Russia States Global Leadership in Swathe of Industries - Deputy Prime Minister Manturov

Russia’s economy has not only been successfully adapting to the challenges posed by the Western sanctions, but also has been laying claim to world leadership in a number of industries, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov told Sputnik.

Bold strides made by a swathe of Russia’s industries, such as metallurgy, railway engineering, aircraft manufacturing, and others since the last St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) show that the country has been adapting to global challenges in a timely and successful manner, Denis Manturov, deputy prime minister and Russian minister of industry and trade, told Dmitry Kiselev, the head of Rossiya Segodnya international news agency .

Russia has been keeping one step ahead of the liberal doses of sanctions slapped against it by the collective West, allowing it to stay positive on the eve of SPIEF 2023, set for June 14-17.

"The statistics for May are not out yet, but operational data by industry indicate that recovery growth continues in the manufacturing industries. As for the PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) it is higher than last month's 52.6 points, rising to 53.5 points for May. This suggests that the mood of industrial enterprises is quite buoyant," Denis Manturov said.

Manturov singled out some of the noteworthy Russian industrial achievements of late, while pointing out that in some areas, such as the defense industry, the country was currently "superior to its global competitors both in quality and quantity."

Defense Industry

While touting various successes, Denis Manturov underscored that there are spheres where Russia’s global leadership remains undisputed, pointing to the defense industry.

"Military aviation - airplanes and helicopters - this is an area where today we are superior to competitors both in quality and quantity."

According to Manturov, it is enough to simply mention the fact that the S-500 Prometey (lit. “Prometheus”) mobile air and missile defense system is capable of successfully countering Russia's own unique hypersonic weapons.

Furthermore, recently it was announced by sources that the S-350 Vityaz mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, "for the first time in the world, the Vityaz performed the automated detection, tracking and destruction of Ukrainian air targets in combat conditions."

S-350 Vityaz, which entered service with the Russian armed forces in 2019, is designed to destroy both ballistic and aerodynamic targets, which include combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles, such as the US’ Tomahawks and the UK’s Storm Shadows.

"In shipbuilding, we [Russia] have no equal in terms of creating nuclear-powered icebreakers, and in general, in nuclear and space technologies we have competencies that are unique and globally valuable.

Photonics and lasers are another one of our strengths, which currently allows us to be technologically independent in metalworking and in other areas where the laser is actively used, including production of medical devices and medical equipment," Russia's deputy PM emphasized.

Aviation

The first test flight of the import-substituted Sukhoi Superjet New (SSJ-NEW) plane will take place soon, Denis Manturov assured. The SSJ New is a novel version of the Russian Sukhoi Superjet-100 passenger plane with more domestically-made components. The SSJ-100 is designed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, a division of the state-led United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), was put into commercial operation in 2011.

Sukhoi Superjet 100

© Flickr / SuperJet International

The goal of 100% import replacement regarding SSJ New was set back in 2022. In November, the UAC said that an SSJ New jet with PD-8 engines had successfully passed aerodynamic tests and was ready to start flight tests in 2023. Denis Manturov said that certification of all system components of SSJ New, along with Russia's PD-8 engine, should be completed before the end of the year.

"And we will already start commercial deliveries to our customers, primarily Aeroflot," he said.

Neon

Russia is one of the global leaders in terms of technological competencies for the production of high-purity inert gases: xenon, krypton, and neon.

"Our technologies make it possible to obtain these gases with the best purity in the world. Taking into account the existing production facilities and ongoing modernization, as well as the commissioned laboratory facilities at Bauman Moscow State Technical University (BMSTU), current neon processing capacities will allow us to achieve these goals. Negotiations are currently underway to conclude long-term contracts. Here we have 100% technological independence," Denis Manturov stressed.

Automotive Industry

This industry is embracing the notion of reviving Russian auto brands, said Manturov. He added that the LADA Granta was currently an affordable so-called "People's Car" that corresponds to all the necessary safety requirements. Lada maintains a strong leadership in the Russian car market: based on data for 4.5 months, the brand consistently occupies 35% of the passenger car segment.

Lada Vesta Cross at the 2016 Moscow International Automobile Salon at Crocus Expo in Moscow

© Sputnik / Iliya Pitalev

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The deputy PM added that, “We will do our best to support those colleagues from the automotive industry who come up with such proposals [to revive Russian auto brands], we are ready to consider the issue promptly.” As examples, he cited the Moskvitch Soviet/Russian automobile brand, returned to production in 2022, followed by the GAZ Volga brand, hopefully, next year.

"Our priority is to build up our own competencies, the technological and component base."