MOSCOW. Jan 22 (Interfax-AVN) - The Defense Ministry's procurement from the Russian Conventional Weapons Agency increases by 15.4 percent in 2003, the press service of the agency told Interfax-Military News Agency Wednesday.
For example, the TochMash Central R&D Institute is going to develop a new sniper rifle and test a new assault rifle. The research on new 21st century assault rifle concepts will go on, the press service said.
Other priorities are final trials of the Iskander-E missile system planned both for the Russian Armed Forces and for export, as well as novel all-weather day/night IR sets and high-precision interference-protected weapons for surface and aerial targets.
According to the press service, the agency has a huge potential in anti-terror assets.
"We have created an anti-sniper detect-and-destroy system, night-time aerial search systems, a new silenced SP-6 pistol. The pistol needs no silencer, its shot is not louder than a box of matches falling on the ground penetrates a helmet at a distance of 25m. This is about a special cartridge. Americans tried to make a cartridge like this but failed," the press service said.
"The army still has few such pieces as intellectual Krasnopol and Invar artillery systems. It is also short of reconnaissance and sophisticated communication assets, new armor. The enterprises organic to the agency are ready to supply all that," the press service added.
The R&D state defense order for the agency will increase by 17.7 percent this year.
The government approved last week the state defense order for 2003. Its overall cost has increased by 33.4 percent as compared to 2002.