Despite the fact that high-ranking Russian officials have repeatedly pronounced the phrase about the allocation of serious financial resources for the modernization of the army and the creation of a truly modern defense-industrial complex, some kind of slippage is still taking place. In order to carry out large-scale control over the spending of budgetary funds allocated to increase the competitiveness of the Russian military industry, even a whole deputy prime minister was appointed, who could well be called a “firefighter” deputy prime minister. This, as we all know, is Dmitry Rogozin. It is difficult to reproach this person for inactivity, but the situation in the military-industrial sphere continues to be rather difficult.
According to Sergei Chemezov, the general director of the Russian Technologies company, the delay in concluding contracts within the framework of the state defense order is still taking place. Chemezov says, in particular, that during the first month of this year, only 20% of the annual State Defense Order were placed on the market to compete for the right to implement projects. At the same time, the percentage of the conclusion of real transactions amounted to an even more modest figure - 2%. Sergei Chemezov also rightly notes that in order to fully implement the order of the defense department for armaments for 2012, all these measures should have been carried out back in 2011. However, in our country, and apart from Chemezov, there are enough people who understand how and what needs to be done in order for the Russian defense industry to develop in the right direction. But the trouble is that any, even the most advanced idea in our country often descends on such brakes that it is impossible to fully implement it for a number of reasons. And the main one of these reasons, which has already managed to set the teeth on edge for each of us, is corruption. But if there is such a reason, all the aspirations of the government may turn out to be just another formality.
Of course, there is no need to say that Rogozin has come, and it will take a couple of months to put things in order in the military-industrial complex. Such judgments can be considered nothing more than naivety. Voluminous financing of the industry is, of course, good, but how to establish this constant and scrupulous control over every state kopeck is a question that sometimes surpasses in importance even direct funding from the federal budget. Dmitry Rogozin himself does not try to look at it through his fingers. He has repeatedly stated that problems with corruption and an outright reluctance to establish partnerships between the Ministry of Defense and Russian arms manufacturers are becoming the main barriers to the implementation of plans for a large-scale modernization of the army, aviation and navy of the Russian Federation. Rogozin also talks about the problem of the so-called “long money”. It consists in the fact that many enterprises of the defense industry work "from time to time": having completed one order, the enterprise does not receive funding for further activities. Hence the staffing problems, and the general negative in the industry. Many employees of enterprises are simply forced to take unpaid leave while their management is trying to literally "knock out" money for a new project."Knock out" means that there will be work, which means that the enterprise itself will keep afloat. It will not "knock out" - so another reduction, indefinite vacations with such an indispensable companion as the loss of qualifications of employees of enterprises. After all, if an employee is at least three times a highly qualified specialist, and in the absence of the opportunity to fulfill his professional duties, he will lose all his potential.
We must not forget that Russian defense enterprises are extremely unprofitable today. If abroad no such enterprise will operate with a profitability lower than 15%, in Russia and 5% profitability of the defense industry is already considered a success. Such a "success" in the conditions of a market economy going through difficult times looks at least doubtful.
That is why, to really improve the situation in the military-industrial complex, Rogozin today needs a complete and unconditional carte blanche. If the president and prime minister actually decided to take up the modernization of the armed forces, then Dmitry Rogozin should be given the broadest powers. After all, you can talk about problems and ways to solve them as long as you like and to no avail, if your hands are tied with a tight rope. And you need to untie your hands as quickly as possible, otherwise the designated trillions of rubles will be able to feed the accounts of far from defense enterprises …
