On October 13, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov chaired a meeting of the Government Military Industrial Commission.

The Commission considered the range of weapons to be included in the draft government arms programme for 2011-2020.

The new programme is especially important. It is not only aimed at providing the country's armed forces with new high quality and effective weapons, but should also determine the development of Russia's defence industry as a high-tech and innovation-based segment of the national economy.

The meeting participants gave their assessments of the producers' abidance by the Defence Ministry's requirements to the quality of weapons produced and the volume of supplies. They also considered other aspects of the arms programme such as imports and long-term contracts with deferred payment financed by loans.

Finally, the Military Industrial Commission approved two defence industry grant plans proposed by the Industry and Trade Ministry: a grant for outstanding achievements in the production of arms, military and other special equipment to be awarded to employees of defence companies that are main contractors for the government defence order; and a grant to be awarded to young engineers and technicians, R&D professionals and highly-qualified workers at Russian defence companies.

The first grant has been awarded by the Russian president annually since 2004. The other grant will be awarded to young defence industry workers for the first time this year; 58 nominees have been shortlisted for the first grant and 1,000 for the second.