MOSCOW, March 06. /ITAR-TASS/. Investment of 500 million rubles is needed to develop Russia's satellite-based ERA-GLONASS National Accident Emergency Response System, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told government colleagues on Thursday.

This will add to the nearly 4 billion rubles spent on advancing system technology between 2011 and 2013 ahead of its nationwide launch in January 2015. About 172 million rubles will be allocated from the federal budget. Around 20,000 Russian ambulances are already using the system, aimed principally at providing rapid treatment for those injured in traffic accidents and supporting the national emergency call system 112.

“The process will make it possible not to lose a minute of the ‘golden hour' ", the premier told ministers, referring to the 60 minutes after an injury is sustained during which there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will save a life.

"This is the first time the challenge has been met,” the premier said of the four years it has taken to develop the project's telecommunications, information processing and satellite navigation technologies.

ERA-GLONASS has assembled several Russian specialist companies. The system's core - its navigation and information platform - was created by software developer Luxoft.

Regulations are now in force obliging vehicle manufacturers to equip new light commercial and freight vehicles with onboard terminals. These will enable emergency response services to receive exact coordinates and other details of road accidents.

Plans are to extend coverage across all the nation's roads and the entire vehicle fleet, calculated at 40 million vehicles. Vehicle owners will also be able to use their terminals to access additional services related to navigation and information exchange.

The Rostekh State Corporation and the Mikron Company have been assigned to set up the production of chip sets for an ERA-GLONASS system in the territory of the Russian Federation, Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin told a government meeting. He said chip sets are currently made outside Russia.

"As this market of navigation services develops, it is essential to resolve this problem, of course. The necessary assignments have been given to our industry, specifically to the Rostekh State Corporation and the Mikron Company, to set up the production of chip sets in the Russian territory," Rogozin said, pointing out that he sees great prospects for both this program and the entire navigation system.

He said the presentation of the ERA-GLONASS system would be held for Indian and Indonesian partners.