MOSCOW. May 12 (Interfax-AVN) - The signing of contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry on the production of strategic missile systems is taking longer than expected, which could result in a failure to stick to the delivery schedule, Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology General Designer Yury Solomonov told Interfax-AVN on Thursday.
"The most dire situation can now be observed from the point of view of the signing of contracts. Not a single contract has yet been signed as far as the country's strategic nuclear forces are concerned. But it is already the middle of May," he said.
Such a situation could hamper the implementation of this year's state defense order by missile manufacturing enterprises and could foil plans as part of the government's new weapons procurement program for the period up to 2020, Solomonov said.