Russia to Build 2 Space-Defense Missile Plants

Two space-defense missile plants will be built in central Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Friday.

The first, to be based in Nizhny Novgorod, will employ 5,000 workers and have a total manufacturing volume of 6 billion rubles (about $200 million). The second, in the city of Kirov, will employ 3,000.

“I hope we will develop models that are superior to those of our potential opponents,” he told President Dmitry Medvedev.

Rogozin previously proposed consolidating all the related defense-industry enterprises into a single holding with priority to be given to establishing an Aerospace Defense System managing company and holding modeled on the Almaz-Antey air-defense corporation, United Shipbuilding Corporation and United Aircraft Corporation.

The holding will work on projects for the ADS unified strategic command combining air, missile and space defenses, which was established in December 2011.

It combines the existing air defense and missile defense networks, missile early-warning systems and airspace monitoring systems under a unified strategic command.

Rianovosti