50 Years Ago Main Engineering Department - Predecessor Of Rosoboronexport, Was Established

The fundamentals of the Russian system of military and technical cooperation with foreign states were laid 50 years ago, on May 8, 1953. On that day, the Council of Ministers established by its resolution the main engineering department under the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade to supply arms and combat hardware abroad. "Thus, the institution of the state intermediary in the sphere of the export and import of military products was created in the country," the press-service of Rosoboronexport disclosed.

The 50-year experience and the traditions of foreign trade organizations in the sphere of the export of military products laid the basis for the modern model of Russia's military and technical cooperation with foreign states. "Today Russia has a streamlined system of military and technical cooperation based on the "presidential vertical" while the state intermediary is its integral part. Within the framework of the exclusive powers of the Russian President in the field of military and technical cooperation, Rosoboronexport state arms selling company has been assigned the task to carry out state policy in this sphere, a spokesman of the press-service said. Rosoboronexport is the legal successor to the main engineering department and continues in a worthy manner its best traditions and the best traditions of all the subsequent state intermediaries - special exporters, he said.

Today the portfolio of Rosoboronexport's orders is estimated at over $12 billion and will ensure the operation of defense companies, involved in the fulfilment of export contracts, in the coming 3-4 years.

The role of the state intermediary is not limited to economic indices. Rosoboronexport has been able to capitalize on its advantages of a commercial organization, which acts in the interests of enterprises of the defense and industrial complex, and to conduct state policy in the field of military and technical cooperation. "The status of Rosoboronexport makes it possible to consolidate political, economic, financial, intellectual and information resources available in the country to ensure the country's military, political and economic interests on the world arms markets," the spokesman of the press-service said.