Russia Set to be Biggest Buyer at Own Airshow

Russia will showcase its top-of-the-range fighter jets and newest space shuttles at the MAKS airshow, starting on Tuesday, and an ambitious program to upgrade its arms looks set to make Moscow the biggest buyer at its own show. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to visit the biennial event on Wednesday, and highlights will include the first public flight of Russia's long-delayed, fifth-generation T-50 fighter plane. State-controlled Russian manufacturers of both military and civil planes are likely to use the event to unveil new orders and joint ventures with industry giants including Boeing, and Russia is expected to dominate buying rather than foreign governments. "Russia is at a moment where it's looking to beef up its arms industry with new technology. It's looking abroad to do this, which might make Moscow a bigger buyer than a seller at MAKS this year," said Ruslan Pukhov, director of Moscow-based defense think tank CAST.