Vadim Kozyulin, the Director of the Conventional Arms Programme, joined Russia Today to comment on participation of Russian companies in the Le Bourget air show.

Russia Today: A number of Russian companies involved in this air show. What does Russia aim to get out of it?

Vadim Kozyulin: Actually 50 Russian companies are taking part in this air show. For most of them it is a routine job to take part in such events. It helps to maintain contacts, to develop new contacts and to be at the edge of technological developments in air and space industry. So, for Russian companies it is also a chance to demonstrate that the Russian aviation industry is developing, is not stagnating and it has promising plans.

RT: Of course thousands of other international companies are going to be there present, large and small. Do you expect any major deals to be signed over the course of the show?

V.K.: As for Russia, I would say that we have at least three projects which are supposed to be signed during this air show. The first one is the purchase of Airbus airplanes by Aeroflot, the major Russian air carrier. Siberia, another Russian air carrier,  is also planning to purchase from 10 to 15 Airbus airplanes. So, those two deals would amount to about several billion US dollars. Also there was an announcement that Alitalia, Italian company  has plan to sign a contract for purchase of big share of the Super-Jet-100 project, the new Russian regional aircraft which is being produced by the Russian aviation industry at the moment.

RT: Well, of course this event coincides with the 50th anniversary of the start of the Sputnik programme. How is this event  going to be marked?

V.K.: The space industry of Russia plays a big role at Le Bourget this year just because of this big anniversary. We have about six models of missiles, starting from the very first one, till the one being developed at the moment. There will be a big exhibition of sputniks or satellites, the old ones and those which are being produced at the moment, and offered for sale. So it will be a celebration with the participation of the old branches of the space industry, not only Russian, but also our neighbouring countries as well, who used to take part in the space programme of the Soviet Union.