Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Monday that his ministry’s spending on new contracts will increase in 2013.
“The Defense Ministry received 40 percent more from the state budget than it did last year,” Interfax cited Shoigu as saying.
The minister said one of the contracts will deliver showers to military units across Russia by the end of this year.
“I’ve issued an order to install a shower cubicle in every military unit by the end of 2013 … and there are 50,000 units,” he said.
Shoigu has ordered that military personnel be equipped with new uniforms and that measures be taken to prevent epidemics in the military.
The minister said contracts in 2013 will cover the full life cycle of weapons and equipment — from their manufacture to their disposal. He added that this will minimize the risk of poor quality and delays.
“In January, we paid special attention to the quality of contracts, and we’ll continue this practice in February,” he said. “To comply with the government order on defense purchases, the Defense Ministry is taking all necessary measures.”
He also said authorities should closely monitor the deadlines for Defense Ministry contracts and the quality of equipment supplied.
Shoigu went on to say that he was unhappy with the current timelines for military aircraft repairs and called for an increase in the quality of pilot training.
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