Rear Admiral Kovalenko proposed to change the defense order system in connection with the NWO

The main criterion for weapons is not cost, but effectiveness on the battlefield

The special military operation has set difficult tasks for the defense industry, which must provide the troops with everything they need. But this task cannot be solved without bringing the technical support system of the army and navy in line with the requirements of protecting the state and without correcting the law on defense orders. This was told to “MK” by the candidate of technical sciences, rear admiral of the reserve Nikolai Kovalenko.

In fact, the current system of state defense orders and contracting of military products was created long before the NVO. And one of its main tasks was to save budget funds so that, God forbid, the military budget does not go somewhere to the left. About how successfully this task was solved, it is better to ask the Main Military Investigation Department and the Military Prosecutor’s Office. They say that, despite all the measures, there was some “shrinkage and shrinkage”.

But since February 24, 2022, the situation has changed radically. Today, it is not financial indicators that depend on how the defense order is executed, but the result of the SVO and the fate of the country.

At one time, the Soviet writer and mathematician Elena Wentzel once aptly remarked: “By the criterion” efficiency – cost “you can lose the war cheaper.” Probably, in the sense that, of course, it is necessary to save money, but it is probably not worth elevating this criterion alone, especially at a tense moment for the country.

“The issue of pricing for military products is so regulated that an increase in the price of even a penny arouses unhealthy interest among numerous inspectors,” Rear Admiral Nikolai Kovalenko told MK. – But for weapons, military and special equipment, the main thing is combat characteristics, quality, reliability and compliance with world achievements.

According to him, the task of providing military-technical support to the troops during the period of a special military operation comes to the fore.

“Without state contracts, enterprises cannot start work on the purchase of materials, the preparation of special equipment and the purchase of components,” said Nikolai Kovalenko. – Suppliers of components of the first cooperation have their own suppliers, and so on, up to the tenth level of cooperation. And at each stage of this chain, under plausible pretexts, bureaucratic “slingshots” are set up: this is impossible, then it is impossible, agree with this, agree with that, and all this is under the watchful eye of inspectors.

The procedures are being dragged out, and this affects the timing of the delivery of weapons and equipment to the troops.

At the same time, the expert notes, those military specialists who are responsible for the technical support of the troops do not have any authority in this process, unlike, for example, the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

– And without agreement with her, not a step, – said Rear Admiral. – Prices are regulated and controlled by people who, at best, have an economic education and have no idea about the true value of weapons, which is determined on the battlefield. If only these people were on the front line, and in a duel situation, then they would have thought about it.

According to Nikolai Kovalenko, in Soviet times, representatives of the military department were obliged to control the quality of military products.

“Earlier, this system was headed by the Deputy Minister of Defense for Armaments and, through the supplying agencies, he supervised all the technical support of the army and navy,” he said. – The heads of the supplying agencies were personally responsible for the supply and quality of weapons according to the established nomenclature. They had deep specialized knowledge and broad powers, kept in constant contact with the relevant federal structures and industrial enterprises through their military representatives, and promptly resolved issues in the interests of the security and needs of the troops and fleets, and not just fulfilling the order.