In his opening remarks at a meeting on developing the defence industry, Dmitry Medvedev said that an effective defence industry is essential for successfully modernising Russia’s armed forces and strengthening its position as an arms exporter. But despite efforts to support the sector, defence industry companies continue to modernise at a slow pace.
Bringing down the production costs of the sector’s goods is an essential measure for making sure the industry stays competitive, Mr Medvedev said. Prices for arms and military equipment should be such that the country’s armed forces can make batch rather than item-by-item purchases, and should also be attractive for Russia’s partners abroad.
The President raised the issue of quality in the sector and development of the most advanced weapons. The adoption of a targeted federal programme for the sector could be one solution to the quality problem, Mr Medvedev said.
The President also cited the need to improve the laws regulating state defence procurement and improve coordination and discipline in the relevant state agencies.
Mr Medvedev said that work on structural reorganisation of the armed forces will be complete in two months time. The next task – upgrading the armed forces’ arms and equipment – is a more complex undertaking and requires greater effort from the country’s defence industry.