Russia plans to spend almost $12 billion on its Glonass satellite navigation system in 2012-2020, and to build the world's most powerful laser research station at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.

Expeditures for the Glonass, which is Russia's answer to the Global Positioning System of the U.S., include $5 billion to support the system and $4.6 billion to develop it.

Presently, a group of 31 Glonass satellites is currently in orbit, with 24 operating to provide global coverage, four in reserve and one undergoing trials. Russia plans to have 30 satellites in orbit, including six in reserve by 2020.

Russia plans to launch 13 Glonass-M satellites in 2012-2020 and 22 new-generation Glonass-K spacecraft to replace the outdated spacecraft to support the orbital grouping.

Eight Proton-M and 11 Soyuz-2.1b carrier rockets will be built for this purpose Russia, Russian space officials said.

The laser research station, on the other, would likely be constructed near the Sarov Federal Nuclear Center in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region.

According to Ildar Ilkayev, head of the center, the station will be used both for military and scientific purposes, particularly research into laser thermonuclear fusion as an energy source.

Ilkayev did not say when construction of the laser facility, which will take 10 years to build, would begin. It will be capable of generating 2.8 mega joules of ultraviolet laser energy compared to the output of the U.S. and French stations of 2 mega joules, he said.

"The United States has already constructed a similar station and France is about to complete the construction of their own station. We [Russia] are behind them because it costs a lot, but it will be the best one in the world," he said.