Russian sky is under Pentagon’s surveillance

Complex electronic systems for operating air traffic endanger Russian national defense.
On January 19 Russian Military central Command had secret meeting on air and space defense. The experts came to the conclusion that one of the elements of future Russian Air and Space Defense System, the dual-purpose National System of Operating Aircraft Traffic, can endanger the national defense for Russia. 
 
About 10 years ago lobbyists in the Russian government allowed foreign corporations to supply equipment for Russian National System of Operating Air Traffic.
 
Companies from US, Italy, France, Great Britain and even Spain started operating at Russian air-fields, flight routes and the entire air traffic infrastructure.
 
Russian producers of aircraft equipment also participated in international tenders, but only foreign companies received contracts. The reason was obvious: Russian factories could neither give solid commission to the official-“middleman” no to offer him a trip to a prestigious holiday resort abroad for “studying equipment”.    

 In 1991 Russian Military Central Command analyzed “Sand-Storm” operation. When this operation was in progress, the Iraqi National System of Operating Air Traffic (manufactured by a US corporation) was simply cut off by the satellite signal. Radars, radio stations, automatic operating systems stopped working. Both Iraqi military and civil aircrafts could neither take off no land.

Russian military was alarmed by this, and in April 1993 Russian government issued special resolution on equipping the air traffic operating system. It contained the compromising decision on having minimum 60 percent of Russian-made equipment. This meant that all basic equipment, such as radars and automatic operating systems was supposed to be produced in Russia. Compact radio stations, computers and some mechanisms could be produced abroad.
 
However, Chief of Administration on Using Air Space and Operating Air Traffic Lieutenant-General Mikhail Kizilov said that the government resolution had not been properly executed. Expensive automatic operating systems for air traffic in Siberia and some other remote regions have been purchased abroad. Foreign companies have contracts for modernizing air traffic operating systems in Yakutiya region and the city of Rostov-na-Donu. US companies have the profitable contract for checking-up the technical condition of the air traffic operating system in the region of the Far East (which is of  special interest for the USA) and installing the new, US-produced system.
 
Foreign manufacturers acted as allies during the tender for equipping Moscow air traffic operating system.  One Russian company and foreign companies from five countries were competing for the contract. The outcome had been predetermined, and the important strategic center connected with air-defense systems and for operating air traffic covering the area of 5 million square kilometers, was supposed to become controlled by foreign companies and the intelligence of their home countries. The secret information of the air-defense system for the Russian capital area (having one-fourth of the overall country industrial and scientific resources) was supposed to be passed to the foreigners developing software, and in addition they charged much money for their services. 
 
In 1999 NATO and the US demonstrated new military tactic in Yugoslavia. No “Iraqi method” was applied, the USA had already had the technologies of copying data from Yugoslavian air-defense systems. Spy radio beacons had been installed in the equipment supplied by foreign companies to Yugoslavia. NATO cruise missiles and “smart” air-bombs were pointed at the targets with the help of the beacons signals.
 
By that time Russia had already had plenty of foreign-manufactured equipment in its air traffic operating system. Due to the firm position of the Ministry of Defense Russian companies were granted contracts for modernizing Moscow air traffic operating zone. The Federal Air Traffic Service lobbying the interests of foreign companies, was abolished. After this the special federal program on re-equipping Russian air traffic operation system until 2010 was elaborated. Nevertheless, previously installed foreign electronics is still working within this system. 
 
Russia has advanced technologies allowing to make radical changes within air traffic operation without accepting the Western standards, foreign equipment or software. However, the source in Russian Defense Ministry says that in the regions of Siberia and Tatarstan installing of foreign double-purpose equipment is being actively promoted. Probably some regional governors refuse to believe that radars and automatic operating stations can also be the potential enemy’s weapon. The examples of Iraq and Yugoslavia did not convince them. 

 Alexander Babakin

Source: NVO