MOSCOW. May 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The current situation in the Russian defense industry does not provide for planned renewal of armament and military equipment, former armed forces armament chief Colonel General Anatoly Sitnov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Saturday.
According to him, "in Soviet times during a five-year plan the armament systems were completely renewed or modernized at some 60 to 70 percent. The current program does not accomplish such task. When the armament program is tasked to work only in the science sphere and produce something later I consider it to be nonsense."
Sitnov stressed that nothing can be produced later due to the fact that technological base and serial plants equipment will be totally worn out.
"The reality is that the industry which we have and that is capable to maintain and service only 40 to 45 percent of armament products. The rest of the equipment should be written off and its use should come to an end," Sitnov said.
He considers that now there is a possibility to optimize the domestic defense industry by specifying the number of armament systems and minimum expenses for their production. According to Sitnov, those production facilities that are engaged in making third and fourth generation armaments and other promising samples of military equipment should be activated. Those facilities that produce second and third generation systems should be closed for it is senseless to restore and maintain them.
The former armament chief mentioned that 10 years earlier Russia had 10 to 12 times stronger defense industry potential than it currently has. That is why there is a need to understand if Russia needs to restore that potential, what aims and tasks the defense industry faces, what resources are needed to restore it and what results the authorities are to expect, Sitnov added.