MOSCOW. Dec 31 (Interfax-AVN) - As many as 340 new types of armament and military hardware will enter the Russian army's inventory and 215 military-purpose devices will be submitted for state tests in 2005, Colonel General Vyacheslav Putilin, head of the Economic Development Ministry's department for defense and security programs, said on Friday.
"Completion of research, development and tests is among the priorities of the state defense order approved by the Russian government. 70 percent of works under the current armament program will be completed in 2005. Next year, we are planning to submit 215 experimental types of armament and military hardware for state tests, while 340 devices will enter the army inventory," Putilin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
This required a substantial increase of funding for research, development and tests, he said. "The share of allocations for research, development and tests will be higher next year. But we made this decision consciously to ensure a scientific backlog for the new armament program for 2005-2015," he stressed.
Putilin noted that the decision creates conditions for flawless development of armaments and military hardware and comprehensive development of the entire system of armed combat.
"This is very important, because we need to develop armaments and military hardware as a whole badly," he said.