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MILITARY REVIEW on air 28/06/2008
Hello! "Military Review" show of NTV channel is on air. Sergey Kuznetsov is with you and today you will see.
Arms exports is a national affair. The Federal Service of Military-Technical Cooperation became 55 years old.
Spetsnaz conscript. He signed to "Vityaz" Team voluntarily.
International military-technological cooperation of Russia mean deliveries and modernization of military hardware,
organizing of production of Russian weapon systems abroad, joint design projects and participation in arms exhibitions.
Organization, which coordinates all these activities, became 55 years old this year.
New organization with seemingly discreet name was formed in the Soviet Union in 1953 - Main Engineering Agency - GIU.
By hearing this name, one may suppose that it belongs to some kind of non outstanding technical company.
Only initiated ones knew in 50s how global were the tasks assigned for this organization.
It's an Engineering Agency, but the main goal of it from the first days of its foundation was a political one;
providing safety for the Soviet Union in global World scale.
"It exists since May 8, 1953.
then, by decree of the government, this organization was formed under jurisdiction of State's Committee of Foreign Financial Affairs.
Initially the organization wasn't especially big... up to 150 men.
And together with Ministry of Defence of the USSR it was engaged in creation and modernization of Armed Forces in countries of People's Democracy
and then in countries of Socialistic Camp."
The Warsaw Pact about friendship, cooperation and mutual help was signed in 1955 in response to formation of NATO block.
The Pact was signed by Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, GDR, Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
And it was specifically the Main Engineering Command,
which was conducting main efforts for military-technological aid to countries-members of the Warsaw Pact,
in form of arms deliveries, building of military facilities.
They didn't escape some problems during formation of this organization. First of all those were personnel problems.
There were catastrophically few specialists, who would have both, diplomatic and military-engineering experience.
Some people had amazing knowledge of weapon systems, but they didn't know even one foreign language.
Some others were experts in International Law, but initially they hardly could distinguish an assault rifle from a machine gun.
But they were learning fast.
Several cases are known when ordinary personnel of GIU had to conduct negotiations on the level of Ministers of Defense
and members of governments of another countries, all by themselves. And they were coping with it.
Large scale deliveries of the Soviet weapons and military vehicles to friendly states and countries of Warsaw Pact started back in 50s.
They were also actively working on educating of foreign specialists. Building of military facilities had begun.
All these works were coordinated by the Main Engineering Command.
"Military Industries were created thanks to help of the Soviet Union and Russia in China first of all,
a large Military Industrial Complex was built in India,
Military Industries of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, GDR, Hungary, Romania were in development,
and then in some other countries as well, like Egypt, Algeria, Syria."
Not only countries of Socialistic Camp and former colonies, which officially declared a socialistic course of development,
were actively cooperating with the Soviet Union.
Basically all countries, which had an independent from the USA policy, were actively interesting in our weapons.
Because by their capabilities and properties those weapons as a rule were not inferior in any way to Western analogues,
but at the same time they were almost always more affordable in price.
"There was some kind of "Prokhorovka" on Iran's territory during Iran-Iraqi war. About 300 tanks participated from each side.
Just recently delivered T-72 tanks were participating on side of Iraq. Iraqi specialists were not fully trained yet.
American M-60 tanks were on Iran's side. 214 American tanks were destroyed as a result of two-days non-stop battles.
This fact speaks about the quality of our vehicles."
In late 80s, a convenient opinion suitable for collapse of the economy started being enforced,
that the Soviet Union was giving weapons away to the left and to the right almost for free, with only goal to vex damn Imperialists.
Today it became obvious to the entire society, that Democracy and Market don't mean rejection of strategic state's interests.
"First of all, all arms deliveries, provision of technological support and sending of Soviet experts, were based only on decisions of the government.
Not a single bullet could be taken out of country without Government's decree.
Such case would be considered as smuggling and it was a felony.
The government was taking different decisions, depending on relations and issues, which had to be solved in specific regions of the globe."
Gratuitous deliveries were happening sometimes indeed.
Mostly to the most poor countries or countries fighting against external aggression.
The USSR was supplying Egypt and Syria with entire Armored and Mechanized Divisions during Arab-Israeli conflict,
starting from the bed for Commander till padded jackets for soldiers, which are quite useful in this region during winter months.
For many decades, specialists of Main Engineering Agency had to act both as diplomats and as State's businessmen.
"That's why, one of the biggest goals for the personnel was to know well technologies of our competitors first of all,
in order to know those analogues around the world and to make our prices to be similar with prices on World Market,
and to don't stay behind military manufacturers of Western countries and America, first of all.
We were succeeding in this. So, even if taking into consideration granted or concessional deliveries,
our budget wasn't suffering big losses essentially.
For every domestic ruble that we were paying to manufacturers of Military Industry,
the effectiveness especially of the last years was up to 2.5 rubles in foreign currency."
Negotiations with partners often were super-difficult, despite allied and friendly relations.
Not only the seller was thinking about his profit, but they buyer was thinking about his own profit too.
For example, negotiations about delivery of MiG-29 fighters to Iran in late 80s were going on non-stop for more than 2.5 days.
Apparently our Eastern partners were counting on that the Soviet specialists will get tired, exhausted and will agree for climb-downs.
However, to the honor of our negotiators, they sustained such a test and signed a multi-billion contract profitable for the country.
Curious cases were also happening.
"Our comrades were negotiating prices with comrades from GDR
and they couldn't find an agreement for some seemingly petty things in scale of our countries as 9mm pistol rounds.
Finally the German didn't restrain himself and he said: "Can you sell me at least one bullet right here, right now?"
And when he was asked what for he needed it, he replied:
"To shoot myself on the spot! Because it's too difficult to negotiate with you."
Specialists of the Main Engineering Agency had to sell the best weapons in the world
with help of not very modern office instruments, mildly speaking.
Similar organizations of Western countries had personal computers almost everywhere in 70s-80s;
while we were still using good old clerical abacuses, simple calculators and help of Information Department personnel,
where bulky computers were standing and producing endless flows of punched tape.
"We even had an anecdotal situation, when some data was required and it was coming out on the first punched tape,
so we calculated that we could wind around the entire Kremlin with these punched tapes several times."
The scale of international military-technological cooperation of the USSR is impressive.
To the moment of its dissolution, the USSR was actively working with almost 70 countries all around the World;
in Europe, Asia, Middle and Far East, in Africa and Latin America.
Special representatives of the Main Engineering Agency were working in majority of those countries,
which were closely following world conjuncture of this very specific market and countries' needs in weapons and military vehicles.
Domestic airplanes and anti-aircraft systems were protecting the sky over 1/3 of the planet to the end of 80s.
Tanks and firearms were in arsenals of dozens of countries; while the word "kalashnikov" became entirely native for many nations.
All these are not to the credits only to scientists, designers, engineers and workers of the Military Industry.
Arms exports and help to allies all around the World became possible thanks professionalism of Main Engineering Agency's specialists.
New Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation was born in Russia in August of 2004.
"There is a quite effective system for state's control of military-technical cooperation in Russia today. This is a 3-tier system.
The President of Russian Federation, the Government of Russian Federation, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation,
special exporters of weapons and military technologies, developers and manufacturers."
Rosoboronexport is a single state mediator in the sphere of export and import of military purpose products in Russia today.
This specific organization presents interests of more than 700 companies of the domestic Military Industry on the World Market.
Another 24 companies have a right for foreign trade activities in sphere of military-technical cooperation.
Meanwhile the control over all this complex and difficult work lays on the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.
Exactly this service is the main Federal organization for supervision and coordination of countries' efforts in the sphere of arms exports.
"The so called "approval system" exists in Russia, just like in many other countries.
That's not when something is prohibited, so everything else is allowed for export.
All exports abroad, just like import of weapons and military technologies to Russian Federation, get registered by corresponding directives,
either from the President and/or Government of Russian Federation, either by the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation,
depending on complexity and level of any specific decision."
Supervisory functions of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation are not bureaucratic barriers on the way of business activities.
Russia cooperates in military field with more than 80 countries today.
And just like majority of developed countries,
Russia is interested in its weapons to be spread and used only with strict compliance with International Law.
Our country is a participant practically in every international agreement in sphere of control over arms exports.
Such a control became especially topical during last years, when the threat of international terrorism got significantly increased.
"The main attention during deliveries of arms and military vehicles for export,
is paid to issues of retaining of stability in the World and in specific region in global scale.
Strictly speaking we deliver arms and military vehicles exclusively to governments of foreign states.
When the decision is taken and announced by authorized organizations of specific foreign state where weapons will be exported,
we receive a so called "final user certificate". It is a warranty document from importing state,
that it is obligated to use the weapons for declared purposes, exclusively for their own national needs,
and exclusion of passing or selling of the weapons either to third countries, either to third individuals, either, as we call, to the terrorists."
However, the specialists of the Federal Service try to work as diplomats first of all,
even when delivering arms and military vehicles following all international agreements.
The main principle here is just like in medicine - do not harm.
"Local, regional conflicts occur sometimes and they are related with International and Global security.
So, the main principle here is to not harm, but only to help and provide assistance in strengthening security.
And in order the arms export to not become one of the reasons of such conflicts."
Personnel of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation are also war museums exhibitors.
On of the most important aspects of their job is organization of participation of Russian exporters of military technologies at international exhibitions.
"Russia participates in a significant number of such exhibitions. We participate in 15 annual foreign exhibitions.
We can underline some very important ones among them like Lima, which you have already mentioned.
It's an exhibition of aerospace and navy technologies.
Bangalor Air Show - an exhibition of aerospace technologies.
Farnborough in the United Kingdom this year. Paris Air Show. These are also aerospace exhibitions.
Euronaval in France is a navy exhibition. Eurosatory is a ground one.
IDEX is an exhibition of military technologies in United Arab Emirates.
The Federal Service for MTC takes all responsibilities for registration of approval documents and passing of diplomatic procedures,
allowing manufacturing companies and exporters to concentrate on business of presenting of domestic products at international exhibitions with maximum effectiveness and profit.
Organization and conducting of international exhibitions on Russia's territory are also duties of the Federal Service.
"Main ones are the MAKS AeroSpace Salon in town Zhukovskiy of Moscow Region,
the International Navy Salon in St. Petersburg
and exhibition of weapons and military technologies for Ground Forces mostly in Moscow and Moscow region.
Complex exhibition "Bezopastnost" (security) will take place in May,
where examples of means providing security will be presented.
It's quite significant exhibition judging by its scale and purpose."
Similar thematic exhibitions get conducted in majority of developed countries of the World.
There is a serious competition between them.
Everything is important here. The scale, level of preparation, number of participants.
The more prestigious is the exhibition, the higher is the status of organizing country
and it is more easier for the country to operate on the Global Arms Market then.
Unfortunately the majority of Russian Defence and Technological fairs of last years didn't pass without some problems.
Punctures of organizers, vexatious omissions in household trifles are not so harmless as they might seem.
In reality it's a possibility to loose contracts for hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
So, specialists of the Federal Service have large and very important front to work on.
The domestic system of military-technical cooperation celebrated its 55th anniversary in May (2008).
Its specialists had to solve very different kinds of tasks during passed decades;
as to strengthen defence capabilities of dozens of countries in all regions of the World during confrontation with the West,
or to allow guarding interests of our motherland in times of new Russia,
to participate in securing of international safety.
It is also difficult to overestimate the role of military-technical cooperation in development of new examples of domestic weapon systems.
Many things have changed in 55 years of existing of this organization.
The political and economical structure of the country and the borders themselves,
the international situation and priorities in development of the society.
However, the effective and professional work on World Arms Market in sphere of International military-technological cooperation
was important for our motherland and will remain so forever.
"55 years is an anniversary date important for all participants of military-technical cooperation
and I would gladly use this opportunity to congratulate veterans and participants of military-technical cooperation with this holiday and anniversary day,
to express the hope that new achievements wait for us ahead for the good of our motherland and for the good of our Defence Industry,
for the good of progress of strengthening of defensive capabilities the state.
I want to wish health, happiness and prosperity to everyone."
MILITARY REVIEW