Russia’s New Defense Research Agency To Pursue “High Risk” R&D Projects

Russia’s parliament has passed a bill to establish an advanced military research agency dedicated to the development of advanced weaponry and help streamline the arms procurement process in Russia. The Russian Foundation for Advanced Research Projects will mirror the U.S’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in purpose. “The sole purpose of this foundation is to close a gap in advanced research with our Western partners after 20 years of stagnation in the Russian military science and defense industry overall,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said, citing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), advanced technologies and new materials as main problem areas in the defense-related research. “We should focus on the development of automated systems, new materials, electronics, and hypersound as these technologies, if they are adopted first by other countries, could shift the existing forms of strategic balance,” Rogozin, who oversees Russia’s defense industry said. Rogozin added that the new foundation would initially employ 100-150 experts tasked with overseeing a variety of mid- and long-term “high risk” R&D projects at Russian defense firms and scientific institutions. By the end of 2020, the Russian Government will have spent $614 billion on advanced military equipment.