Russia’s Eternal Military-Industrial Kolkhoz (pampered inefficient but protected by Putin)

The Moscow Times ^ | 11/03/09 | Alexander Golts

[TigerLikesRooster]

Russia’s Eternal Military-Industrial Kolkhoz

03 November 2009

By Alexander Golts

It seems that professional observers of Russia’s endless political antics have something new to add to their list. People have long ceased to be amazed by the fact that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has a habit of meddling in Russia’s military affairs, national security and foreign policy — all of which belong to the constitutional domain of President Dmitry Medvedev. But the president has unexpectedly stuck his nose into an area that had previously belonged to Putin alone.

Last week, Medvedev visited the NPO Mashinostroyenia missile design bureau in Reutov, located just outside Moscow. Amazingly, the head of state did not limit himself to simply inspecting new missile programs. Nor was he satisfied at being given the chance to sit at the control console of the country’s coastal defense system. Rather than express delight over the experience, the president gave a thorough dressing-down to the titans of the country’s military-industrial complex. It turns out that despite receiving major budgetary funding, the defense sector has done practically nothing to modernize its industrial base. What’s more, in addition to enjoying exclusive manufacturing rights on government orders, the military-industrial complex has had the temerity to jack up prices on its products. And Medvedev exposed the biggest secret of Russia’s military complex: It does not produce any modern equipment but busies itself trying to “modernize” old airplanes, tanks and missiles that were designed way back in the 1970s and 1980s. This highly ineffective practice of updating and upgrading old designs is exactly what the president said needs to be stopped.

[Buckeye McFrog]

sort of like GM and Chrysler with tactical nukes...

[TigerLikesRooster]

LOL.

[goldstategop]

Nothing has changed in the Russian defense sector since the Soviet time.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[I Buried My Guns]

Ford Motor Company once made missiles for nuclear warheads. You just reminded me of that.

Or maybe it was GE. Or maybe it was both.

[Thunder90]

the modernization of weapons is ONLY for foreigners, for the most part. There is a large part of the Russian defense industry that is doing some pretty cutting edge things, and we will be seeing the results very soon.