After the congress of the Geographical Society, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin went to Kolomna near Moscow to see the latest specimens of Russian weaponry.
At first, Putin was taken to the testing ground of the KBM Engineering Design Bureau. In a concrete shed there, heads of six arms-producing companies from different Russian regions were waiting for him. There were things to look at there: air defence missile systems, homing warheads intended for use against tanks, ship-based artillery mounts and multiple rocket launchers. The prime minister listened to every speaker with interest. Valery Kashin, head of the KBM Engineering Design Bureau, spoke longer than others.
"This is a missile to destroy materiel targets. And this one has been developed under commission from the Federal Security Service, to neutralise...," Kashin suddenly stopped.
"Armed gangs," Putin prompted.
"Yes, to neutralise the enemy," Kashin nodded his agreement.
The prime minister, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Chief of General Staff Nikolai Makarov, who accompanied him, displayed interest in the next generation military gear. The test dummies wore helmets with electronic targeting devices inside that allowed a soldier to shoot around corners. The manufacturers told the visitors that they were ready to supply the army with new military clothing and gear by 2013. The Defence Minister and the Chief of General Staff exchanged glances. Meanwhile, Sergei Ivanov was examining a khaki military uniform and even opened its velcro-sealed pockets, as if he intended to buy it. There were some other exhibits outdoors, such as the Ka-52 Alligator helicopter, which is being tested now for the use of new missiles. Its cabin door stood invitingly open but the prime minister was in a hurry.
"Today, we are launching an analysis of the situation in the Russian military-industrial complex," Putin explained at the meeting. "Not a general analysis like ‘our armour is strong and our tanks are fast,' but a comprehensive one, getting to the bottom of the issue to find ways to overcome difficulties and to set up a mechanism to secure a stable and positive trend in the sector," he said.
He noted, however, that the situation in this sector was not so bad, mostly due to state support. Despite the continuing crisis, the government has allocated "an unprecedented amount of money for the sector" - 970 billion roubles. The support measures "have helped and, by and large, the sector has registered a 3.8% growth instead of the projected decline."
Putin repeated once again that by 2020 modern arms and armaments in the army must account for 70%-80% of the total.
"I know that our defence-industry complex can work miracles. However, we do not need any miracles but only those that boost the country's defence capability, at an acceptable price, of course."