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Putin demands more aircraft for Russian Air Force

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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.
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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