[FPSPACE] Izvestia: Russian Federation's Clearing House Audits Distribution of Commercial Space Services Revenues

Wed, 2 Oct 2002 08:03:29 -0500

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Russian Federation's Clearing House Audits Distribution of Commercial =
Space Services Revenues=20

(Izvestiya, 8 June 2002)

forwarded by www.jamesoberg.com

Beginning in 1990, the Russian Space Troops were able to involve =
themselves in commercial space launch operations. Revenues from such =
undertakings have traditionally been divided up in such a manner that =
the Russian Ministry of Defense ended up taking a 30-percent share for =
itself. The ministry has also maintained tight control over the =
remaining 70-percent share that would eventually be distributed among =
military units to defray costs for, among other things, the construction =
of new billeting facilities, new transport materiel, and the purchase of =
new computer technology.=20

With tensions mounting between the Space Troops and the Strategic =
Missile Troops over the allegedly disproportionate distribution of =
revenues from Russian participation in commercial space launches and the =
concomitant space services, an audit of financial accounts involving =
these revenues was finally inaugurated at the behest of State Duma =
deputy, MajGen Aleksandr Vinidiktov. The audit is being handled by the =
Russian Federation's Clearing House. This latter facility's auditor, =
Aleksandr Piskunov, is charged with determining where the revenues in =
question have actually gone. Piskunov curtly states: "We have worked at =
three cosmodromes, examining the expediency of the application of =
allocated resources. Right now, there is an investigation going on in =
Moscow -- at the Space Troops headquarters and in the Strategic Missile =
Troops. When our work is finished, we shall put all the figures =
together, write up a reckoning, present it to our colleagues, and then =
we shall be able to disseminate it." However, reactions to the audit are =
mixed.=20

The press service of the Strategic Missile Troops very cautiously =
commented on the audit that has been inaugurated: "The present command =
staff of the Strategic Missile Troops formed in July 2001 and Gen =
Nikolay Solovtsov are not responsible for the actions of Gen Vladimir =
Yakovlev. Where the Strategic Missile Troops are concerned, this is a =
matter of different epochs. But, the interest on the part of the Space =
Troops is understandable -- they reacted with immediate hostility to our =
unification."=20

But, even within the Space Troops, Gen Vinidiktov's colleagues are not =
overly enthused with the general's initiative. Clearly, the Clearing =
Houses's auditor's penetration into extra-budgetary sources, the "holy =
of holies" of the military establishment, augurs big trouble rather than =
benefit from information regarding financial accounts held in common =
with its competitor.=20

At Rosaviakosmos, the differentiation between these two types of troops =
was met with enthusiasm. Rosaviakosmos director general Yuriy Koptev =
stated that this circumstance is of benefit to the State and people now =
have better comprehension of what these two entities actually do. =
Perhaps still smarting from the attacks of the [Duma] deputies that =
culminated in the deorbiting of the MIR orbital station, Rosaviakosmos =
is not hailing the ongoing audit as any particular triumph.=20

According to authors Sergey Leskov and Aleksandr Chuykov, the primary =
conclusion to be drawn from all this controversy is not what the =
Clearing House shall be able to bring to light once its audit is at an =
end, but rather the number of occasions upon which the interests of the =
[military] establishment superseded those of the State. In the past, the =
Ministry of Defense has been headed by a paratrooper and a member of the =
Strategic Missile Troops, and military doctrine changed commensurately. =
What would happen if, say, a sailor or an airman were to become the =
Minister of Defense?=20

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<DIV>
Russian Federation's Clearing House Audits Distribution of Commercial =
Space=20
Services Revenues 
(Izvestiya, 8 June 2002)
forwarded by <A =
href=3D"http://www.jamesoberg.com">www.jamesoberg.com</A>
Beginning in 1990, the Russian Space Troops were able to involve =
themselves=20
in commercial space launch operations. Revenues from such undertakings =
have=20
traditionally been divided up in such a manner that the Russian Ministry =
of=20
Defense ended up taking a 30-percent share for itself. The ministry has =
also=20
maintained tight control over the remaining 70-percent share that would=20
eventually be distributed among military units to defray costs for, =
among other=20
things, the construction of new billeting facilities, new transport =
materiel,=20
and the purchase of new computer technology. 
With tensions mounting between the Space Troops and the Strategic =
Missile=20
Troops over the allegedly disproportionate distribution of revenues from =
Russian=20
participation in commercial space launches and the concomitant space =
services,=20
an audit of financial accounts involving these revenues was finally =
inaugurated=20
at the behest of State Duma deputy, MajGen Aleksandr Vinidiktov. The =
audit is=20
being handled by the Russian Federation's Clearing House. This latter =
facility's=20
auditor, Aleksandr Piskunov, is charged with determining where the =
revenues in=20
question have actually gone. Piskunov curtly states: "We have worked at =
three=20
cosmodromes, examining the expediency of the application of allocated =
resources.=20
Right now, there is an investigation going on in Moscow -- at the Space =
Troops=20
headquarters and in the Strategic Missile Troops. When our work is =
finished, we=20
shall put all the figures together, write up a reckoning, present it to =
our=20
colleagues, and then we shall be able to disseminate it." However, =
reactions to=20
the audit are mixed. 
The press service of the Strategic Missile Troops very cautiously =
commented=20
on the audit that has been inaugurated: "The present command staff of =
the=20
Strategic Missile Troops formed in July 2001 and Gen Nikolay Solovtsov =
are not=20
responsible for the actions of Gen Vladimir Yakovlev. Where the =
Strategic=20
Missile Troops are concerned, this is a matter of different epochs. But, =
the=20
interest on the part of the Space Troops is understandable -- they =
reacted with=20
immediate hostility to our unification." 
But, even within the Space Troops, Gen Vinidiktov's colleagues are =
not overly=20
enthused with the general's initiative. Clearly, the Clearing Houses's =
auditor's=20
penetration into extra-budgetary sources, the "holy of holies" of the =
military=20
establishment, augurs big trouble rather than benefit from information =
regarding=20
financial accounts held in common with its competitor. 
At Rosaviakosmos, the differentiation between these two types of =
troops was=20
met with enthusiasm. Rosaviakosmos director general Yuriy Koptev stated =
that=20
this circumstance is of benefit to the State and people now have better=20
comprehension of what these two entities actually do. Perhaps still =
smarting=20
from the attacks of the [Duma] deputies that culminated in the =
deorbiting of the=20
MIR orbital station, Rosaviakosmos is not hailing the ongoing audit as =
any=20
particular triumph. 
According to authors Sergey Leskov and Aleksandr Chuykov, the primary =

conclusion to be drawn from all this controversy is not what the =
Clearing House=20
shall be able to bring to light once its audit is at an end, but rather =
the=20
number of occasions upon which the interests of the [military] =
establishment=20
superseded those of the State. In the past, the Ministry of Defense has =
been=20
headed by a paratrooper and a member of the Strategic Missile Troops, =
and=20
military doctrine changed commensurately. What would happen if, say, a =
sailor or=20
an airman were to become the Minister of Defense?=20
</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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