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Agency WPS
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 15, 2004, Wednesday
BUILDING THE ARMY OF THE XXI CENTURY
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, December 11, 2004, p.1, 4
by Aleksei Ventslovsky
On December 10, Russia(tm)s Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met with
defense officials and diplomats accredited to Moscow. The meeting was
held in the Academy of the General Staff. The minister outlined the
major lines and priorities for defense construction in view of the
current international situation.
The priority tasks the minister named for the armed forces include
maintaining a nuclear potential enough to deter aggression and
improve the capacities of permanent combat readiness units. Mr.
Ivanov stressed that Russia makes a point of observing all previously
signed and confirmed international agreements.
In the minister's words, the five-year defense schedule will be
completed in 2005 though there is ongoing work around drafting
conceptual documents related to this topical issue. The minister paid
particular attention to the concept of defense construction for the
period until 2021, the Scheme of the Russian Army's construction and
development for the period until 2016, the national armaments program
for the period until 2015, the federal program of establishing
defense facilities across the country for the period until 2025.
The minister also pointed out that the Russian armed forces are
prepared to carry out preventive strikes on terrorist bases in any
place of the world and they will not use nuclear weapons at that.
According to the minister, currently there are up to 200 foreign
mercenaries in Chechnya, but there is no need for the all-out
presence of the armed forces in the republic as the law-enforcement
agencies and the special services backed by the forces deployed on
the permanent basis in the region are capable of counteracting
terrorists by themselves.
In the minister's words, the strategic missile forces are being
re-equipped with the silo-based Topol-M missile system according to
schedule. The testing of the mobile version of the system and marine
missile system of the new generation "Bulava" is equally successful.
Besides, in the following year the Navy will adopt a nuclear
submarine of the fourth generation "Yury Dolgoruky and the air forces
will adopt two Tu-160 bombers. "A great amount of new and upgraded
defense hardware will also be supplied to the general forces," Sergei
Ivanov reported. "It is mostly meant for permanent combat readiness
troops. On the whole, meeting the main priorities will make it
possible to establish armed forces that would be able to cope with
the challenges of the XXI century.
Sergei Ivanov made a point of international issues. As he put it,
"whether we want it or not, the armed forces remain the common tool
for achieving political goals and are a very effective means of
combating global security threats, primarily terror and weapons of
mass destruction. The minister emphasized that Russia prefers to use
political, diplomatic and other non-military ways to observe and
protect its interests though it admits it has to possess enough arms
in order to make this protection effective.
The minister observed that participation of Russian battleships in
the NATO Mediterranean Operation Active Endeavor is supposed to
promote the integration of Russia into Europe. We plan to regularly
spare one or two battleships for the operation and a support vessel
from the Black Sea Navy," he observed. In 2005, this period will
cover three months and in the years to come it may change depending
on the situation and conditions for the operation."
Regarding the relations between the CIS states Sergei Ivanov remarked
that in 2006 the Russian border troops will pass the authority over
the Tajik-Afghan section of the border to the Tajik forces. However,
the republic(tm)s defense forces can always count on support of the
Russian military base in Tajikistan and a special border defense task
force of Russia's Federal Security Service that is being established
there at the moment," he said. It should be mentioned that apart from
Tajikistan, the Russian troops maintain a presence in Georgia,
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. These troops are equally important for
security of Russia as well as Collective Security Treaty
member-states and the CIS on the whole.
Sergei Ivanov also spoke for establishing a joint Russia-Georgian
body for collaboration in counteracting terrorism. "We might propose
to the Georgian side to set up a counter-terror analytical center on
the basis of the Group of Russia Forces headquarters in Transcaucasia
which is situated in Tbilisi, he said. In Batumi, we can set up a
training center for counter-terror operations on sea and transport
communications. In Akhalkalaki, it is possible to set up a training
center for frontier troops and the emergency ministry staff on the
basis of the 62nd Russian military base.
At the close of the meeting the defense minister answered the
questions of foreign military diplomats.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
DEFENSE and SECURITY (Russia)
December 15, 2004, Wednesday
BUILDING THE ARMY OF THE XXI CENTURY
SOURCE: Krasnaya Zvezda, December 11, 2004, p.1, 4
by Aleksei Ventslovsky
On December 10, Russia(tm)s Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met with
defense officials and diplomats accredited to Moscow. The meeting was
held in the Academy of the General Staff. The minister outlined the
major lines and priorities for defense construction in view of the
current international situation.
The priority tasks the minister named for the armed forces include
maintaining a nuclear potential enough to deter aggression and
improve the capacities of permanent combat readiness units. Mr.
Ivanov stressed that Russia makes a point of observing all previously
signed and confirmed international agreements.
In the minister's words, the five-year defense schedule will be
completed in 2005 though there is ongoing work around drafting
conceptual documents related to this topical issue. The minister paid
particular attention to the concept of defense construction for the
period until 2021, the Scheme of the Russian Army's construction and
development for the period until 2016, the national armaments program
for the period until 2015, the federal program of establishing
defense facilities across the country for the period until 2025.
The minister also pointed out that the Russian armed forces are
prepared to carry out preventive strikes on terrorist bases in any
place of the world and they will not use nuclear weapons at that.
According to the minister, currently there are up to 200 foreign
mercenaries in Chechnya, but there is no need for the all-out
presence of the armed forces in the republic as the law-enforcement
agencies and the special services backed by the forces deployed on
the permanent basis in the region are capable of counteracting
terrorists by themselves.
In the minister's words, the strategic missile forces are being
re-equipped with the silo-based Topol-M missile system according to
schedule. The testing of the mobile version of the system and marine
missile system of the new generation "Bulava" is equally successful.
Besides, in the following year the Navy will adopt a nuclear
submarine of the fourth generation "Yury Dolgoruky and the air forces
will adopt two Tu-160 bombers. "A great amount of new and upgraded
defense hardware will also be supplied to the general forces," Sergei
Ivanov reported. "It is mostly meant for permanent combat readiness
troops. On the whole, meeting the main priorities will make it
possible to establish armed forces that would be able to cope with
the challenges of the XXI century.
Sergei Ivanov made a point of international issues. As he put it,
"whether we want it or not, the armed forces remain the common tool
for achieving political goals and are a very effective means of
combating global security threats, primarily terror and weapons of
mass destruction. The minister emphasized that Russia prefers to use
political, diplomatic and other non-military ways to observe and
protect its interests though it admits it has to possess enough arms
in order to make this protection effective.
The minister observed that participation of Russian battleships in
the NATO Mediterranean Operation Active Endeavor is supposed to
promote the integration of Russia into Europe. We plan to regularly
spare one or two battleships for the operation and a support vessel
from the Black Sea Navy," he observed. In 2005, this period will
cover three months and in the years to come it may change depending
on the situation and conditions for the operation."
Regarding the relations between the CIS states Sergei Ivanov remarked
that in 2006 the Russian border troops will pass the authority over
the Tajik-Afghan section of the border to the Tajik forces. However,
the republic(tm)s defense forces can always count on support of the
Russian military base in Tajikistan and a special border defense task
force of Russia's Federal Security Service that is being established
there at the moment," he said. It should be mentioned that apart from
Tajikistan, the Russian troops maintain a presence in Georgia,
Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. These troops are equally important for
security of Russia as well as Collective Security Treaty
member-states and the CIS on the whole.
Sergei Ivanov also spoke for establishing a joint Russia-Georgian
body for collaboration in counteracting terrorism. "We might propose
to the Georgian side to set up a counter-terror analytical center on
the basis of the Group of Russia Forces headquarters in Transcaucasia
which is situated in Tbilisi, he said. In Batumi, we can set up a
training center for counter-terror operations on sea and transport
communications. In Akhalkalaki, it is possible to set up a training
center for frontier troops and the emergency ministry staff on the
basis of the 62nd Russian military base.
At the close of the meeting the defense minister answered the
questions of foreign military diplomats.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress