Russian Su-30SM aircraft use French-made avionics. Fighter jets are serviced by Kazakh company ARC Group - InformNapalm
The Kazakhstani straw company ARC Group cooperates with the Russian military and maintains Russian Su-30SM aircraft, which are equipped with high-tech equipment made by Thales and Safran.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to InformNapalm.
In the study, the international intelligence community uncovered a scheme that allows Russia to continue to maintain its military aircraft despite international sanctions.
What is known about THALES and SAFRAN?
As of 2024, Russia has up to 130 units of modernised 4th++ generation Su-30SM fighters. During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia lost at least 15 of these aircraft. But they could have lost many more due to sanctions, as Su-30SM aircraft use foreign-made avionics, mainly from French companies THALES and SAGEM (and after the latter's acquisition, SAFRAN).
As noted, in particular, multifunctional displays SMD55S and SMD66S (Thales), radio navigation system TLS2020 (Thales), radio navigation system TACAN-NC12 (Thales), indicators on the windscreen HUD 3022 (Thales), navigation system SIGMA 95NAA (Safran) were installed.
Without the above equipment, the pilot is effectively blind, and the Russian aircraft turns into a pile of iron in the air. In order to continue to operate and bomb Ukrainian cities, the Russians need to constantly maintain the French equipment.
"Long before the full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation had ambitious plans to replace French equipment with imports. Gradually, this process of import substitution is taking place. For example, a screenshot from May 2024 shows the replacement of the French HUD 3022 with the Russian IKSh-1KI," InformNapalm explained.
The devices can only be serviced by specialists certified by the manufacturer using the same certified equipment. After the full-scale invasion, Russia allegedly lost access to such capabilities, but, as the documents we obtained show, the Russian side found an excellent channel to circumvent sanctions in the Kazakh contractor.
Kazakhstan company "ARC Group"
Kazakhstan Limited Liability Company "Analyst Research Consulting Group" was established in 2014 by the sole founder - Aldanazar Saginbek (Sagynbek Aldanazar Darkhanuly), born on 03.02.1998.
From the very moment of its foundation, this company has looked suspicious. Only five employees are listed in Kazakhstani data sources. The company's website https://arcgroup.kz/ has only a brief description and contacts. However, it states that since 2016, ARC Group LLC has been a licensee of the Committee for Industrial Development and Industrial Safety of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and has a state licence for the export, import, installation, adjustment, modernisation, operation, storage, repair and maintenance of aircraft and spare parts.
The company is particularly proud of its distribution agreement with Safran Electronics & Defence.
As stated on the website, "today 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. The main customers are government agencies and law enforcement agencies. There are completed government orders. From 2019 to 2020, the company supplied optoelectronic systems (thermal imaging binoculars, thermal imaging rangefinders, rangefinders) to the Republic of Kazakhstan for a government agency."
At the same time, thanks to the documents and data we obtained, the community has established that ARC Group is a Russian "pad" for circumventing sanctions.
A scheme to circumvent Western sanctions
Back in October 2021, ARC Group signed its first contract with Rosaviaspetskomplekt LLC, a narrowly focused Russian limited liability company for the repair, maintenance, and supply of aviation with special components. What the Russian company does is clear from its name.
This agreement dated 25.10.2021 openly states its subject matter: "The CONTRACTOR will provide services for the repair/supply of avionics components manufactured by THALES and Safran for Su-30 aircraft".
"In simple terms, this subject matter of the agreement can be formulated as follows: the Kazakh side, having French-certified specialists and equipment, must repair French equipment on Russian Su-30 aircraft.
The annex to this contract contains a list of military products to be imported to Kazakhstan in 2021 - these are the same devices for pilot navigation and orientation SMD55S, SMD66S, TLS2020, TACAN-NC12, HUD 3022, SIGMA 95NAA. The list also indicates the purpose of such imports - "temporary import for overhaul with subsequent re-export in the interests of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," InformNapalm explained.
At the same time, the annex to the contract itself did not have significant changes compared to the previous version in terms of the range of equipment and the mention of the Russian Armed Forces. However, while the October contract contained a list of equipment to be imported into Kazakhstan in 2021, the final contract of 05.11.2021 specified a planned import period of 2022.
The contract provides for a full range of services on the part of the French side for the maintenance of SMD55S/SMD66S multifunctional displays and HUD3022 collimator indicators, in the interests of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Kazakhstan as an end user of Su-30SM aircraft, in particular:
- development and delivery of ILM&OLM Test Benches, including 3-year support;
- development and delivery of the Golden LRU;
- Preparation and delivery of ILM technical documentation (ed. - intermediate level of service);
- preparing and conducting ILM training in France;
- installation and commissioning in Kazakhstan.
The contract is for 34 months from the date of receipt of the advance payment by the supplier. The agreement also contains a visualisation of the equipment that the French specialists are to install and commission at the Kazakh plant.
