Algeria was Russia's traditional arms client in Soviet times, but after the breakup it switched to Ukraine and Belarus mainly, buying Su-27s and MiG-29s. This contract will be Russia's triumphant return to North Africa. |
In the coming years, Algeria will account for 20 percent of Russian's arms exports, while China and India will plummet from 70 percent to 50 percent. |
There are lots of women working in the army, lots of construction troops, railway troops, you name it. And the combat troops, well-equipped and well-trained, there are less than 100,000. |
There is no close combat. They learned their lessons after the first campaign three years ago. |
They have generally 99 percent Soviet- and Russian-made equipment, and they have all necessary equipment to make effective damage to federal troops and to fight them during a long period of time: Land mines, small and light weapons, air-to-air missiles. |