MOSCOW. April 10 (Interfax-AVN) - More than 10 Russian satellites in orbit need to be replaced as soon as possible, a prominent lawmaker said on Thursday.
"We must deal with the renewal of the Russian satellite grouping. Some satellites have ceased to exist, and others do not meet present-day demands. That is why we must replace 10 to 12 satellites urgently," Gennady Raikov, chairman of the Russian Aviation and Cosmonautics group in the State Duma lower house of parliament, told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The budget for 2003 contains some allocations for this purpose, but they are insufficient, Raikov stressed.
"We cannot scrimp on the maintenance of the satellite grouping. We will not know what is going on in the world if we lose it. And everything will be known about us," he said.
According to him, members of the deputy group "can contribute to the development of domestic aviation and cosmonautics, in particular, make sure that budget allocations for R&D are sufficient, that laws are amended, and that new ones are passed."
"For instance, our companies spend more money on the production of civilian aircraft than foreign companies, because Russian companies have to pay a 25-percent VAT. No developed country has such practice. Such laws deprive our aircraft and space companies of any chances to compete on global markets," Raikov said.
He recalled that the Russian Aviation and Cosmonautics group was set up in June 2002. It consists of 62 lawmakers from nearly all factions and alliances in the Duma.