MOSCOW, December 11 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian army should focus on the acquisition of robotic weaponry and reduce its overall number of different types of military equipment in use, a deputy prime minister said Wednesday.
Addressing lawmakers from Russia’s lower house of parliament, Dmitry Rogozin listed robotic weaponry and automated combat management systems with highly secure and fast communication links as key items to be included in the new state arms procurement program for 2016 to 2025.
Rogozin said robotic technologies should be present in the development of all types of military hardware for use on the ground, in the air and under water.
Rogozin, who oversees the defense and space industries, stressed the need to reduce the variety of similar types of weaponry manufactured in small batches because of the heavy burden on defense companies and significant production costs.
The development of modular universal combat platforms that could be used as a basis for a variety of military hardware should also be a priority, he said.
Russia is currently implementing an ambitious rearmament program through 2020, with a budget of some 20 trillion rubles ($640 billion).
The program will see the share of modern weaponry in Russia’s armed forces reach 30 percent by 2015 and 70 percent by 2020.
