The Sarmat missile system, the Armata tank, the S-500 anti-aircraft missile system, and the Su-57 fighter jet that will soon be adopted by the Russian Army already surpass its foreign counterparts. However, the engineers need to design even more perfect weapons. Today, this task was assigned by Vladimir Putin at the meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission. He was talking about the future armament program both in theory and in practice at the firing range of the Kalashnikov Corporation. Putin also took part in the dedication ceremony of the stepping stone of the Armed Forces main church.
Denis Davydov with the details.
A rare footage: while inspecting a weapon exhibition, Vladimir Putin fires a sniper rifle. The target is set at nearly the maximum distance.
- The next target will be 300, that's 10 clicks up. 400 is 20 clicks up. 500 is 34 clicks up. And the last one, 600, is 60 clicks up. Ready?
Vladimir Putin: Yes.
- Pull it. Release it. Now, you can fire. The target was small but looks like you've hit it.
- The target?
- Yep.
When shooting, the snipers hold their breath and choose a moment in between their heartbeats. Putin does exactly that. He pulls the trigger without breathing. Putin shot five times and hit over half the targets. He complimented the newest Russian sniper rifle SVCh-308.
Vladimir Putin: That's a nice rifle.
- We're glad that you liked it.
- Thank you.
Kalashnikov is not just a legendary assault rifle. The Corporation also produces civil products. Here's the first Russian electric motorcycle. However, weapons are the specialization of the industrial giant. A remotely controlled combat module. The gun can be up to 10 km away from the console. The operator can input different commands, for example, tracking if a person is walking or crawling, in a group or alone, armed or unarmed.
"We'll be singing and we'll be friendly
So that the war never comes".
The Orthodox Choir of the Engineering Corps is warming up. They're serving both literally and metaphorically.
Ivan Petrovsky, private: "I'm studying at the Ecclesiastical Academy in St. Petersburg. I finished my sophomore year and decided to join the Army".
For centuries, the Russian Army had its priests and churches. The traditions are inviolable. Today, the stepping stone of the main church of the Armed Forces was consecrated by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill. The church will be open in less than two years timed to the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Vladimir Putin: “We have a long-standing tradition of building cathedrals in honor of the accomplishments of the Russian warriors. They are designed to glorify martial prowess and to relieve the grief over the dead, cherish examples of dedication, heroism, and love for the Motherland, and convey these from one generation to another. To remember and cherish the memory of those who gave their lives for the Fatherland, to cultivate grateful memory in our descendants is our sacred duty.”
It will be built in a place where the earth itself remembers the soldiers' feat. That 1945 spring, they were fighting to the bitter end to stop the Nazis from capturing our capital.
Vasily Lanovoy, People's Artist of USSR: "As a kid, I spent 3.5 years in an occupied village near Vinnitsa in Ukraine. When I was seven, I had already seen the horrors of death and the joy of victory. The events were monumental. I've carried it all my life everything linked to Russia's great past. Forever".
The church will be built for donations. Putin inspects the model. It's almost 100 meter high; the facade will be bronze-green, a hint at the colors of the Army.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, Kirill: "In an extreme situation that's incomprehensible for a mom-military person, a warrior gains his power from God. That's what our historic experience teaches us. By building this church here, we open new opportunities to strengthen the spiritual life and power of our warriors".
At the meeting of the Military-Industrial Commission at the Patriot Park, Putin was talking about the Russian weapons. The Russian Army is being actively rearmed. New advanced unrivaled equipment is being adopted. The Sarmat missile system, the Armata tank, and the 5th generation fighter jet Su-57. The current armament program runs until 2027.
Vladimir Putin: “It takes into account the current global trends in terms of arms and combat equipment development and the experience gained from using Russian weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic. As a result of this program, our forces should receive new hardware, cutting-edge arms with better combat characteristics than their foreign counterparts. In the meantime, it is important for us to move further and start planning today the future development and production of advanced weapons and equipment.”
The majority of the topic discussed at the meeting are top secret. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov shared some details with the press.
Yuri Borisov, Deputy Prime Minister: "The President ordered to tighten the security of our bases in Khmeimim and Tartus. The Kalashnikov Corporation proposed several technical solutions. It will supply automated means of control to execute security measures."
The President's visit to the Patriot Park coincided with Gunsmith Day. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief congratulated all the workers of the industry.
Denis Davydov, Ivan Ponomarenko, Andrey Grishnyov, Ilya Bayev, and Anna Medvedeva, Vesti.
