Boris Alyoshin, named as a deputy prime minister responsible for the defense industry and arms exports on Thursday, said the large companies should also concentrate on servicing weaponry after it is sold in order to improve the sector's image.

"Contracts (in the industry) must belong to large monopolies, which have great experience in the field work and have good logistics," Interfax quoted Alyoshin as saying.

"The producers must also be in charge of post-sales servicing, including the delivery of parts," he said.

Some of Russia's main military trading partners, including India, have complained about difficulties in acquiring cheap and reliable Russian parts for items like fighter jets and tanks.

Alyoshin, a former avionics specialist, was previously first deputy minister for industry, science and technology.

In 2001, the Russian authorities launched a large-scale program aimed at concentrating defense production around a handful of dominant companies.

Alyoshin is expected to encourage further concentration in the defense industry sector, maintaining the policy launched by his predecessor Ilya Klebanov.

The new minister, described by Russian analysts as a liberal reformer, is expected also to offer assistance to small defense companies "specializing in research that could lead to high-technology production."

Russia last year booked record arms sales of 4.82 billion dollarsbillion euros).

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