#13
Sergey Ivanov Eyes Army Priorities, Reform, Contract Manning
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
14 January 2003
Interview with Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov by Interfax correspondent Vitaliy Dzhibuti specially for Rossiyskaya Gazeta; date, place not given:
"Taking the Law As an Example. Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov Cites Russian Federation Armed Forces' Priorities in the New Year"

[Dzhibuti] The problem of international terrorism has come to the fore. Will the country's defense priorities and the Russian Army's tasks and functions be revised in connection with this? What adjustments need to be made to Russia's military doctrine? Are changes to the law on martial law intended?

[Ivanov] In my view today it is still premature right now to speak of the specific content of changes to Russia's defense priorities and to the functions and tasks of its Armed Forces in connection with the threat of international terrorism. These questions need to be carefully studied by both the country's executive and legislature.

The Russian Armed Forces operate in a rigidly defined legal area within the framework of which provision has already been made for the possibility of enlisting individual troop formations in combating illegal armed groups. Hence no radical revision of the fundamental principles governing the operation of the Armed Forces is required. Although individual aspects of the operational plans for their use will be revised. But preparations must be made for this in terms of normatives. Thus, the requisite changes will have to be made to the content of the principal normative documents when it comes to ensuring the state's military security, including the Russian Federation National Security Concept. To that end the Defense Ministry has organized work with the involvement of the interested federal executive organs. Nor am I ruling out the possibility of making changes to our country's federal constitutional laws on the state of emergency and martial law. The immediate future will indicate the nature of these changes.

I think that the work of revising the tasks not only of the Armed Forces but also of the entire state military organization in peacetime principal attention should focus its attention on areas such as intelligence and notification, defense and protection of the state border, the communications system, all key elements and facilities in the national infrastructure, as well as preparing forces and systems for operating in emergency situations.

[Dzhibuti] How do you see the military threats to Russia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and is our country's military organization equal to these threats?

[Ivanov] The threat of direct military aggression against Russia today and in the immediate future is not likely. In the wake of the events of 11 September 2001 there has been a thorough reappraisal of the threats and challenges to human civilization worldwide. I think that the recent tragedy at the Moscow Theater Center once again demonstrated not only for Russian citizens but also the whole international community the importance of tackling the problems of international terrorism together and the need to prevent the illegal proliferation of dual-use technologies and the components of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The increase in and galvanization of terrorist activity is considerably increasing the danger posed by the illegal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery vehicles.

The main threat to Russia's security today emanates from the terrorist formations operating in the North Caucasus and in Central Asia. With a view to countering these threats we are cooperating closely with other countries within the framework of the antiterrorist coalition.

Talk of the main military threats would be incomplete without a reference to the United States' withdrawal from the 1972 ABM Treaty as well as the ongoing process of North Atlantic alliance enlargement. These moves in themselves do not pose a direct threat to Russia's national security, however, they do create the preconditions for the system of strategic stability that has taken shape to be upset.

However, the new format in interstate relations within the framework of the Russian-NATO Council is in many respects helping to strengthen world security and stability today. Developing this cooperation, country has an interest in having fuller information about the aims and tasks of alliance expansion and playing an active part in the political decisions adopted by the alliance.

As to whether Russia's military organization is equal to the existing threats, I can say with full responsibility that the country's Armed Forces today ensure the guaranteed performance of the mission of nuclear deterrence at a sufficient level and the combat composition of the general-purpose forces is on the whole capable of performing the task of localizing and neutralizing possible military conflicts in the main strategic sectors. At the same time the threat of international terrorism is necessitating a certain redirection of defense efforts toward the prevention and combating of that threat.

[Dzhibuti] How does the leadership of the military department assess the course of the transformations within the Armed Forces in 2002?

[Ivanov] In 2002 it proved possible to achieve quite a bit. The Defense Ministry in conjunction with interested federal executive organs formulated a draft blueprint for the federal targeted program for a transition to military staffing based primarily on contract servicemen. Within the framework of this project last fall an experiment was begun on the basis of the 76th Guards Airborne Division stationed in the city of Pskov.

Let me also point out the Caspian Flotilla's 2002 training cruise, which was a major event in preparing virtually all elements of the state's military organization for the performance of joint duties. A similar training cruise was also successful in the Baltic Fleet.

Last year a federal targeted program for the reform of military education was formulated and approved and the main principles and mechanism for the realization of a new fully funded [nakopitelnyy] system of housing provision for serviceman were elaborated. A start has been made on the practical monetization of some of servicemen's benefits as well as raising their pay to the level of state employees' wages.

The remittance of Armed Forces funding via Federal Treasury personal accounts is complete, which has made it possible to enhance the effectiveness of the use of budget funds and officials' responsibility for the targeted expenditure of these funds.

In addition the scheduled downsizing of over 100,000 servicemen's posts has been carried out as part of the implementation of the plan for the organizational development and development of the Armed Forces in 2001-2005.

[Dzhibuti] What are your main objectives in 2003?

[Ivanov] The Defense Ministry has specified that the preparations for the transfer of part of the Armed Forces, primarily permanent readiness formations and units, to contract staffing is the top-priority task in 2003. The Blueprint for the federal targeted program for the transition to staffing primarily by means of contract servicemen will be finalized and submitted for Russian Federation Government consideration in the first half of the new year. It will be based on the experience of the experiment conducted at the 76th Guards Airborne Division.

In accordance with the Russian Federation president's instructions large-scale Pacific Fleet exercises will be conducted in August 2003, in which virtually all troops, forces, true formations, and organs stationed in the Far East region as well as manpower and materiel from the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Energy, and the State Committee for Fishing will be involved.

The process of upgrading and systematically bringing the Armed Forces' organizational-staff structure up to the prescribed numerical strength will continue. As part of this process the plan for the transition of the country's Armed Forces, other troops, and troop formations to an interdepartmental (combined) standardized system of rear services support will be put into effect.

The resolution of servicemen's social problems, including those of servicemen to be discharged, will remain one of the priorities. Provision is made for a further increase in serviceman's pay and for it finally to be raised to the level of state employees' wages. There has already been a corresponding increase in rank-related pay 1 January 2003.

We intend to carry out the new decisions regarding the provision of housing for servicemen. This will be carried out both by forming official housing stock and by means of the fully funded system of housing provision for servicemen that has been elaborated.

[Dzhibuti] How is the experiment at the 76th Airborne Division going?

[Ivanov] It began 1 September last year and will go on until October 2003.

We are having to carry out all the measures planned within the framework of the experiment in a short period -- a year -- after which the extent to which the new method of staffing affects a formation's combat and mobilization readiness as well as real outlay on the upkeep of a division of this kind will be determined.

Why one year? Once a paratroop regiment has been 100-percent manned with contract servicemen the personnel have to undergo individual training for the first six months of the training process as well as developing the subunits' teamwork and coordination within a section, platoon, company, or battalion. Over the next six months the readiness of the regiment in question to perform combat missions effectively in the "trouble spots," in this case, in the Chechen Republic, will be really checked out.

The practical experience of the first few months of the experiment illustrates that the actual recruitment of contract servicemen presents a serious problem. The Defense Ministry has been forced to earmark additional funds from in-house sources for a monthly top-up payment of 1,200 rubles to the contract servicemen's pay. Even then there has been no increase in the number of people wanting to serve on contract. Servicemen, primarily enlisted ranks, NCOs, and junior officers have to be prepared to perform their assigned combat mission under various conditions, including conditions that involve risk to life. Today we are concerned that when it comes to sending servicemen to the "trouble spots," they may want to tear up their contract.

Plenty of problems are coming to light in the course of the experiment as with any new difficult business. However I am sure that we will bring it to a successful conclusion within the scheduled timeframe.

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