Russia will continue efforts on further development of aviation and shipbuilding industries in the Far East, a vast territory washed by northern Pacific waters, chairman of the Russian government Vladimir Putin said.

Touching on major aviation programs, Putin drew attention to the production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SS100) at the plant in Komsomolsk-upon-Amur. “We are no more speaking of operable prototypes, - we are now speaking of full scale series production”, he is quoted as saying.

Putin further said that the State armament program for 2011-2020 will soon be put info force by the Russian government. The document specifies procurement plans of the Russian defense ministry for the next ten years. According to the head of the Russian government, the aviation plants located in the Far East will get additional military contracts. These will include orders for production examples of the next generation fighter, attributed to fifth generation of combat jets. Putin reminded that during the crisis the Russian government aided shipbuilding and aviation plants in the Far East. In particular, the shipbuilders have received Russian Rouble 7.9 billion and the aviators Rouble 4 billion.

Besides, the Amur Region is home for a new rocket launch site that shall be erected here in future. “In 2011 we will commence building here our national Vostochny (Russian for “Eastern”) cosmodrome, whose first launch pad must be ready in five years’ time”, Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying. The government will provide Rouble 24 billion for this project during the next three years.

“The new cosmodrome shall provide our country with an independent access to space, including that for manned flights. Materialization of this project shall confirm Russia’s high technological status. Besides, it shall give thousand of specialists, the talented youth, the opportunity to open up their potentials, gain success and materialize their ideas”, Putin stressed.