Russia will continue developing advanced weaponry, which will boost the country's economy, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday.
"Our country will invest in advanced weapons - this is inevitable," the president said during a meeting with cabinet ministers dedicated to budget issues in his Gorki residence outside Moscow.
Most major economies spend money on the development of new arms, and Russia will not put up with lagging behind, Medvedev said. Moreover, the president added, this will benefit the economy as Russia is a major arms exporter.
However, Medvedev called on the government to consider Russia's financial realities while allocating money for the development of new arms.
Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Popovkin said in February that the Russian Army had a large amount of outdated equipment. Particularly, he said, there were some 20,000 tanks, when only 5,000 to 6,000 were needed, and the quality of hardware left much to be desired.
He pledged that the Army would mostly use domestically built arms and purchase military equipment abroad only in those fields where there are "flaws."
GORKI (Moscow Region), June 28 (RIA Novosti)
