MOSCOW. Nov 6 (Interfax-AVN) -- An international military- technical conference organized by the Hungarian Defense Ministry and the Hungexpo company was held at the C+D'2003 International Arms Exhibition in Budapest on Thursday.
"The conference on military-technical cooperation within NATO brought together officials of the Hungarian Defense Ministry, General Staff, leading European defense enterprises and industrial corporations. Russia was represented by First Deputy Director General of the Rosoboronexport State Corporation Sergei Chemezov," the corporation's press service reported.
In his speech Chemezov emphasized wide opportunities that military-technical cooperation can afford to the policy of fleshing out Russia-NATO relations. Most promising cooperation areas, to his opinion, are military transport aircraft, precision- guided weapons, robotic weapons and remote fire control systems.
In addition, military-technical cooperation between countries is material to logistic support to international anti- terrorist forces. Russia perceives such cooperation in a context wider than simple export-import transactions with special-purpose weapons and equipment, he said. It must embrace joint research, development and production of the weapons and equipment, their supply to multi-national counter-terrorist formations, preparation and training of the personnel.
Russian defense enterprises are interested in taking part in international projects as contractors possessing advanced technologies for modernisation of weapon systems still operated by most Central and East European countries, Chemezov said. Such projects require a long-term industrial cooperation. There are some examples of its beginning with concrete results. This year the EADS Сorporation, and Russian Rosoboronexport and Gidromash companies have started a joint landing gear development project for the A400М military transport aircraft.
Cooperation agreements on joint helicopter modernization are also signed with the SAGEM company, France (MI-24 HInd) and BAE Systems, Great Britain (MI-24, MI-17 Hip). Negotiations on similar issues have been conducted with the Eurocopter company.
The 5th generation combat aircraft joint development project was supported by the prime-ministers of Russia and France. France's SNECMA, and Russia's Rosoboronexport, Sukhoi and Saturn companies have signed a Letter of Intent on development of aeroengines for new-generation military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
But long-term cooperation demands a solid legal base to protect interests of its parties, Chemezov stressed. Hence, agreements on confidentiality and protection of information and intellectual property are of paramount importance.
In order to speed up proceedings and improve efficiency of Russia-NATO military-technical cooperation Chemezov suggested that experts meet to work out cooperative programs, mechanisms of making objective and competent decisions in this area, recommendations on efficient cooperation of Russian and West- European arms manufacturers. They could discuss joint projects on modernization of Russian-origin weapons and military equipment and select one or two significant trial projects with a high probability of success.