In the history of each military command and control body and any military collective there are certain stages, a kind of milestone, significant dates.
For the Department of Armaments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the date is November 28, 2014 - the day of the 85th anniversary of its formation. On this day, in 1929, the post of chief of armaments of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army was established and its apparatus was created - the Arms Service of the Red Army.
TOGETHER WITH THE STATE
The history of the formation and development of the Department of Armaments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is inextricably linked with the history of our state and its Armed Forces. Currently, the Armaments Department of the RF Ministry of Defense is the legal successor of all previous military command and control bodies of the Armed Forces responsible for resolving issues related to the formation of the main directions of military-technical policy, the creation, improvement and development of the weapons system.
It is safe to say that at all stages of Russian history, the role of military command and control bodies responsible for the development of the weapons system has invariably increased during periods of aggravation of the military-political situation, the presence of a real opportunity to strengthen the state's defense capability and the development of the domestic defense-industrial complex (MIC).
The history of the creation of technical equipment bodies for the Russian army began in 1475, when, by order of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, the Cannon Hut was created - the first control body in charge of the production and equipment of troops, artillery weapons, weapons and ammunition.
Two centuries later, in 1862, the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) of the Russian Army was created, in charge of which the issues of technical equipping the army with artillery weapons, small arms, ammunition, explosives and gunpowder are concentrated.
The change in the forms and methods of warfare, the creation of new weapons of warfare at the beginning of the 20th century, such as tanks and armored vehicles, airplanes and balloons, airplanes and cars, required the creation of a special control body for equipping the Russian army with these means, which became the Main Engineering Directorate. Since 1912, it received the name of the Main Military-Technical Directorate (GVTU).
The solution of issues of technical equipment of the fleet was entrusted to the Main Naval Staff, which in 1906 was renamed the Naval General Staff.
An important milestone in the history of the development of domestic bodies of technical equipment was the draft program of the armament of the Russian army, designed for the period up to 1921, developed by the military department in 1907 and submitted for approval to Emperor Nicholas II, which for the first time in history provided for the comprehensive development of the armament system of the army and navy, some the share of purchases by imports and the broadest section of the construction of defense enterprises. The development of this program for the armament of the Russian army was the prototype of the program planning for the development of the armament system as a whole.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the Soviet government made a number of attempts to centralize the management of orders for weapons and their production, for which in November 1918 the Central Supply Department was created, combining the functions of the two previously created departments - GAU and GVTU.
Later, in July 1919, under the Defense Council, the institute of the Extraordinary Commissioner for the supply of the Red Army and its apparatus in the field were created. In the same year, as part of this institute, the Council of Military Industry was formed, the main task of which is to develop targeted programs for the production of weapons, the revival of the military industry and the creation of a single defense production front of the Soviet republic.
It should be noted that in the first years of Soviet power, the needs for specific types of weapons were determined by two bodies of military command - the People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs and the headquarters of the Red Army. Practical issues of military and civil production were decided by the Labor and Defense Council under the Council of People's Commissars. The state plan, which was part of the Labor and Defense Council, was entrusted with the tasks of current and long-term planning of production, including weapons. Placing orders for the production of weapons was carried out by the Committee for Military Orders under the Supreme Council of the National Economy.
NEW STAGE
Years pass, the country takes the path of industrialization and adopts the first five-year plan for the development of the national economy for 1929-1934. During this period, a number of measures were carried out to centralize leadership and plan the process of equipping the army and navy with weapons and military equipment. According to the regulation approved by the order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR dated November 28, 1929, No. 372/84, the state established the position of the chief of the Red Army armaments, subordinate directly to the people's commissar for military and naval affairs.
The authorship of the idea of organizing such a service belongs to Marshal of the Soviet Union M. N. Tukhachevsky. According to his plan, the Red Army was supposed to have a body developing programs for advanced weapons, which primarily concerned programs for the creation of artillery systems, armored vehicles, aircraft and ships. Initially, the most experienced military commander, 1st rank army commander I. P. Uborevich, and in 1931 - Marshal of the Soviet Union M. N. Tukhachevsky. It is this date that is the starting point in the history of the apparatus of the chief of armaments of the Armed Forces of the state.
It is easy to see that the rights and obligations of the chief of armaments of the Red Army at that time were the most extensive. He was responsible for the development of a system of weapons for the army and navy, long-term material and financial plans for equipping troops with weapons and military equipment (AME) both in peacetime and in wartime. He was entrusted with leading the creation of new types of weapons and putting them into production, control the execution of orders by industrial enterprises and participate in the production and technological preparation of enterprises for the implementation of mobilization tasks in wartime, and lead the standardization and invention in the Armed Forces. The chief of armaments was directly subordinate to all the main contentment directorates of the Red Army.
Of fundamental importance was the fact that at the same time, in the majority of the RKKA's contented directorates, new arms development control bodies were created - military scientific and technical committees, which played a significant role in the creation of new models of weapons and military equipment. At the same time, existing research institutes, test bases and proving grounds were strengthened and new ones were created.
WAR
It is important to note that the turbulent political events of the 30s of the last century could not change the positive direction of the vector of the programmed development of weapons and military equipment proposed by Marshal of the Soviet Union M. N. Tukhachevsky in 1931. These measures began to be implemented most intensively, starting in 1938, and by the beginning of 1941, experimental development of modern weapons and military equipment was basically completed, tests were carried out and the prerequisites for their mass production were created.
The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 required additional centralization of the entire system of government, including in the field of technical equipment of the Red Army. The issues of supplying the front with everything necessary during the war years were decided directly by the State Defense Committee and the Headquarters of the Supreme Command through the main operational body - the General Staff and the Office of Logistics, Armament and Supply, created in January 1941, which is the successor to the Red Army Armament Service formed in 1929. The task of this directorate was to determine the needs of the troops for weapons, military equipment and other materiel, as well as the formation and control of plans for the creation and production of weapons, and the supply of them to the troops. An important role in the development of weapons and military equipment, their serial production was played at that time by the sectoral people's commissariats: the People's Commissariat of Arms under the leadership of D. F. Ustinov, People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry under the leadership of A. I. Shakhurin, People's Commissariat of Ammunition under the leadership of B. L. Vannikova and others.
A huge contribution to the cause of the Great Victory was made by the supplying organs of the army and navy, and especially in the area of providing weapons of destruction. The scale of their work can be judged by the example of the work of the Main Artillery Directorate and the artillery supply service led by it. The volumes of supplies to the front amounted to: weapons and various property - 150 thousand cars, ammunition - more than 405 thousand cars. The total freight turnover of all bases and warehouses subordinate to GAU during the war amounted to 1.6 million cars, or 16.1% of the total volume (9.9 million cars) of all military cargo.
THE AGE OF NUCLEAR ROCKETS
In the post-war period, it was decided to abandon rigid centralization in the construction of the Armed Forces, placing responsibility for the development and improvement of weapons and military equipment on the commanders-in-chief of the Armed Forces, the commanders of the branches of the armed forces and the chief of the Armed Forces rear services. However, over time, it became obvious that such a decentralization of the technical equipment of the USSR Armed Forces could not ensure the proper coordination of measures to create and equip troops with new complex military equipment, primarily nuclear missile weapons and anti-aircraft missile systems, radar and automation equipment.
That is why, already in 1948, again, like 19 years ago, the post of Deputy Minister of the Armed Forces of the USSR for armaments was established. Marshal of artillery N. D. Yakovlev, and in 1952 - Colonel-General of Artillery M. I. Nedelin.
In July 1952, the functions of organizing the planning of weapons and military equipment orders and scientific research work, control over the mobilization preparation of industry were transferred to the General Staff, in which, in order to solve these problems, as well as coordinate the activities of the branches (combat arms) of the Armed Forces in these areas in 1958, the Scientific technical committee (NTK General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces). Its first chairman was Aviation Colonel General I. V. Markov, and in 1960 the Scientific and Technical Committee of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces was headed by Lieutenant General N. N. Alekseev.
The methods of planning the development of weapons used in the post-war period, up to the 60s, can be characterized as program planning on an organizational basis. On the whole, these methods ensured the needs of the Armed Forces in arms and military equipment, and, accordingly, parity with the potential enemy.
The creation of new models and complexes of weapons and military equipment, combat and support assets was planned as a separate decision, two-year, annual and other R&D plans, with varying degrees of detail and coordination in the absence of an integrated approach. For the supply of serial equipment, five-year and annual plans were developed and approved, for capital construction - an annual one.
The further development of science and technology, the development of fundamentally new, more complex weapons, the increase in the cost and timing of the creation of weapons and military equipment, the complication of cooperative ties in industry, a significant increase in the cost of operating weapons and the imbalance of weapons systems required an improvement in the planning and development system of weapons and military equipment, as well as changes in its organizational structure.
In order to resolve the situation and further improve the planning system, the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 433-157 of June 10, 1969 "On Further Improving the Planning for the Development of Armaments and Military Equipment" 10 years, including the development, supply and maintenance of weapons and military equipment in the troops, as well as the capital construction of military facilities with the maximum coordination of the needs of the Armed Forces with the allocated amounts of funds.
The same decree established the post of Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments - Chief of Armaments of the USSR Armed Forces, to which Colonel-General N. N. Alekseev. And in 1970, in order to implement the new principles of planning the development of weapons and military equipment, the office of the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments (Directorate of the Chief of Armaments) was created as part of the Directorate for Advanced Research and Development of Weapons Programs, the Directorate for Planning Development and Research Work, Directorate orders of weapons and military equipment and the department of military standardization.
It should be noted that already in the second half of the 60s, in the branch 27 of the Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense, the development of scientific and methodological foundations for the use of methods of program-target planning in relation to the development of the weapons system began. As a result, the need was shown to replace the sectoral system for managing the development of weapons with a new planning system, in which development is carried out on the basis of long-term programs balanced in terms of goals, objectives and resources, combining various stages of the life cycle of weapons models: development, serial production, operation and overhaul.
It is extremely important to emphasize that when forming long-term programs, the capabilities of the scientific, technological and production base of the defense industry were taken into account, requirements were formed for the level of its development for the planning period.
FIRST STATE PROGRAM
The main practical result of the organizational measures carried out and the activities of the Chief of Weapons Directorate on the introduction of new methods of planning the development of the weapons system was the formation of the first state armament program for 1976-1985, which ensured the balanced development of a huge range of models, systems and complexes of weapons and military equipment. Its implementation made it possible to identify the most bottlenecks in the development of the weapons system, associated primarily with the duplication and redundancy of the range of weapons and military equipment. Therefore, the unification of weapons and military equipment was formulated and then put into practice.
In order to scientifically substantiate the directions for the unification of weapons and military equipment at the interspecific and specific levels, the 46th Central Research Institute was created in December 1977, as the head Institute of the Ministry of Defense for armaments and military equipment, subordinate to the Deputy Minister of Defense for armaments. The team of scientists of the new research institute, which included the previously created branch 27 of the Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense, managed to find practical ways to solve the still urgent task of unifying weapons and military equipment. Its effective implementation, of course, could only be carried out starting from the R&D planning stage through the entire product life cycle. Therefore, in the early 80s, the emphasis was shifted towards the topic of scientific and methodological support for program-targeted planning of weapons development.
It should also be noted that by the end of this stage, the mechanism of program-targeted planning of the development of the weapons system was fully formed, in which the broad cooperation of the research organizations of the Defense Ministry and the defense industry complex scientifically substantiated, and the apparatus of the chief of weapons practically implemented the entire set of measures to create a balanced system of weapons, giving troops the ability to solve the entire spectrum of military-strategic tasks.
In 1986, the office of the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments was renamed into the Office of the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments, and with the creation of the RF Armed Forces in 1992 - into the Office of the Chief of Armaments of the RF Armed Forces (UNV RF Armed Forces).
A NEW CHAPTER IN HISTORY
A new stage in the activities of the department is associated with large-scale political and economic transformations in the country in the early 90s of the last century, when ordering bodies of the Ministry of Defense, together with the country's defense industry, went through a stage of deep reformation associated with the reduction of the army and navy.
In these difficult conditions, it was important to preserve the mechanism of centralized planning for the development of the weapons system, as well as to ensure the implementation of long-term programs for the technical equipment of the Armed Forces, to restore or replace the broken cooperation ties of defense enterprises, and also to reorient as much as possible orders to the Russian defense industry enterprises.
During this period, the UNV of the RF Armed Forces was solving two main tasks: first, maintaining the combat readiness of the troops by supplying the troops with the minimum necessary weapons, spare parts and materials and materials; secondly, the preservation of the defense industry, if not in full, then at least of its key enterprises.
The first task was associated with the fact that the weapons and military equipment in service in the troops (forces) required constant maintenance, replacement of individual elements or even subsystems. However, it was extremely difficult to supply spare parts and materials necessary for the normal functioning of weapons and military equipment, to order and ensure their regular supply to the troops in conditions of disrupted relations.
The second task was due to a sharp increase in the state's debt to defense enterprises for the supplied weapons and military equipment, as a result of which the financial and economic situation of many of them turned out to be critical.
It is important to note that the only backbone and stabilizing governing body for defense enterprises at that time was the Office of the Chief of Armaments, which was able to take possible organizational and planning measures to preserve the main composition of the country's defense industry by choosing priorities and promptly maneuvering financial resources. In addition, the development and production of the main weapons systems were transferred from the countries of the former USSR to the Russian defense industry.
In the same period, the UNV of the RF Armed Forces was responsible for the main work on the creation of a new regulatory framework for the functioning of the weapons and military equipment ordering system.
In accordance with the decision of the Security Council of the Russian Federation of August 11, 2000, a phased transition to the system of a single customer began - an organizational structure that plans and overall coordination of work on the development of weapons and military equipment in terms of general-purpose equipment on the scale of all branches and branches of the Armed Forces, military formations of power ministries and departments of the Russian Federation.
In pursuance of the decisions made, at the end of 2004, measures were taken to radically change the structure of the order system, the essence of which was to create a single customer of weapons and military equipment in the RF Ministry of Defense - a system of orders and deliveries of weapons and military equipment, in which the principle of one-man command was ensured.
The fundamental difference between this structure and the previously existing one was that it was possible to organizationally unite all the general customers of the Ministry of Defense within one structure. At the same time, for the first time, the tasks and priorities of the operational command and control bodies and control over the development of the weapons system were divided.
The system of orders was removed from the sphere of activity of the command of the branches and branches of the armed forces and was centralized. The end result of this process was the creation of conditions for the transition to a unified system of technical support for the RF Armed Forces. Thus, the key principle for the formation of the new structure was the creation of ordering bodies based not on departmental affiliation, but on a rational classification of the type of weapons, military and special equipment (AME).
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
In 2004-2007, a set of measures was carried out to further improve the system of orders and deliveries of weapons and military equipment in the RF Ministry of Defense, bodies for planning and organizing the development of orders and deliveries of weapons and military equipment were formed in order to optimize the structure of ordering authorities and centralize the management of the processes of their development and production.
In 2007-2012, measures were taken to radically reform the military organization of the state - the transition to a new image of the RF Armed Forces, within the framework of which the system of technical support of the RF Armed Forces and, as a result, the system of military and military equipment orders underwent significant organizational and functional changes. The main economic content of the transformation of the ordering system was the gradual decrease in the costs of creating samples of weapons and military equipment and their simultaneous increase in the purchase of samples serially produced by the industry.
As part of the above measures, in 2008 the Directorate of the Chief of Armaments of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation was reorganized into the Main Directorate of Armaments of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which was entrusted with the tasks of coordinating and monitoring technical support, planning, organizing the development and serial orders of weapons and military equipment, coordinating the operation, repair and disposal of weapons and military equipment. …
In December 2010, in order to optimize the organizational and staff structure of military units and weapons planning organizations, the Main Armaments Directorate of the RF Armed Forces was reorganized into the Armament Department of the RF Ministry of Defense with the staff of federal civil servants of the RF Ministry of Defense.
In May 2013, the Department of Armaments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation was transferred to a new state with the content in it of both the positions of military personnel and the positions of federal state civil servants of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The department is subordinate to the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation, who is responsible for military-technical support of the troops.
Currently, the leadership of the country and the Ministry of Defense is carrying out a lot of work to improve the system of technical equipment of the RF Armed Forces, within the framework of which a number of measures have already been implemented, aimed at positively developing the interaction of all subjects of this system. The most significant are the following measures.
The legal regulation of interaction between the subjects of the system of technical equipment of the RF Armed Forces has been adapted to modern economic conditions, the basis of which is Federal Law No. 275 "On State Defense Order" and Federal Law No. 44 "On the contract system in the field of procurement of goods, works, services to ensure needs ".
As part of the Military-Industrial Commission under the Government of the Russian Federation, specialized councils have been created to create a new technical basis for the branches of the armed forces and branches of the RF Armed Forces, which have increased the level of interaction between the command and control bodies of the Russian Defense Ministry and the military-industrial complex, as well as a Foundation for Advanced Research has been created to promote the intensification of scientific research and development. associated with a high degree of risk of achieving qualitatively new results in the military-technical, technological and socio-economic spheres.
The role of the defense industry complex in the formation of the state armament program has been increased in accordance with the new rules for the formation of the GPV for 2016–2025; work on the creation of promising weapons and military equipment is included in it only after the necessary material science, technological, production and other research has been carried out. At the same time, it is envisaged to conclude contracts for the full life cycle, which stimulates defense enterprises to improve the quality of the created samples in order to reduce possible costs at subsequent stages of the life cycle.
Pilot projects are being implemented to create a management system for the full life cycle of weapons and military equipment, and the system of equipment repair and maintenance has been adjusted. Since 2013, military repair units have been restored in the Ministry of Defense, which will carry out maintenance and current repairs of weapons and military equipment in the troops, while medium and major repairs of weapons and military equipment will be carried out by industrial enterprises.
The process of transition to the conclusion of state defense contracts with integrated structures, rather than separate defense enterprises, has been intensified, which increases the consistency in the functioning of such structures.
The status and the number of military representations of the Ministry of Defense are being restored, providing a connecting role between the system of orders for weapons and military equipment and defense enterprises.
The efficiency of SDO planning is increasing, including through the transition from annual to long-term contracts, which, in turn, allows defense enterprises to improve the quality of internal (production) planning - a key tool for increasing the efficiency of their functioning.
It should be noted that the measures taken had a positive effect both on the state of the armament system of the RF Armed Forces and on the state of the defense industry organizations, which testifies to the correctness of the current direction of interaction between the Defense Ministry and the defense industry complex, which provides for systematic and mutually beneficial joint activities for the development of defense enterprises in the interests of high-quality implementation of the state program. weapons. In fact, we are talking about the transition to an active model of interaction, which presupposes greater attention of government customers to the development of the scientific, technical and production and technological base for the creation of modern high-tech weapons and military equipment.
An active model of interaction between state customers and defense industry organizations at all stages of the life cycle of weapons and military equipment samples will provide an intensive path for the development of the defense industry complex.
The eligibility of implementing such a model is due to the fact that in recent years the volume of financing of the defense industry from the federal budget has been steadily growing both in the line of performing the work provided for by the state armament program and in the line of other state programs implemented to support the GPV.
At the same time, the bulk of the budgetary funds is distributed among defense enterprises within the framework of the SDO by the state customers of AME through a contract-competitive mechanism for placing defense orders. In turn, for defense enterprises, the SDO is a kind of mechanism of stability in a complex market environment, which, with proper marketing planning, can become the basis for building up scientific, technical and production and technological potential - the basis for creating both modern highly efficient weapons and military equipment and competitive high-tech products. civilian use.
This constitutes the economic basis for mutually beneficial cooperation between the main subjects of the system of technical equipment of the RF Armed Forces, which have essentially different goals of functioning: the ordering system is focused on the creation of high-quality and inexpensive weapons and military equipment, and defense enterprises are interested in increasing the profitability of production.
Currently, the department is in charge of resolving issues related to the organization and coordination of the activities of military command and control bodies for planning and implementing GPV activities, SDO assignments in terms of R&D, procurement, repair, disposal and liquidation of weapons and military equipment, including the provision of activities of international agreements on disarmament.
Celebrating the 85th anniversary of its history, the close-knit team of like-minded people of the Department of Armaments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation continues the glorious traditions of their predecessors in full departments of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
