A Lesson In Responsibility For Our Commitments
Jerry Aspar
A meeting on Russia’s defence industry development was held May 10th
at Gorki. Present were military-industral big shots.
RF prez Medvedev spoke. The kicker's on down in the text:
It is essential to achieve several objectives in the near future.
First, we must adopt a federal targeted programme for the defence
industry development for the period from 2011 to 2020. I hope the
Government will resolve all the matters relating to the financing in
the nearest future and submit a final proposal to me (I know that they
are coordinating issues at present), taking into account not only the
army’s needs and export orders, but [>] also the real commitment of
defence companies to produce specific models of weapons and
military equipment. I stress: a real commitment.
Second, the Defence Ministry must complete the placement of defence
contracts in full by the end of May and to make advance payments to
companies in accordance with the plan for 2011 and the period up to
2012-2013.
This work has been proceeding [>] very badly and slowly. I want to
remind you that the state defence order was approved in December 2010
and at the Defence Ministry Board meeting in March I spoke about the
[>] failure of the previous state armaments programme.
Today I want to hear from all those present [>] why this happened,
[1] from the Government members and
[2] [from the] CEOs of companies.
Who has been punished for it and how?
Submit your proposals, if you haven’t already, containing details of
the posts and the accountability.
If such reports are not submitted, that suggests to me that it is
sectoral heads [>]and Government members who must be held accountable.
It is an [>] unacceptable situation when decisions are made at the
highest level, the money is allocated, and yet products are [>] not
delivered. Today I took the trouble to go over the 2009 Presidential
Address [to the Federal Assembly]. Here are my words from the Address:
“In the next year we need to provide the Armed Forces with more than
30 ballistic land- and sea-based missiles, five Iskander missile
systems, about 300 modern armoured vehicles, 30 helicopters, 28
combat
aircraft, three nuclear-powered submarines, one corvette-class
battleship and 11 spacecraft.”
As you must realise, I did not make up these things for the Address.
All of it had been agreed with [>] those present here. Why has it [>]
not been done?
I am waiting for your response and your proposals.
I am sure you realise that in different times half of you present here
would already be engaged in hard physical labour in the fresh air.
We must be responsible for our commitments. This [failure] is
absolutely unacceptable.
IN DIFFERENT TIMES? WHEN THERE WAS A REAL SOVIET UNION HEADED BY
LENIN AND STALIN.
HARD PHYSICAL LABOR IN THE FRESH AIR? IN CORRECTIVE LABOR CAMPS AND
COLONIES.
Imagine that!