In the opinion of the conferees - representatives of the two parliamentary chambers, presidential administration, law-enforcement agencies, scientists -- information technologies are among the best areas for interaction.
Last year the Americans spent 114 billion dollars to create and buy IT. In Russia, the software market is five times more than the arms market and comes up to 300 billion dollars annually, according to vice-president of the League for Assistance to Defence Enterprises Vladimir Rubanov.
Antiterrorist interaction between Russia and NATO cannot be arranged without mutual penetration into their information resources, members if the Senators Club said. Mutual penetration is the only way to exchange audio- and video tapes and documents on international terrorism. Unification and standardisation are also important. Carrying out joint projects requires, for instance, a unified system of designing aircraft, vessels, missiles etc. Russia is already classifying its products according to the NATO reference books. Marking and coding of units a database common with NATO are to follow.
The perspective for the use of Russian technologies in mutual projects is impressive - joint development of mine detectors (locating also car bombs), gas analyzers, search complexes. On the parity basis are developed methods for on-site neutralisation of explosives, protection of aircraft against portable antiaircraft missile systems and helicopters against rocket grenades, protection of sea ports against fast launches and divers by powerful microwave radiation, against cybernetic terrorism. In order to carry all these through without delay Rosoboronexport will soon open an office at NATO.
Both the sides pin high hopes on the concept of Russia-NATO arms interaction, which is being developed by a combined effort. A substantial role here is to be played by the Russia-NATO Council for the Defence Industry, Research and Technologies, set up 1.5 years ago. Its regular sitting is due on November 25 in Brussels.
