#15 - RW 270
Trud
August 19, 2003
THE TRIUMPH IS NEARLY INVISIBLE
What weapons are Russian soldiers supposed to use?
An update on implementation of the program of rearmament
Author: Vladimir Gavrilov, Sergei Ischenko
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

THE WEAPONS THAT ARE PROCURED FOR THE ARMY DO NOT COMPENSATE FOR WHAT IS LOST IN HOSTILITIES IN THE CAUCASUS, AND THIS STATE OF AFFAIRS HAS LASTED FOR YEARS. IN ORDER TO REARM THE MILITARY BY 2015, WE HAVE TO GIVE IT AT LEAST 5% OF THE WEAPONS IT NEEDS EVERY YEAR.

The state program of rearmament, all 43 volumes of it, has been endorsed by the president of Russia. The program is to last until 2010. According to its authors, the nation's needs for modern weapons and military hardware are calculated "to the last plane, tank, and ship". Substantial funding is to be invested in military research over the next seven or eight years. Combat capacities of the existing military hardware are to be upgraded by means of relatively cheap modernization. By 2005, the state intends to activate the plants and factories to assemble and manufacture what military designers would have come up with.

What do we actually have? In 2001, state arms procurement amounted to 53 billion rubles and was implemented in full. The 2002 state defense order was raised to 80 billion rubles and was implemented as well. This year's budget allocated 119.8 billion rubles for state arms procurement - but only 112 billion rubles has actually materialized. This is odd, particularly against the background of glowing reports for the Finance Ministry about the implementation of major parameters of the state budget.

It wouldn't hurt to give some thought to plans for 2004. Research and procurement are supposed to get 188.8 billion rubles. Washington's withdrawal from the ABM Treaty of 1972 will cost Russia at least 3.5 billion rubles. Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexei Moskovsky says that the military will actually get much less than that.

Analysts of the Defense Ministry say that "postponing some tasks within the program may lead to its uncontrollable breakdown." The weapons that are procured for the army do not compensate for what is lost in hostilities in the Caucasus, and this state of affairs has lasted for years. In order to rearm the military by 2015, we have to give it at least 5% of the weapons it needs every year. That means colossal spending, at least 300 billion rubles a year. Finding the money is difficult - but it is either finding it or scrapping the program altogether.

In the three years of existence of the program the Armed Forces received 280 brand-new items. The Space Force is particularly lucky. In 2002, it received six satellites and as many boosters. Eight satellites are expected this year and twelve (with boosters to match) in 2004.

The rest of the Armed Forces are worse off. The future of the widely publicized S-400 Triumph air defense system is problematic now. State tests of the system were successfully completed last month. The system leaves the vaunted American Patriot far behind, and the army hoped to get some S-400s at last. Even Air Force Commander Colonel General Mikhailov expressed the hope the other day. All of a sudden, Moskovsky turned out to have a different opinion. Moskovsky believes that serial production of the S-400 should be organized only when a new missile for it has been designed. For the time being, the Triumph launches missiles designed for its predecessor, the S-300. No one can say when the new missile is to be ready, since the program of rearmament itself is under-funded.

The situation in the Navy is similar. Plans of the Defense Ministry include construction of four nuclear submarines of the Yuri Dolgoruky class (Project 955) by 2010. The submarines are to be the quietest in the world. Construction of the first such submarine in Severodvinsk has been underway since 1996...

Moskovsky promises that the work on new weapons and military hardware will continue, slowly or not.

The Defense Ministry is so pressed for funding that it is permitted to make barter deals now. To be more exact, it is permitted to turn over to industry any military hardware for which the service lifetime is about to expire. Turn over five old engines - and get two brand-new ones in return. The Defense Ministry will try to make such deals this year. It hopes to make 6.3 billion rubles worth of deals in 2004. This will concern aviation equipment, armored vehicles, and artillery gear. All this will be bartered and modernized. In line with the program, the troops are already getting some aircraft with old bodies but new electronics (between five and ten aircraft a year).

Will it solve the problem? Yuri Rodionov, Deputy Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Duma, describes the condition of military hardware in the Armed Forces as critical.

(Translated by A. Ignatkin)

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