http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080220/99705135.html
Putin demands more aircraft for Russian Air Force
ZHUKOVSKY (Mocow Region) - Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded on
Wednesday that the state program for arms procurement be adjusted to increase
the number of modern combat aircraft for the Air Force.
"I consider it unacceptable when foreign customers receive advanced aircraft
from Russia, while the country's Air Force mainly gets overhauled planes built
many years ago," the president said at a meeting with aircraft industry
officials in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.
In 2007, Russia's leading aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi alone exported about 50
Su-30MK2, Su-30MKM and Su-30MKI aircraft in addition to spare parts for
aircraft sold earlier to Algeria, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Venezuela.
According to the 2007-2015 State Armaments Program, the Russian Air Force is
supposed to receive 116 new and 408 upgraded aircraft for forward-deployed
units, and 156 new and 372 modernized helicopters in the next eight years.
"I believe the State Armaments Program should be adjusted to increase the
procurement of aircraft for national defense," the president said.
Putin said that in order to meet the growing demand for aircraft it was
necessary to continue the steady development of the United Aircraft Corporation
(UAC).
The UAC was established on February 20, 2006, to help overcome a crisis in
Russia's aircraft industry. It incorporates many of the country's best-known
aircraft builders, including Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Irkut, Sukhoi, Tupolev,
Yakovlev and other enterprises in the industry.
"Due to fierce competition among the world's largest aircraft manufacturers,
the company [UAC] must establish its presence on global markets as one of the
leaders," Putin said. "The UAC should increase its revenues at least five-fold
by 2025."
Also on Wednesday, Putin signed a decree setting up a national
aircraft-building center in Zhukovsky.
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