OREANDA-NEWS. October 7, 2008. With 18 satellites in orbit, GLONASS system will become really global,- Vladimir Popovkin, Colonel General, Undersecretary of Defence, Russian Defence Force Armament Commander, stated in his interview to Krasnaya Zvezda news paper.

"We have never had US GPS equipment in use in our army, though we bought several navigational devices". According to Popovkin, "development of GLONASS devices is completed, in general... Now it is time to enlarge the orbital constellation. Production rates shall define the availability dates for the navigational devices. Commanders also must arrange the process such that the soldiers could get familiar and get used to the devices".

"Next year we will be able to use GLONASS system. Three more satellites are to be launched this year", he added. GLONASS today comprises 19 satellites, "14 are in use, 3 are going through the comissioning stage (orbited on Sept. 25), 1 undergoes maintenance, 1 is in the decomissioning stage", clarified officials from Mashinostroenie R&D company.