Russia's military potential was initially perceived as very impressive. Moreover, not every citizen of the Russian Federation can clearly imagine the structure of the defense sector of his country. Moreover, this information was not always available. Therefore, there are all reasons to pay attention to the structure of the military-industrial complex.
Military-industrial complex of Russia
Touching on this topic, it is initially worth noting that the military-industrial complex can be safely attributed to an industry that has had a more than tangible impact on the development of the economy over the many years of the existence of the Russian Federation.
And although some time ago such a concept as the military-industrial complex of Russia was somewhat vague, in the middle of the two thousandth the progress in this area became obvious. If we talk about the situation that has developed at the moment, then it is worth voicing the fact that the military-industrial complex has many progressive industries:
- aviation industry;
- atomic;
- space rocket;
- release of ammunition and ammunition;
- military shipbuilding, etc.
The following enterprises can be identified as the main players that deserve attention within the framework of the military-industrial complex:
- "Russian Technologies";
- Rosoboronexport;
- OJSC Concern Air Defense Almaz-Antey, etc.
What does the structure of the military industry look like?
In the framework of this topic, the following information should be illuminated initially: during the active 90s, the wave of privatization did not pass over the enterprises of the military-industrial complex of Russia. Therefore, if we now analyze the ownership structure of the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation, it will be easy to notice that most of it is joint-stock companies. More specifically, such AOs in the entire military-industrial complex - 57%. Moreover, the state’s share is absent in 28.2% of such enterprises.
You can also refer to other data provided by the Accounts Chamber. According to this information, approximately 230 enterprises operate within the aviation industry. But only 7 of them belong to the state (we are talking about a controlling stake).
One of the key features of Russian enterprises is their jurisdiction in various forms to federal organizations. At the moment, the structure of the military-industrial complex of Russia includes 5 state agencies that oversee the defense industries and are part of the government :
- RASU. It operates in the field of electronic industry, communications and radio industry.
- "Rossudostroenie". Responsible for overseeing shipbuilding.
- CANCER. It controls the processes within the framework of the rocket and space and aviation industries.
- RAV. In this case, we are talking about the arms industry.
- "ammunition." This agency specializes in working with the industry of special chemicals and ammunition.
Key elements of the defense industry
If we consider the features of the military-industrial complex of Russia, then we can not ignore the types of organizations that are part of it:
- Design offices that are focused on working with prototypes (prototypes) of weapons.
- Organization of research profile. Their main task is theoretical development.
- Production enterprises. In this case, the resources are used for mass production of weapons.
- Landfills, as well as testing laboratories. It makes sense to talk about several important tasks. This is the so-called fine-tuning of prototypes in real-life conditions, as well as the testing of weapons that has just left the production line.
In order to outline the full picture of the functioning of the military-industrial complex and to outline all the facets that the Russian military-industrial complex has, one needs to pay attention to the fact that enterprises that are part of the defense sector also produce products that have a civilian purpose.
Now it’s worth taking a closer look at the defense industry
Nuclear weapons complex
The development of the military-industrial complex in Russia is difficult to imagine without this direction. It includes several strategically important areas of production.
First of all, it is the extraction of uranium ore and the subsequent production of concentrate from this raw material. The next important step is the separation of uranium isotopes (enrichment process). This task is performed at enterprises located in cities such as Angarsk, Novouralsk, Zelenogorsk and Seversk.
In fairness, it is worth noting that it is in Russia that 45% of all capacities that are concentrated on uranium enrichment are located. At the same time, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the production of nuclear weapons is declining and the sectors described above focus on Western customers.
Another objective of this complex of the military-industrial complex is both the operating time and the separation of weapons-grade plutonium. Its reserves concentrated in the Russian Federation will last for many more years.
Enterprises operating as part of the nuclear weapons complex are also engaged in the manufacture of fuel elements that are necessary for the operation of nuclear reactors, the assembly of nuclear munitions and the disposal of radioactive waste.
Space rocket industry
It can rightfully be called one of the most high-tech. What is only one ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile), for the full operation of which approximately 300 thousand various systems, devices and parts are needed. And if we talk about a large space complex, then this figure increases to 10 million.
It is for this reason that most of all scientists, engineers and designers are concentrated in this industry.
Aviation industry
When studying the military-industrial complex of Russia, the industry and the direction of this sphere, aviation must be given attention in any case. It is important here to talk about large industrial centers, since headquarters are needed to assemble products. Others simply do not have the necessary technical base for organizing the processes required for fast and high-quality production.
In this case, two key conditions must always be observed: the availability of qualified specialists and well-organized transport links. The military-industrial complex of Russia and specifically the aviation industry are in a state of constant development, which allows the Russian Federation to act as a major exporter of weapons, including aviation.
Artillery and small arms
It is also an important industry. The military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation can hardly be imagined without the famous Kalashnikov assault rifle. This is the most widespread type of small arms that is currently being produced in Russia.
Moreover, outside the CIS it was adopted by 55 states. As for artillery systems, their production centers are located in cities such as Perm, Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Novgorod.
Armored industry
If you pay attention to the centers of the military-industrial complex of Russia, then after a simple analysis, you can make an obvious conclusion: this direction of the defense industry can be defined as one of the most developed.
The tanks themselves are produced directly in Omsk and Nizhny Tagil. Factories located in Chelyabinsk and St. Petersburg are at the reprofiling stage. As for armored personnel carriers, enterprises in Kurgan and Arzamas are engaged in their production.
Military shipbuilding
Without it, the military-industrial complex of Russia cannot be considered full-fledged.
At the same time, the largest production center in this area is St. Petersburg. Within this city there are up to 40 enterprises related to shipbuilding.
Concerning the topic of nuclear submarines, it is necessary to pay attention to the fact that at the moment their production is carried out only in Severodvinsk.
What you should know about the conversion of the military-industrial complex
In this case, we are talking about changing the military industry, and more specifically, about its transition to the civilian market. This strategy is explained very simply: the production facilities that currently exist are capable of producing significantly more military products than actual demand requires. That is, neither Russia itself nor its current and potential customers need so much.
With such a prospect, one obvious maneuver remains: to reorient part of the military enterprises to the production of products relevant in the civilian sector. Thus, jobs will be saved, factories will continue their stable work, and the state will profit. Complete harmony.
The use of military production resources, so to speak, for peaceful purposes is also promising for the reason that such enterprises have a significant concentration of advanced technologies and specialists with a high level of qualification.
Using such a strategy, one can solve at least some problems of the military-industrial complex of Russia. At the same time, a stable release of the most relevant equipment for the army remains.
Obvious difficulties
Against the background of the above information, it is easy to conclude that the same conversion is not an easy task. In fact, it can be attributed to one of the most difficult tasks facing the military-industrial complex. There are no simple solutions by definition. In order for some progress to be observed in this area, considerable efforts must be constantly made.
Another problem that we have to deal with is the uncertainty of the future financing of defense industry enterprises. Military-industrial complex of Russia can receive funds from the state only for those enterprises that are part of any federal program or are among state-owned production facilities.
As for foreign investment, there is no reason to rely on them so far. At the same time, factories with production lines that are already outdated or are not capable of producing a wide range of competitive products and military in particular may be in a particularly difficult situation.
If we try to assess the economic condition of defense enterprises as a whole, we can conclude that it is very heterogeneous. The bottom line is that there are plants whose products have a certain demand. Moreover, there are those enterprises that are in a state of deep production crisis, regardless of whether they belong to the state or not.
Nevertheless, it is necessary to be aware that the government is fixing the state of some components of the military-industrial complex. This confirms the fact that the Coordination Council approved the main areas of development and stabilization of the situation.
In addition, Russia is actively combining fundamental and applied research in the framework of the activities of military enterprises, which significantly increases the chances of the military-industrial complex for successful development and full functioning. Competently organized efforts are also made to maximize the conformity of products that go off the assembly line of the enterprises of the military-industrial complex with the investment expectations of the Russian and foreign markets.
Summary
Obviously, for all the difficult situation that has developed around the military-industrial complex, there are definitely chances for a bright future and a progressive present. The government is constantly working to make the necessary changes that will allow defense enterprises to work extremely efficiently.