Russia secretly services its warplanes with French-made equipment

Kazakhstani specialists are reportedly servicing Russian Su-30SM fighter jets using French equipment from Thales and Safran despite the sanctions.

Source: a study by Inform Napalm, a volunteer intelligence community

Details: The Kazakh company Analyst Research Consulting (ARC) Group is collaborating with the Russian military and servicing Su-30SM aircraft, which are equipped with French aviation technology from THALES and SAFRAN.

Russia is reported to have up to 130 units of modernised Su-30SM fighter jets in service as of 2024. The Russians have lost at least 15 of these aircraft in the war of aggression against Ukraine.

The study suggests that Russia could have suffered even greater losses due to sanctions, as the Su-30SM aircraft rely on foreign-made avionics, primarily from French companies THALES and SAGEM (now SAFRAN following its acquisition). This equipment requires regular maintenance to keep the aircraft operational.

The devices can only be serviced by specialists certified by the manufacturer and using the original equipment. After the full-scale invasion, Russia seemed to have lost access to such capabilities, but the Russians found an excellent channel to circumvent sanctions using a Kazakh contractor.

The Kazakhstani company ARC Group was established in 2014. According to its website, "the company is the exclusive distributor of Safran Electronics & Defence in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and promotes Safran products in these countries".

Its main customers are government and law enforcement agencies. Back in October 2021, ARC Group entered into its first agreement with Rosaviaspetskomplekt, a narrow-profile Russian company engaged in repairing, maintaining, and supplying aviation with special components.

The agreement's subject matter can be formulated as follows: the Kazakh side, with French-certified specialists and equipment, will carry out the repairs of French equipment on Russian Su-30 aircraft.

Additionally, the Russians cover the costs for a complete cycle of turnkey services, in particular, the training and certification of Kazakh specialists in France and the purchase of the necessary equipment from French suppliers.

Certainly, the contracts with French companies include export control regulations that explicitly prohibit the transfer of any goods to the Russian Federation. However, the study highlights that similar agreements with the Russians – nearly identical in terms of amounts and conditions – suggest that the Kazakh side may not have adhered to these regulations.

Background: A senior official stressed that Kazakhstan would not blindly follow the sanctions against Russia. The country will now seek to protect its own economic interests.

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