DASA to sign agreement to collaborate with MAPO and Rosvooruzhenie on upgrades

Published: 7/2/1999

During the recent air show in Le Bourget, Paris, the German company, DASA, disclosed its plans to reach an agreement with MAPO in order to upgrade Russian Mig-29s to NATO standards. DASA already has a joint venture agreement with MAPO and the export agency, Rosvooruzhenie, called MAPS. The recent contract for the upgrade of Poland's MiG-29s was however, won by DASA alone, although Concise understands that the details of the Polish contract remain to be settled. According to Mr Grigor Kursell of DASA, a new agreement, announced in early July 1999, will mean that all the upgrade work on all Russian military aircraft by DASA in future will be undertaken through the joint venture, including the Polish MiG 29 contract. Additional contracts for upgrades of the MiG-29 are currently available in Bulgaria and Hungary For MAPO and Rosvooruzhenie, this move is something of a breakthrough, as it allows both to participate in the lucrative upgrade market with a partner that is acceptable to the air forces of Eastern and Central Europe. There seems little doubt that the failure to attract contracts to date was driven in part by the reluctance to employ an exclusively Russian contractor. It should also answer some of the very vocal complaints from the Russian aerospace industry that they were having their products 'pirated' by western producers.

Article ID: 643