Russia continues development of its own army control system.
Addressing a meeting in Voronezh yesterday, Prime Minister Putin urged the need to continue work on the Russian tactical army command and control system that is being developed by the Voronezh-based Sozvezdiye concern. The meeting was chaired by Vladimir Putin and attended by deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Nikolai Makarov, the Russian president's Plenipotentiary Representative to the Central Federal District, Georgy Poltavchenko, the head of Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov, representatives of the Defence Ministry, the Kremlin Administration, and research and production enterprises.
The new equipment will be ready soon and will be demonstrated during the course of brigade exercises as early as October, the concern's general designer Vadim Potapov told Gazeta.
"Instructions have gone out in several areas which I do not want to name," Potapov said. "We hope to be able to fulfill them within a short space of time in the interests of our country and with the support of the Russian Defence Ministry."
Opening the conference, Putin identified a number of outstanding problems in the field of the armed forces control and communications.
"An integrated structure that would develop and implement a coordinated scientific-technical policy in the area has not yet been formed: a general designer for the development of an automated system of armed forces control has not yet been appointed... A comprehensive programme that would concentrate resources on the projects planned has yet to be developed," Putin lamented.
At the same time the prime minister described Sozvezdiye as one of the leading, but not the only radio-electronic enterprise that develops "modern systems of control, reconnaissance and communications."
"Several dozen other defence industry organisations are working on similar projects," the prime minister added. "I would like you to pay particular attention to the need for effective coordination of their activities."
Putin congratulated the members of the conference on two events: he announced that the governor of the Voronezh Region, former Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev, has finally received a local residence registration, and he congratulated Vadim Potapov on his 40th birthday. Before the start of the conference Putin looked at an exhibition featuring almost all the reconnaissance, communication and control equipment that the Russian defence industry produces. On show outside the concern's building were mobile headquarters and retractable towers with transmitters and control systems for Akatsia UAVs, armoured vehicles with command centres for the integrated tactical control system (ESU TZ, a system being developed by Sozvezdiye concern.) In a field tent, army notebooks, a satellite communication station R-438-M (Belozer) and plastic mannequins in full fighting outfit based on the Strelets reconnaissance, command and communication system were displayed on tables. The communication equipment is built into the uniform. Without as much as a glance at the dark-green armoured vehicles Putin went into the tent.
However, Putin seemed more relaxed and in his element at the concern's museum. "Has this thing already been introduced? As we agreed?" he asked the plant's secret officials, pointing to this or that item. After several substantive questions and answers it became clear that Putin was still well up not only on control and communications, but also on reconnaissance equipment.
Denis Telminov