Double standards: How Russia tries to oust Ukraine from international defense business

Officials at Ukrainian companies dealing with repair and modernization of aviation equipment in the foreign markets complain about the increasing pressure on the part of their direct competitors - companies from the Russian Federation. The Russians employ a wide range of means to crowd out competitors from Ukraine – pretty much anything from lobbying to blackmail and bribery.

As a result, the existing contracts for aviation repair and modernization services as regards Soviet-made aircraft, as well as for the supply of spare parts and components, are becoming subject to revision even by Ukraine's traditional partners, according to 24 TV Channel.

In some countries, new tenders now include a condition that the applicant should confirm that they are a manufacturer of original spare parts for the equipment in question. This complicates and sometimes totally hinders participation of Ukrainian companies in such tenders.

As regards the equipment for Mi helicopters and MiG jets, Russians inflict direct pressure on the officials responsible for laying out the terms of bidding procedures. Here, a manipulation is used claiming that the "original spare part" should only refer to what had been certified by the designer at the time of the initial production of the aircraft.

Read alsoSaudi Arabia to start building An-132 assembly plant next year - AntonovThere is also a claim that it's only the original spare parts, units and assemblies that must be used in repair works.

Recently, Ukraine's Ukrinmash was artificially denied an opportunity to apply for the repair of 12 MiG-29s and another three MiG-29UBs owned by the Bulgarian Air Force. This was a result of an open lobbying of the Russian company "MiG" by Bulgarian Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov. The latter explains such lobbying with the arguments imposed by the Russians claiming an exclusive right of the developer to alter the aircraft design.

But even in Bulgaria, such position of their minister is being criticized. One of the country's political analysts, former Bulgarian ambassador to Russia, Ilian Vasilev sees these actions as a "strategic mistake", since they promote the idea that it's only Russia that enjoys exclusive rights and licenses for servicing armaments and equipment produced by the former Soviet Union. Vasilev accused Karakachanov of lobbying Russian interests, saying that "the Bulgarian Minister of Defense is playing someone else's game" when he officially tries to persuade everyone that no one can repair any Soviet-produced weapons without a license from Russia. He also emphasizes that a significant part of the Soviet defense plants remained in Ukraine after the Union's fall, and, as one of the USSR's successors, Ukraine has all the rights to manufacture and repair any type of Soviet weapons.

Read alsoRussia smearing Ukraine defense sector in attempt to win back Indian marketRussia's efforts to squeeze competitors out of the market based on the assertion about the exclusivity of their rights of developer are rather dubious.

Even the ICAO rules state that the state operating the aircraft has the right to make the necessary changes to their design.

The difference in operators' behavior patterns can be seen in the example of how MiG-29 fighter planes are operated by two NATO member states (Poland and Bulgaria). Having the necessary potential, Poland solved the problem without resorting to the Russian developer and manufacturer. They simply created, certified and applied on their own variation of a modernized MiG-29. At the same time, Bulgaria is suffering from the unresolved issue of extending the resource of MiG-29s they have and adapting them to the needs of the Bulgarian Air Force.

Russia's double standards in this regard are also worth mentioning. They, themselves, tried to avoid dependence on the Ukrainian developer in repair and modernization of "An" aircraft. They have designated their own facilities to service aircraft of Ukrainian design.

After the proclamation of Independence, Ukraine has gained control over a number of aircraft production plants and repair companies that have at their disposal all the necessary technical documentation for all repair work and extending the resource of military aircraft, whose developers are located in the territory of other states, including in Russia. This is about a wide range of MiG, Su, and Il aircraft, as well as Mi and Ka helicopters. The rights to carry out repairs of these types of aircraft were provided in accordance with procedures established in the USSR with the transfer of the set of necessary documentation. Such rights have no retroactive effect, and there is no need or legal basis for additional licensing.

All modernized samples of aircraft, as well as spare parts, assemblies and units created in Ukraine within the framework of import substitution, are tested and certified in accordance with Ukraine's legislation and the country's international obligations.

Read alsoUkraine opens Mi-8/Mi-17 repair center in Bangladesh – mediaIn order to strengthen its position in the EU and NATO markets, Ukraine should appeal to the relevant governing bodies on the absurdity of the idea of the Alliance's cooperation with a potential adversary. This is, in particular, about the use of technical "backdoors" that might allow Russia blocking efficient operations of NATO equipment that is being repaired. Finally, one should open the eyes of Europeans to the fact that Ukraine has long been operating in their legal field and using the legal acts they had adopted. All this makes Ukraine a predictable and reliable partner. All this could strengthen both Ukraine and the Alliance, which Ukraine will inevitably join, the publication writes.