

UAE

In 2010, the Russian private arms company Lobaev Arms received a contract to open a production line in the UAE.

The agreement included the creation of 200 sniper rifles and the sale of a license to produce modified rifles for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Currently, these facilities (the company is called Tavazun) produce CSR-308 rifles (modified versions of Russian DVL-10 sniper rifles).