STRIKE AT… CRIME

Red Star. July 19, 2007. By Anatoly Dokuchaev

The Encyclopedia "Russia's Arms and Technologies. The XXI Century Encyclopedia" goes on — now it is being published under general supervision of Anatoly Serdyukov, the Defense Minister of the Russian Federation. The fifteenth Volume called "Security and law enforcement facilities" has been prepared by qualified experts of the Russian defense industry and the Interior Ministry; by scientists, historians and journalists of the Publishing House "Arms and Technologies".

This book is unusual — all 712 pages contain information about security and anti-terror tools and facilities. The Russian defense industry manufactures and delivers a wide range of modern special equipment used by the Russian Interior Ministry and other law enforcement bodies for fighting crime. And we understand why. The current stage of the Interior Ministry evolution is defined by qualitative changes in the logistical policy, and by refinement of resources being used, including rearmament. This was caused by persisting extremist and terrorist threats, expanding transnational crime, as well as by rapid growth of industry, first of all in the sphere of high technologies.

Specialists from the Interior Ministry note that, at the present time, we have to stand against such kinds of crime which were not foreseen 15 years ago — from groups of die-hard fans to cybercrime. Criminals try to adopt any new idea in the sphere of science, engineering, laws, and public mind for their illegal activities. All these facts necessitate the use of newest achievements in science and engineering by law enforcement bodies. The Interior Ministry collaborates with both governmental and private manufacturers, and the main criteria for partner selection are the advantage of the equipment being offered over similar products, and the price to quality relationship.

Many of technical facilities used by Russian low enforcement bodies are highly competitive with similar foreign products in their parameters, and some of them excel their foreign counterparts, but Russia does not ignore experience obtained from abroad. Thus, Interior Ministry subdivisions distinguish capabilities of some foreign small-arms systems (a Spanish system for coordinating sniper pairs, an Israeli system for defilade delivery, and others), and optoelectronic systems for observations. But the bets are placed on the Russian defense industry which is one of the leaders in manufacturing special arms and equipment.

It is appropriate to note that the Russian defense industry covers the requirements of Interior Ministry troops in arms, military and special equipment. The changes in political and social environment during the last two decades made alterations to the profile of these troops, nature of their tasks, and types of arms and equipment being used.

At the present time, arms and military equipment are mainly military models (used by Interior Ministry troops during counter terrorist operations in the North Caucasus). For the future, it is planned to provide the troops with special (police) tools including nonlethal weapons which can increase the efficiency of troops during neutralization of law breakers when it is necessary to minimize human losses, especially among civilians.

The Volume published provides the full coverage of modern and prospective arms and special equipment for low enforcement bodies manufactured by using science-intensive and high technologies. The book contains descriptions and parameters of 850 specimens including 510 models of police equipment and 340 military models including munitions, communications facilities, control systems, and other equipment. "First of all, this book benefits from information content", — notes Nikolai Spassky, the General Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Publishing House "Arms and Technologies". — "We thank our partners in the Interior Ministry for their help".

Now, let's familiarize ourselves briefly with 45 sections covering special and military equipment, control and observation facilities, armor protection, and fire-power oriented defense.

There is a wide choice of special firearms. Thus, we can have a look at pistols and revolvers — 20 models were described. Almost the same number of machine pistols and submachine guns were described as well (compact machine pistols PP-91 "Kedr", PP-9 "Klin", and PP-19 "Bison-2"; the machine pistol AEK-919K "Kashtan"; compact submachine guns SR-3 "Vikhr", and Kalashnikov AK102; the 5.45-mm short submachine gun AKS74U; the 9-mm special submachine gun AS "Val"; the 5.66-mm underwater submachine gun APS; and others). Sniper firearms are represented by the 5.6-mm small-bore sniper rifle SV-99, the 9-mm special sniper rifle VSS, the 12.7-mm large-caliber sniper rifle V-94 and its modification OSV-96, and a number of others. There were described seven models of special arms and grenade launchers: the rifle grenade launcher complex OTs-14 "Groza", the 18-mm special carbine based on the self-loading rifle MR-153, the special-purpose shoulder grenade launcher RGS-50M, and others. Munitions for these arms are described as well.

The chapter "Counterterrorism complexes" gives us information about nonlethal weapons (a number of gas grenades, cartridges with grenades for various purpose, flash and sound grenades, electric shockers, and others), pyrotechnic munitions (masking and protective munitions, radar jamming munitions, and others), and special equipment.

The next chapter, "Protection and criminal bomb explosion localization facilities", describes body armor facilities (the shockproof protective helmet "Maska-2", the bulletproof helmet "Maska-3-1", the armor vest "Korund", and others, more than 30 models in total), bomb disposal protection facilities, bomb destructors, and engineer reconnaissance and demining facilities.

The book describes in detail operational facilities, in other words, operational equipment for special services. There were described observation and visual surveillance facilities, operational equipment, search and screening equipment, and tracking support facilities.

Probably, the criminalistic equipment will excite interest of specialists and wide audience. The book "displays" newest crime-scene and laboratory equipment. For example, we can read about the X-ray transilluminating complex KRP-01 "Saturn", the inkless fingerprint complex "Kartina-M", and others.

The book provides comprehensive coverage of security, surveillance and access control systems. This is caused by the fact that our defense industry manufactures a wide range of perimeter security systems, security alarm equipment, monitoring and protection systems for mobile objects, as well as by circumstances when this equipment is requested by State organizations and private companies. What equipment? For example, the pipeline failure location system "Kapkan", and the satellite vehicle security system "Tsezar Satellit".

Separate chapters describe technical facilities for traffic safety, communications and information protection systems, and special vehicles. There is an interesting fact: our industry manufactures several mobile control centers and 27 (!) special vehicles for law enforcement bodies — just order any one.

One chapter describes arms and military equipment used by troops of the Russian Interior Ministry. The troops do not directly participate in the design of arms and special equipment. But the Chief Command has close contacts with companies designing future models and manufacturing modern products. When purchasing equipment for forces and units, the decisions are taken on the basis of operational trials.

In particular, the troops together with the Scientific Industrial Association "Special Equipment and Communications" participate in trials of new arms and military equipment models. The Open Joint-Stock Company "Gorky Automobile Plant" completes design and tests of the special vehicle SPM-2 "Tiger" for military applications. In future, the special police car SPM-3, being designed now, will replace the armored personnel carrier BTR-80. The Interior Ministry purchases armored vehicles VAZ, UAZ, GAZ and "Ural" for units in the Central Caucasian region, special forces and troops participating in anti-terrorist operations. The practical experience demonstrates that these vehicles can replace conventional armored carriers in some special tasks because they have longer working life and are cheaper to manufacture.

The troops prefer to use the following models: the helicopter Mi-8MTV-2 with optoelectronic reconnaissance and management facilities, the automatic grenade launcher AGS-30, the grenade launcher 6G-30, the sniper rifle VSK-94, the large-caliber sniper rifle OSV-96, the compact submachine gun 9A-91 with a silencer, certain models of binoculars and collimating sights, and artillery reconnaissance facilities. Naval subdivisions like various fast patrol boats and diving equipment. Sappers troops successively use the metal detector "Kornet-7250", the nonlinear junction detector NR-900 "Korshun", protection and body armor facilities.

Briefly speaking, it is the first time when the armament and equipment (several hundred models) of Interior Ministry troops is completely described. No doubt, this is the distinguished advantage of this book.

Traditionally, the Volume is completed with a section covering main enterprises and organizations of the defense industry those work for the Interior Ministry and foreign partners. The articles, usually written by directors, tell about achievements in manufacturing law enforcement facilities. Specialists can use services offered by 38 biggest State and private companies, as well as services from the general sponsor of the Encyclopedia — the VTB Bank.

At the end of these notes, we should like to say that the value of the Volume is provided by analytical and educational articles written by Lieutenant General Mikhail Suhodolsky, Deputy Interior Minister of the Russian Federation ("Security and policing facilities"); Lieutenant General Sergey Yurchenko, Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Armament of Interior Troops of the Russian Interior Ministry ("Armament, combat and special materiel of interior troops of the Russian Ministry of Interior"); Valeri Grigoryan, General Director of the Steel Research Institute ("Development of Russian body armor facilities"); Colonel Nikolai Korolyov, Head of the Scientific Research Institute for Special Equipment at the Scientific Industrial Association "Special Equipment and Communications" of the Russian Interior Ministry ("Operational equipment of the Russian Interior Ministry"); and other experts.

The book is intended for specialists of low enforcement bodies, members of political and business circles, as well as for those who is interested in law enforcement facilities.