Andrei Krasov: Russian defence and security systems are in demand by the CSTO States to ensure their sovereignty

Andrei Krasov, first deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Defence Committee and Hero of the Russian Federation, shared his thoughts on the Army 2021 Forum, the Russian military and industrial complex and state sovereignty. “More and more countries participate both in the Military and Technical Forum and in the Military Games. Why is it so important? The entire international community is now concerned about security.
We saw what happened in Afghanistan, we remember the goals and tasks of the coalition forces that went in there in 2001 and basically fled from there 20 years later, abandoning their supporters, cutting and running.
Here is a very different picture. Here you can see examples of the equipment that is supplied to the Russian Armed Forces and that has delegations from various countries, including the CSTO and even NATO member states lining up for it.
We know that Greece is interested in air defence systems and buys them, and so does Turkey. In terms of its value for money, the Russian equipment represented here, the air defence systems, is the best. This equipment is not just universal; to a large extent it is designed to protect the sovereignty of the states that buy it.
Russia has gone a long and difficult way to start re-equipping its Armed Forces. And by selling the equipment developed and produced in our country to other countries we first of all give our partners the opportunity to protect their sovereignty. That is why there is so much interest in the Army 2021 Forum.
As for us deputies, the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the seventh convocation has ensured through legislation that the Russian Armed Forces and its military and industrial complex are able to fulfil their mission: to reliably protect the citizens of the Russian Federation.
To a large extent, it is thanks to our modern Armed Forces and military and industrial complex whose products are presented here at the Army 2021 Forum, that the citizens of the Russian Federation today can look to the future without fear, to raise their children, to work and to live.”

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Two major international events organized by the Russian Defence Ministry launched in Moscow: the Army 2021 Military and Technical Forum and the International Army Games.
The Games and the Forum are held simultaneously, which, according to Army General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, “first, allows participants to increase their work performance and guests to see almost the entire spectacular demonstration programme,” and second, “this format optimizes efforts to implement the set of measures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus infection.”
The Army 2021 Forum takes place on August 22–28 in the Moscow oblast: in the Patriot park, at the Kubinka airfield, the Alabino firing range and at demonstration sites in all military districts, as well as the Northern Fleet. Participants include representatives of 115 foreign countries and more than 1,500 enterprises and organizations of the military and industrial complex.
The forum showcases over 28 thousand units of modern arms and equipment: from small arms to artillery, tanks and aviation. Most of them have been tested and used in combat, where they have proven their reliability and effectiveness.
Russian Defence Ministry’s developments in the area of artificial intelligence deserve a special mention.
First-time exhibitors include Military Innovation Technopolis ERA, an exhibition Day of Innovations of the Russian Ministry of Defence, an exposition Diversification of Russian Military and Industrial Complex and a specialized Arctic exhibition.
Apart from the Russian Federation, national expositions are presented by the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, India and Pakistan. Visitors will see more than 28,000 pieces of products and technologies.
More than 40 delegations take part in the Forum, 17 of which are headed by ministers of defence, their deputies and senior officials of defence agencies.
The participants include all Member States of the Collective Security Treaty Organization: the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tajikistan.