ALREADY IN 2008, 70% OF THE PERSONNEL OF THE RUSSIAN ARMED FORCES WILL CONSIST OF CONTRACT SERVICEMEN
Nikolai Sviridov

Source: Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer, No. 34, September 06-12, 2006, p. 7
Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
September 11, 2006 Monday

To Raise Competitiveness Of The Military Profession

Senior Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Belousov Speaks On
Rearming The Russian Army And Transition To Contract Basis; In June,
Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer (see issue No. 22) published an interview
with Senior Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General Alexander Belousov.

In June, Voenno-Promyshlenny Kuryer (see issue No. 22) published
an interview with Senior Deputy Defense Minister Colonel General
Alexander Belousov. The interview was dedicated to combat training
and building the Armed Forces, as well as strengthening the training
material and technical basis and creation of an inter-branch system
of training the Armed Forces. The interview caused big interest.

Readers ask with which means of armed struggle will our soldiers
and officers be supplied by that time, how will the institution of
contractors and legislative base develop? The Senior Deputy Defense
Minister agreed to continue the started conversation.

Question: We have talked to you mostly about results of combat
training, its support with the necessary means and re-equipment of
the training material and technical base. Which armament and combat
hardware are already being supplied or will be supplied in the near
future to the Armed Forces?

Belousov: By the end of the current year the Ground Forces will
receive approximately 30 new T-90 tanks. This is almost an entire tank
battalion. The troops will also receive more than 180 modernized T-80
and T-72 tanks. I emphasize that with good modernization they will
serve for a long time and will comply with the highest requirements.

More than 40 BMP-3 were ordered for 2006. The troops will also receive
350 modernized BMP-2 and BMP-3 vehicles. The troops will also receive
more than 100 new armored personnel carriers BTR-90 and BTR-80 and
approximately 170 modernized armored personnel carriers.

The Armed Forces started receiving the missile system Iskander to
replace Tochka-U. Almost in 20 years Tochka-U exhausted its service
life. The Airborne Forces will receive approximately 90 modernized
BMD-2 and BMD-3 vehicles.

Modernization costs the state much less than manufacture of new
vehicles, although the modernization is very serious. For example,
it is possible to say that armored personnel carriers have only bodies
left. New powerful diesel engines and other equipment are mounted on
them. In principle, such armored personnel carrier does not differ
from BTR-80 or BTR-90.

Much more new automobiles will be purchased and received. These are
4,500 automobiles on standardized bases of Ural and KamAZ and 500
modernized Ural and KamAZ automobiles.

This year, in the Air Force it is planned to modernize about 50
frontline airplanes Su-24, Su-25, Su-27 and MiG-29 and 20 air defense
systems. Approximately 100 missiles are ordered for them. It is also
planned to buy ten new helicopters Mi-28N and Ka-50.

As you already know, five regiments have been already been rearmed
with the new mobile missile system Topol-M in the Strategic Missile
Forces. One more regiment of the ground-based Topol-M systems will
be put on combat duty by the end of 2006. Incidentally, this system
is made in Russia entirely.

Question: In 2008, conscripts will serve in the Armed Forces for one
year. Will approaches for organization of combat training change
because of this? First of all, I mean contract servicemen because
the main burden will be laid on them.

Belousov: For which standards are we striving? By 2008, our army should
become professional by two-thirds. This means that professionals will
consist 70% and conscripts will consist of 30% of its strength. This
process will go on further. Hence, we tested a special program for
training contract servicemen. For a year we tested it in the 42nd
division but finally had to give it up. Why?

Due to some peculiarities it should be of one-year cycle. This
means that training period should amount to one year and should
not be less (now it amounts to half a year). The period starts from
single training and ends with training of a battalion. However, this
circumstance implies the relevant manning with personnel and its 100%
participation in the training process. It is impossible to achieve
this everywhere yet.

In a few years when the professional army is settled down it will be
possible to transit to a one-year training cycle. Now, I think, it is
too early to do this because so far there is a very big percentage of
resigning contract servicemen. This system will start working fully
only when contract servicemen start serving for two or three terms.

This is the optimal scenario. Now not all servicemen serve until the
end of even the first contract and resign. Why? Some servicemen choose
military service not as vocation but as a possibility of temporary
additional earning. This motive forms psychology of temporary laborers.

Thus, in my opinion the contract system as such has not started working
in full force yet. As long as it does not start working we cannot
expect high results. In any case, I understand that this is directly
connected with attractiveness and prestige of military service and
competitiveness of the military profession on the labor market. This
is a long process. For contract servicemen it is necessary to create
the necessary conditions not only for service but also for life. One
of the basic ones is granting housing, not a separate apartment but
at least a family hostel. Then men having families will come to the
army and this will serve as a powerful stabilizing factor.

Question: A painful issue is training junior commanders. It seems
that sergeants are trained in the troops normally but the problem
remains. What is the matter?

Belousov: All sergeants will be only contract servicemen.

The Ground Forces alone will need 45,000 sergeants. That is why
implementation of this program will take many years. At any rate,
it is necessary to move on this path. With this proposal the Defense
Minister addressed the President. Other proposals were also worked out
for settlement of the problems of strengthening military discipline,
law and order in the Armed Forces. As we know, the President has
agreed with him. Now everything is at the stage of consideration.

Question: Many exercises were already held this year including
the international ones. In which international exercises will our
servicemen participate by the end of the year?

Belousov: There are very many of them and there is no need to
mention them all. Moreover so that the term of their organization
may be corrected. Among them is Russian-American exercise from
Olrgau series. It will be held in the Moscow Military District on
the territory of the Gorokhovets training range. We will evidently
take part in the exercise in the Baltic Sea named Baltops, which will
be dedicated to interaction of ships of multinational forces. Joint
exercise with units and formations of the Russian Armed Forces will be
held in Armenia. The Northern Fleet will interact with the US Navy in
the Barents Sea. There will be a joint antiterrorist exercise of the
armies of Russia and Uzbekistan. There will also be Russian-French
staff command exercise at the brigade level and exercise of special
units of Russian Airborne Forces and American commandos.