Posted on 04/29/2010 8:13:00 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Russian weapons are falling behind rival products, experts told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta government daily on Wednesday. Russian Academy of Science members Vladimir Fortov and Igor Kalyaev said that a reduction in research funds was making it hard for Russian weapons to stay competitive and for the defense industry to produce breakthroughs.
However, last month Russian President Dmitry Medvedev approved a long-term policy for the development of the national defense industry. He stressed that development and production of modern electronic systems would be a priority for the industry in the next three to four years.
But while the Russian government has prioritized the modernization of the military-industrial complex, Fortov and Kalyaev believe this is impossible without a sound scientific foundation.
They also said that the military prefers short-term projects, with very concrete developments based on well-known principles. This approach makes Russian military equipment lag behind its rivals even at the planning stage, they said.
Without the ability to innovate, the Russian defense sector will sooner or later run into a brick wall, the experts claim.
(Excerpt) Read more at spacewar.com ...
Actually no, the Russians are pretty innovative even though they did copy a few designs after WWII but hell, everyone imitates everyone else.
Russia should focus on two principles; making equiptment cheap and easy to use. Concede most of the high end stuff to the West and focus on selling equiptment that’s best suited to middle rate powers.
Yeah, and Hitler kept maneuvering phantom divisions on the eastern front. No one had the courage to tell him they had already been annihilated.
yitbos
often everyone thinks how great the AK-47 was new but it was a copy of the StG 44.
The Rooskies are a little behind schedule converting a cruiser into a carrier for the Indians. Yet, they think they can also supply the aircraft, too.
yitbos
That’s absolutly wrong.
Although they look similar, the AK was a pretty unique weapon if anything it’s inspired by the Fedorov Avtomat.
Without going too far back in Russian military history they designed some of the first and the best auto-loading tanks and heavy-life helicopters. They developed the first swept wing jet and while they didn’t invent sloped armor, they were the first to field a tank that had no vertical armored surface.
They also developed the “assault gun” tank concept and of course titanium hulled subs.
And that’s just off the top of my head. Seriously, too many have paid for underestimating the Russians; if they put their minds to it they could be damn creative.
Ping
You are right I was being a bit to cynical. I am not going to nit pick those points.... They had some good ideas.
That missing an idea of US defence industry which is in a same decline.
Comparing to Cold War it may look like it is same falling apart.
often everyone thinks how great the AK-47 was new but it was a copy of the StG 44.They have similar layout but they are mechanically different. Different aspects of the AK borrow from other successful designs, such as M1 and the Remington 8. If you want to think of a unique Russian weapon system, think Mi-24 Hind.
Why is it unique? It’s single advantage is a World speed record for a helicopter. In any other aspect it is an unmaneurable ugly aircraft, barely a helicopter actually considering it’s inability to hover for more than few seconds just to release a few troops. It is a worse version of Black Hawk + a few armor and rockets - payload and flexibility.
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