system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why Russian heavy equipment isn't popular as their military hardware exports?

The Russian T-72 tank is one of the most popular military exports from Russia, with tens of thousands of copies made and exported world wide.

So why hasn't this translated to export prowess in the heavy equipment industry like tractors, cranes, bulldozers, heavy duty dumpster trucks, etc...?

I'm sure the trades, skills, and manufacturing plants simply need to be retools, but they should be similar in production right?
gpt
I think you've fallen a victim of survivor bias. Russian civilian equipment is popular in the same niche as Russian military equipment - cheap, rugged, does not require a lot of education to maintain and operate. The fact that you do not see Russian trucks and bulldozers being used in the developed countries does not mean much, since you don't see Russian tanks there either.

For example Kamaz (Russian truck manufacturer that also makes military vehicles) makes 40-50 thousands of civilian trucks every year and 12% of them are exported.