MOSCOW. April 2 (Interfax-AVN) - The West's sanctions against Russia will have no effect on the plans to complete the commissioning of a new-generation combat training center for the Russian Ground Forces and Airborne Forces in Mulino, the Nizhny Novgorod region, with the German company Rheinmetall AG's assistance by December 1, 2014, the Russian corporation RusBITech providing the center's software support told Interfax-AVN on Tuesday.
"Rheinmetall CEO and Executive Board Chairman Armin Papperger has forwarded a letter to the Russian Defense Ministry leadership to reaffirm that his company is determined to fully comply with all of its commitments," RusBITech chief advisor Viktor Pustovoi said.
Papperger assured the Defense Ministry in his letter that the development and manufacturing of components for the combat training center would continue without restrictions. At the present time, Rheinmetall plans to conduct factory tests of laser fire simulators together with Russian specialists on April 22-23, he said.
Pustovoi quoted Papperger as saying that the company is maintaining close contacts with Russian government bodies and would do all it could to further promote cooperation with the Russian armed forces and industry.
"Moreover, Papperger proposed setting up a joint service center on the basis of the combat training center in Mulino to provide the Russian armed forces with quick and quality servicing of training systems in operating the training centers," Pustovoi said.
The contract under which Rheinmetall AG is providing technical support to the construction of the combat training center in Mulino was signed in 2011.