Russian radar network to be up by 2010

MOSCOW, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A senior Russian Air Force official said Monday that the development of a dual-purpose integrated automated radar system will be complete by 2010.

Lt. Gen. Anatoly Boyarintsev, commander of the air force's Radiotechnical Troops, added that the radar system will eventually become a global air and space surveillance network, Novosti reported Monday.

The program was launched in 2006 with the creation of regional centers that gather and process information on air traffic from various military and civilian sources, including the Defense Ministry and Federal Air Navigation Service.

"Russia has so far allocated 4.5 billion rubles (more than $183 million) for this program," said Boyarintsev.

He added that the completed integrated radar system would incorporate information from 13 air traffic control centers, including one in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Kaliningrad.