Budgetary Restrictions Prevent Brazil From Purchasing Pantsir-S1 From Russia

Budgetary restrictions prevent Brazil from concluding a deal on the Pantsir-S1 air defense systems purchased from Russia, Brazilian Ambassador to Russia Antonio Luis Espinola Salgado told Sputnik Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Talks on the Pantsir-S1 systems purchases have been carried out between Moscow and Brasilia over the past four years. However, the negotiations have been curbed by the significant economic decline in Brazil, which resulted in the decrease of the budget revenues as a whole and cuts in military expenses particularly.

"In terms of technological capabilities, [Brazilian authorities] speak very well of the Russian Pantsir-S1 systems. However, a whole range of budgetary restrictions does not currently allow us to carry out this deal," Salgado said.

The Russian military equipment is very well known in Brazil and is highly estimated by the servicemen, the ambassador added.

"As a whole, the cooperation in the defense and industry sphere is a very perspective area in our relations. The talks have been carried out for a long time but I have no information about any loan schemes or credit facilities," Salgado noted.

In April 2016, Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said that the preliminary proposal for the sales of the air defense systems was submitted to the Brazilian side. This April, Brazil's Defense Minister Raul Jungmann said that the country's authorities did not refuse their plans to buy aircraft of the Pantsir-S1 variety from Russia, but it was not feasible to plan the purchases during the difficult economic situation in the country.

The Pantsir-S1 (NATO reporting name SA-22 Greyhound), is a short-to-medium range surface-to-air missile/gun system that first entered service with the Russian army in 2012.