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Russian military industry reports increase in output of armaments
ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 23 October: Enterprises of the Russian Agency for Control Systems have increased their output of military products by 19 per cent in the nine months of 2002. Incidentally, enterprises of the radio equipment industry have increased their output by 17.2 per cent, enterprises of the communications industry by 10 per cent, and enterprises of the electronics industry by 31.4 per cent, the agency's press secretary, Aleksandr Shcheglov, told ITAR-TASS today. He said the growth had been achieved thanks to significant improvement of the situation as regards the output of armaments and military hardware at the agency's enterprises in the second and third quarters of the year. A state defence order, whose volume has increased as compared with 2001 and has become more targeted and financially stable, also played an important role in the development of the military production sector. As a result, the funding for the designing of new hardware and for purchasing upgradable systems was increased.

Shcheglov pointed out that the bulk of military products is still manufactured by enterprises of the radio equipment industry, which account for over 59 per cent of the total output of armaments and military hardware. At the same time, enterprises of the electronics industry, whose share in the output of armaments and military hardware has increased from 21 per cent to 24 per cent, are becoming ever more important.

The volume of industrial output in the sector totalled 110.3 per cent during the nine months of the year, as compared with 2001 (in comparable prices). Civilian products and consumer goods account for about 56 per cent of this volume.

Pavel Felgenhauer is an independent defense analyst.

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