Russia plans to launch 17 weather and Earth observation satellites by 2025, TASS reports, citing Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) Deputy Head Mikhail Khailov.

"This will help solve in full measure, at the minimum required level, the tasks our state agencies currently face," Khailov said at a Space Research Institute conference.

The satellite group will include the Resurs-PM Earth remote sensing satellite, the Okean and the Meteor-MP oceanographic satellites. Four Arktika spacecraft will be  propelled into advanced elliptical orbit and three Elektro satellites will be fired into geostationary orbit. Plans also call for the launching of two Obzor-O Earth monitoring and two Obzor-R radar-mapping satellites.

By the end of 2016, three Elektro satellites, two Meteor satellites, one Okean and four Arktika-M satellites will be operating  in orbit, creating satellite coverage that will fully satisfy Russia's needs for collecting hydrometeorological data, in addition to  establishing common ground for information exchange with foreign partners.  

"Having our own group of satellites gives us an edge in negotiating potential and independence in solving various tasks," Khailov said.