The total represents a new record for arms sales in post-Soviet Russia, according to official Russian statistics, beating the previous record set in 2001 of 4.4 billion dollars.

Sales revenues came to "500 million dollars more than planned," Putin said, as quoted by Russian news agencies.

Aircraft provided the bulk of Russian military sales, accounting for almost 70 percent of the total, he said.

However exports of army and naval armaments also have good prospects, Putin noted.

Most of the export sales were made by the state-owned firm Rosoboronexport, which exercises a near-monopoly on foreign sales.

Russia's main clients for arms sales fare China and India.

Russian arms sales statistics often give rise to apparent contradictions, with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) last year estimating Russia's military exports for 2001 as worth 4.97 billion dollars.

SPACE.WIRE