At the same time, there is some good news: The timeline for Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile deliveries to troops is being scrupulously followed, although it is not known whether it will be kept when another new missile -- the RS-24 -- starts to be mass-produced.

It is understandable that Russian Federation defense sector plants cannot solve their problems by themselves, as these have taken 20 years to pile up. A way out must be found in the near future, and must involve state support, not only in the form of financial injections and bylaws regulating profit rates.

It must above all be a state program for retooling defense plants, providing them with up-to-date equipment and staffing them with a highly trained workforce. And while the Russian government can respond to the first problem by ordering increased imports of high-tech equipment from abroad, the second one will take years and require an overhaul actually re-establishing a system of vocational training.

Aside from other factors, there is also the psychological one -- the appeal of a worker's job in the post-Soviet era has substantially diminished in Russia.

Defense order problems are not endemic to Russia alone. The number of programs to make purchases for the U.S. Armed Forces that failed or were terminated because of exorbitant prices defy listing.

Among the latest and largest, mention should be made of the winding up of a program to build LCS-class warships, a program to build Zumwalt-type destroyers, a program to build the Comanche reconnaissance helicopter and a program to build the ARH-70 reconnaissance helicopter.

The models that have made it to the production stage are also plagued by problems. The U.S. Navy, for example, is dissatisfied with the quality of San Antonio-class landing craft, whose tactical fitness is under threat because of a host of defects, while the U.S. Marine Corps has refused to adopt for service the newest EFV amphibious vehicles, which likewise have proved to be unreliable and costly.

The resumption of an arms race following a long pause is proving too heavy for both key participants, although neither Russia nor the United States is likely to "call off the competition."

(Ilya Kramnik is a military commentator for the RIA Novosti news agency. This article is reprinted in part by permission of RIA Novosti. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.)

(United Press International's "Outside View" commentaries are written by outside contributors who specialize in a variety of important issues. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of United Press International. In the interests of creating an open forum, original submissions are invited.)

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