NIZHNY TAGIL. Jan 20 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin has visited the Uralvagonzavod Production Enterprise, based in Nizhny Tagil, the Sverdlovsk region.
The Uralvagonzavod press-service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday that Levitin was accompanied by Sverdlovsk region Governor Eduard Rossel.
In the course of the visit a possible considerable revision of the state transportation policy was discussed.
The minister inspected the railway car assembly line of the plant, a press-service official said.
He also studied the new railway cart, featuring an increased axle load and a mean time between failures of 800,000 km. The enterprise also demonstrated road construction vehicles, including PUMam-500, -800, and -1000 loaders, the RTM-160U tractor, which is the only of its type in Russia, and UVZ earth movers, capable of operating in extremely difficult conditions.
Levitin also inspected the new radial forging machine, capable of manufacturing hollow axles for railway wheel pairs, and visited workshops, producing road construction and special vehicles.
Uralvagonzavod specializes in manufacturing railway rolling stock, road construction and special civil vehicles, as well as armor. It employs in excess of 34,000 people. It produces over 100 various types and modifications of vehicles.
The enterprise is the world's largest armor manufacturer. It produces T-72 and T-90S MBTs as well as special combat vehicles, based on such MBTs. Most products are delivered to the domestic market. Exports accounted for 33.4% of the overall 2003 profit of the enterprise. Most export operations envisioned delivering T-90S MBTs to India under the contract, fulfilled in April 2004.