All the service computers of the Russian Defense Ministry might be transferred from Microsoft's operating system to domestic Astra Linux, local media reported Tuesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Ministry of Defense has decided to transfer all office computers to the operating system Linux-based Astra Linux of the Moscow-based company RusBITEkh, the Izvestia newspaper reported, citing sources in the ministry.

The expanded version, Astra Linux Special Edition, with a built-in office suite will be used on the ministry's working computers, and on the next stage it will be used on smartphones and tablets, the newspaper said. If the new operating system meets military requirements, it will be installed on all computers in the ministry and will be the main one for automated control systems and workplaces, servers and on-board military equipment.

Dmitry Donskoy, Deputy CEO of RusBITEkh, confirmed the information to the newspaper. "A key feature of Astra Linux Special Edition is the unique system of information protection. The operation system is fully compatible with modern Russian-made computers. It works with high-tech domestic processors Elbrus, Baikal-T1 and Komdiv. They are the 'heart' of the last-generation supercomputers ," he said.

As the publication notes, the Astra Linux system has been used by the Russian Armed Forces for several years, in particular, the information system of the Russian National Defense Control Center (NDCC). In addition, it is already used today in existing models of weapons and military equipment and in a number of promising projects.