#11 - RW 262
Nezavisimaya Gazeta
No. 119
June 2003
[translation from RIA Novosti for personal use only]
TOPOL-M MISSILE CAN BREAK THROUGH US ANTI-MISSILE DEFENCE
In an interview with Nezavisimaya newspaper, General Moskovsky discusses the plans of Russian hardware modernisation

After the USA withdrew last year from the 1972 ABM Treaty, the conditions for the maintenance of strategic stability have changed radically. Russia is urgently reviewing the programmes of the developments of all types of armaments. This is what deputy defence minister and chief of armaments of the Russian Armed Forces Alexei MOSKOVSKY said for the first time in an interview with Nezavisimaya's correspondent Igor KOROTCHENKO.

Question: What is the situation with the introduction of new armaments? Does the Defence Ministry adjust the plans of the development of strategic systems depending on the change in the level of threats?

Answer: Naturally, this is what we do. After the USA withdrew from the ABM Treaty and Russia and the USA signed a treaty on strategic offensive reductions, we supplemented the state armaments programme with some documents taking into account the new geo-political realities. Measures have been taken already this year. The 2004 plans for the development of armaments have been adjusted accordingly.

Question: However, the producers of the Topol-M mono-unit ballistic missile complain that the absence of funds, which the Defence Ministry does not allocate, makes it impossible for them to equip this missile with three MIRVed warheads.

Answer: This assertion does not correspond to reality.

Question: Does it mean that progress has been achieved in this direction?

Answer: It can be said that movement in that direction never stopped and certain progress has been achieved.

Question: Which service of the Armed Forces or arm of service enjoys a priority in the plan of the troops' provision with the latest hardware?

Answer: Among the services we pay attention to the land troops, in the first place. Among the arms of service we attach priority to the Space Troops. However, we need outer space in the interests of the Armed Forces as a whole. It is necessary to employ the possibilities of the military outer space - information, navigation and communication possibilities - even at the tactical level.

Question: When will the necessary equipment appear in the troops?

Answer: I believe that we shall be able to show the programme's practical implementation at the section-platoon-company level already in 2004.

Question: What can you say about the sea-based strategic nuclear forces?

Answer: Last year the Severodvinsk shipyard launched after repairs the Akula class strategic missile submarine cruiser to be equipped with a new sea-based solid fuel missile system. The construction of the new Yuri Dolgoruky missile-bearing submarine proceeds according to the schedule.

Question: What other innovations will the Armed Forces receive?

Answer: This year we expect the completion of the state testing of the Iskander high-precision missile system.

Question: To what extent does the state armaments programme take into account the needs of the Russian Air Force and the need for modernisation of their combat aircraft?

Answer: The issues of modernisation are topical not only for the Air Force. Speaking more specifically, about 40% of all funds allocated for programmes of the provision of all arms and services of the Russian Armed Forces with materiel are spent on modernisation. I think that this is not quite correct. During the existence of the Soviet Union we moved forward all the time actively developing scientific, technical and military thought and normally we used to receive good results. However, today, in the past ten years, we have had to mend the old holes. I don't want to say that it is not necessary to deal with the programmes of armaments modernisation. However, to some extent, such modernisation restricts our development and distracts us from long-term trends in a whole number of directions.

Today we have launched the process of next programme planning until 2015. Unfortunately, our reserve for promising exploring works is too little. Of course, this is not an impasse because Russia is rich in talents. However, some basic directions are under-developed today.

The Russian Academy of Sciences has a lot of technological developments. Prospects are not quire clear with respect to some of such developments. However, we carry out persistently and systematically this work aimed at future.

Question: Does the Defence Ministry support the project of creating the fifth-generation fighter?

Answer: The word "support" is completely inappropriate. The point is that the Defence Ministry finances this work. At least the armaments programme until 2010 stipulates this project. It is true, though, that we do not provide it with financial resources by 100%. Nevertheless, we hold active consultations with foreign partners to establish inter-state co-operation for the creation of the fifth-general fighter.

Question: Do the plans of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade and the state armaments programme concord with each other?

Answer: In 2003 specific adjustments were made to the state defence order with account taken of the state armaments programme. To all appearances, changes will also be made in 2004, and again not in favour of the armaments programme so far.

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