"The fundamental problem is that Russia essentially lacks a comprehensive defense procurement system. Many orders are placed, but not always with Russian manufacturers. And the Defense Ministry simply refuses to deal with this problem.
The Defense Ministry has purchased Mistral helicopter carriers from France, unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel, and Iveco armored vehicles from Italy. It has criticized Russian-made tanks, saying "it is better to spend the money on German Leopards." Taken together, this is evidence of an alarming trend: the Defense Ministry wants the finished product but does not want to deal with production.
It does not accept equipment that is not to its liking. It demands improvements, as was the case with Russian-made UAVs following the purchase of Israeli drones (the same thing almost happened with Tiger armored vehicles during the talks with Iveco); or the ministry gives up and buys foreign-made equipment.
To be sure, planning military production is not the Defense Ministry's responsibility. It should be done by a competent and duly authorized interdepartmental coordinating agency under the government.
Officially, this responsibility lies with the government's Military Industrial Commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov. The commission is supposed to coordinate the ministry's requirements and the industry's capabilities to formulate a common policy for executing defense orders and developing the defense industry".............READ MORE
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