Exports of Russian military helicopters up 20%

Russia's state-run weapons exporter said overseas sales of its military helicopters this year will be 20 percent higher than 2012. A spokesman for Rosoboronexport told the RIA Novosti news agency that more than 130 combat and transport choppers would be exported by the end of the year. Rosoboronexport also expects a 30-percent jump in exports of air-defense systems over last year thanks to expansion of its global market into Africa and Afghanistan. "We have managed to substantially broaden our deliveries geographically, including to the Middle East, where our potential is not bad," said spokesman Mikhail Zavaliy. Russia is the second-largest arms exporter in the world behind the United States. It took in $15.2 billion in sales last year.