By Prensa Latina
Moscow : Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in Zhukovski, in the province of Moscow, that it is necessary to review the national rearmament program of the Armed Forces and buy modern air equipment.
The Complex of Science and Innovation in Aeronautics, whose inauguration was attended by Putin, is located in Zhukovski, which is destined to become the capital of Russia’s aeronautical industry.
It is unacceptable that foreign clients receive Russia’s most modern fighters, while the national Air Force only modernizes the equipment made many years ago, the president said.
Putin added that Zhukovski has all the conditions to become a leading center in the aeronautical industry, not only in the Russian Federation but also in Europe and the world, Vesti TV news program reported.
Without aviation, the national economy will not be able to move from a raw material supplier, essentially, to an innovative sector that will commercialize products with high added value, Putin noted.
When explaining the role of the recently-created Unified Corporation of Aeronautical Constructions (OAK, in Russian), Putin said that agency must become a market leader and quintuplicate revenues by 2025.
He suggested improving training programs and increasing the salaries of military pilots, who are underpaid, compared to civil workers.