Rheinmetall Corporation provides Russia with training centre, the UK Suspends sharing of military information

Rahvusvahelised uudised | 06 Jan 2012 | Adu RaudkiviEesti Elu

A contract worth more than 100 million Euros has been awarded by the Russian Defense Ministry to German military supplier Rheinmetall for an army simulation-supported training centre in Mulino, Russia.

Rheinmetall already provides Russia with a massive brigade level infantry training system bringing Russia into the modern age. Under the contract the company will develop and supply a live combat simulation system and cover the technical aspects of the project including commissioning and quality assurance.

The company's innovative rotation principle during training will allow simultaneous multiple training sessions at various stations. The training will mean every Russian military brigade is optimally prepared for the realities of modern warfare. The company is expecting follow-on orders, with the Russian Federation planning to upgrade armed forces equipment.

The training centre will be jointly built by Rheinmetall Group and its Russian partner JSCo Oboronservis, and will cater for 30,000 troops a year by 2014.

The following day a news item emerged saying the UK will suspend the sharing of military information with Russia following the latter's failure to comply with the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), Europe minister David Liddington has revealed. Lidington said in a written statement to parliament, "For as long as the Russian Federation fails to fulfill its obligation towards the UK under the CFE treaty, we will cease fulfillment of our key obligations towards the Russian Federation,"

The decision comes after a mutually acceptable resolution could not be agreed upon with Russia, which suspended its observation to the CFE in 2007, refusing to accept inspections or provide 30 signatory countries with military information. Russia has sought to renegotiate the CFE treaty in the late 1990's after claiming that its bloc-based provisions were obsolete, following which an updated treaty was signed in 1999. The NATO countries, however, refused to ratify it and demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia and the Moldovan Trans-Dniester region. The United States also halted data exchanges with Moscow but said it will still continue to monitor weapons limits under the treaty.

Meanwhile, 14 other NATO countries including Germany have also agreed to stop the flow of armament information to Russia.

The question now is, does Rheinmetall stop its affairs with Russia or will it continue with a form of "grandfather" clause that gives Russia an open ended advantage.

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