ARMY-2022 Recap

This year, the Russian Federation hosted the Army-2022 military expo and forum from August 15 to 21, near Moscow. Attendance was purportedly nearly 1.9 million people, including delegations from 85 countries. Over 1,500 exhibitors displayed over 20,000 military weapons and systems with small Army- 2022 satellite events taking part across Russia as well.

The event, the seventh since its inception in 2015, included numerous military competitions by international teams from nations including Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Venezuela. Multiple Army-2022 related events also took place in China, Iran, Kazakhstan, and other countries, with military teams competing in weapons and systems use and management, along with displaying different combat skills.

During Army-2022, multiple government contracts worth together over 520 billion rubles (over $8 billion) were signed with domestic defense entities and enterprises. Multiple Russia-based military analysts noted that the 2022 forum featured fewer cutting-edge technological platforms, instead featuring modernized systems and weapons that are in demand today. The Russian MOD signed contracts for the manufacture of more Orlan-10, Orlan-30, Eleron-3, and Orion drones, which are currently used in Ukraine.

Numerous systems showcased and discussed during this expo were influenced by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the resulting international sanctions that are impacting the domestic defense sector and the civilian high-tech and industrial economies. Import substitution was also a key topic of discussion, along with deliberations about the future of the domestic industrial and high-tech workforce. The Russian defense establishment, government representatives, and military and civilian academia also discussed Russia’s place in the current international system, and deliberated future geopolitical environment and warfare.