MOSCOW. Jan 29 (Interfax-AVN) - The number of the Russian Defense Ministry's military representative offices increased 2.4-fold in 2013, the ministry spokesperson said.
"By the beginning of 2014, the Russian Defense Ministry has some 600 military representative offices, which is a 2.4-fold increase on the start of 2013," the ministry said in a statement obtained by Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
In 2013, the Defense Ministry's military representative offices at defense suppliers' facilities resumed their functions of price-formation monitoring, and steps were made to increase their efficiency, including the monitoring of research and development, the document said.
Due to the annual increase in the supply of arms and military hardware for the Army (in 2013 the increase was 2.5- and 1.7-fold on 2011 and 2012, respectively), steps were made to raise the efficiency and gradually increase the number of military representative offices throughout 2013-2015, the statement said.
"The steps being made to restore the institute of military representative office already allow to ensure higher quality of armament, military and special hardware models designed and supplied for the Armed Forces," the statement said.
For instance, in 2013, there was one complaint over 14 warranted models of armaments, military and special hardware, which is 1.4 times more efficient than in 2012, given the supply increase, the Defense Ministry said.