Defense Minister Endorsed British-Made Furniture on Russian Warships

29.11.2011 Russian defense minister Anatoly Serdiukov approved proposal of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Vysotsky to mount furniture and latrines made by British company Strong Box Marine Furniture LTD on perspective Russian warships, reports Central Navy Portal.

Production of the British company was chosen after a half-year experimental period onboard corvette Stereguschiy; two cabins where refitted specially for that purpose. The experiment was personally monitored by Vysotsky and finally found satisfactory. JSC Marine Integrated Systems (St. Petersburg) representing Strong Box Marine Furniture LTD in Russia was chosen the only supplier of furniture and equipment for Russian Navy's prospective ships. Among the ships to be equipped with British-made furniture are Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov frigates, Project 11356 Admiral Essen frigates, Project 20380/20385 corvettes, Project 21631 small-size missile ships, and Project 21630 small-size gunnery ships. Second candidate to supply Russian warships with furniture and plumbing systems - Russian manufacturer of shipborne furniture group company Geser & Aris - has left the tender.

According to the copy of "Decision on complex re-equipment of living and service premises of designed, built, operated, repaired, and modernized ships of Russian Navy with the use of modern finishing materials, associated hardware, and metal furniture" came to hand of Central Navy Portal, it is impossible to draw conclusion about an open tender and its conditions. Text of the decision was approved by the Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral V. Vysotsky and Deputy Defense Minister A. Sukhorukov. The document was endorsed by Defense Minister Anatoly Serdiukov early in November.

Answering questions of the editorial staff, JSC Marine Integrated Systems confirmed receipt of the order for furniture sets and metal sanitary installations from the UK for Russian warships and expressed readiness to meet all contractual commitments.

According to Russian manufacturers of analogous hardware questioned by the Central Navy Portal reporters, the defense ministry's decision to import furniture is wondering, since capabilities of Russian industry are quite enough to produce metal furniture as good as foreign one but at lower price.

The defense minister's decision to import shipborne furniture from abroad aroused wide reaction in Russian media.

Recall that Admiral Vysotsky earlier offered to replace gun mounts installed on new Russian warships with the imported ones purchased from Italy or France.