Oleksandr Turchynov: Our equipment and weapons must conform to best world samples
Today our military-industrial complex faces the task to produce military equipment and weapons that conform to best world analogues. This was announced to journalists by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Counsel of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov at Kyiv panzer factory.
Oleksandr Turchynov remarked that now Ukraine can rely just on its own capabilities and potential, because during the military aggression against Ukraine we failed to persuade our partners to unblock the military-technical cooperation and shipments of lethal weapons and modern technologies to Ukraine are still blocked. "The development of Defense Industry, the development of military-industrial complex is one of the priority tasks of our national security. This is the priority that effects as the issues of defense so the strengthening of footing of our economy", - he stressed.
NSDC Secretary noted that during the regime of Yanukovych at Kyiv panzer factory it was planned to cut apart all the equipment, to dismantle the premises and to build a cottage town for those in power.
"Today, just within a year, we have turned the declining factory into a powerful production, one of the best enterprises of the military-industrial complex, which produces weapons that conform to best world analogues", - he emphasized.
Oleksandr Turchynov, after examining the BTR-3E, told that this version of combat vehicle is significantly better than analogues, produced by Russian Oboronprom, even their very latest models. "To produce better machinery than "vatniks" - is just not enough for us. We set more ambitious goals before our Defense Industry: to produce military equipment and weapons, which should be one of the best in the world!" - he said.
According to him, if we compare the quality and price, our technique is one of the most competitive on world markets. "The proof of this is the continuous accretion of demand for machinery, produced by Ukrainian Defense Industry, including these specific vehicles", - he noted, adding that now Ukraine cannot meet the demand for them abroad, because the needs of Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard are the priority.
As NSDC Secretary stated, in the beginning of production the armored vehicle was equipped with parts and engines produced in Russia. "Today, when we broke the military cooperation with the aggressor, this machine has not a single detail of Russian origin. Everything is produced in Ukraine, starting from the hull, which is welded right here at the panzer factory, concluding with a smallest parts", - he emphasized. Oleksandr Turchynov added that the only imported part is the engine from Deutz or Mercedes. "So today in Ukraine not only oligarchs drive the vehicles with Mercedes engines, but our military too", - he said.
According to Oleksandr Turchynov, combat module of the vehicle is armed with 30-mm rapid-fire cannon, machine gun, automatic grenade launcher and two antimech missiles: "This is significantly better than combat capabilities of the relevant machinery of Russian origin. This module is made exclusively by our manufacturers from start to finish. All weapons, that it uses, are Ukrainian weapons."
In addition, NSDC Secretary stated that the advantage of vehicles, produces by Ukrainian Defense Industry, is that they have been tested in combat conditions. "There are very few military vehicles in the world today, which have passed the actual combat test. After using these vehicles in combat, the factory engineers have taken into account all the suggestions of our military. Within a year 740 constructive changes have been made to this vehicle in order to improve its combat, driving and protective features", - he said.
Also Olexander Turchynov stressed, that today it is necessary to change the stereotypes in the country, despite the existing difficulties. "We have to rely on national producer and as in the country, so in the world it should be assumed that Ukrainian - means the best. We should have such approach not only in the Defense Industry. I am confident that the time will come, and the leading states, which today are afraid to supply armament to Ukraine, will stand in line to buy our armored vehicles, our Ukrainian weapons", - he stressed.