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Posted on 02/09/2007 9:21:24 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Russia's Defense Minister Unveils Plans to Overhaul Military
By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
08 February 2007
Russia has unveiled plans to replace nearly half the army's hardware by 2015. Welcomed by some as a long-overdue necessity, others question whether the plan can really be carried out. VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports.
Sergei Ivanov (file photo) Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov told lawmakers Wednesday the government planned to spend nearly $200 billion on the military upgrade. He said it would allow Russia to maintain its nuclear deterrent, while developing its conventional forces.
Ivanov told lawmakers the plan calls for the purchase of more than 50 new Topol-M missile complexes, 50 new bombers, and 31 ships. He said it also envisions fully re-arming 40 tank, 97 infantry and 50 parachute battalions - a level of purchasing not seen since the Soviet Union's collapse.
Ivanov said Russia's oil revenues now give it the chance to reach what he called, "a qualitatively new level in military procurement." At the same time, Ivanov voiced doubt that Russia's industry could produce the quality weaponry required by the Russian military.
Moscow-based Defense Analyst Pavel Felgenhauer says he shares the minister's concern. He says much of Russia's defense industry was lost following the collapse of the Soviet Union. What remains, he says, is not up to the task of making modern weaponry. Felgenhauer also foresees difficulties with procurement.
Russian military officials look into open silo of an intercontinental ballistic Topol-M missile at an undisclosed location in Russia (2001 photo) "They have grandiose plans of buying lots of new weapons, beginning from ICBM missiles [intercontinental ballistic missiles], to new guns and tanks. But there are problems," he said. "They are not sure what [the] prices will be because the process of procurement in Russia is totally secret, totally closed. Actually, the item prices of items procured are also secret. They are not reported at all to the public, which allows, of course, a lot of corruption."
In addition, Felgenhauer says the Russian military is in the awkward position of having money, but not the means, to buy the material it needs - in large part due to Russia's military doctrine, which forbids the defense ministry from procuring anything from abroad. He says only items made in CIS countries are approved for purchase.
Felgenhauer says this alone could seriously hinder Ivanov's plans.
Despite the substantial projected outlays, Russian President Vladimir Putin says his nation's military budget is 25 times less than that of the United States.
Ping!
Even with their oil, Russia doesn't have the money to pull this off. It is a Putin pipe dream, and it ain't gonna' happen. Sorry Charlie, the USSR is over, and it isn't coming back.
Yawn...at least it's not another "5 year" plan.
NO KIDDING
HEY Tiger hear anything if Vlady want stay over his presidential term and be Tsar Vlady
No, Putin wants to be the first premier of the reunified USSR...
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The only thing is that Russia may meet these goals before 2009. Russia and the rest of the "CIS" is flush with money from oil, weapons, and other undisclosed sources. Also, Russia is doing alot of reverse engineering to get their weapons, and using technology such as plasma stealth on their aircraft.
You didn't happen to bring a couple of photon torpedoes back from Voyager, did you? We might need them.
Tsar Vlady the Vampire.:-)
I thought the Russians had buried the hammer and sickle.
Wait until the Tzar decides it is time to become a Premier, like Stalin...
A gray hammer and sickle is on the flag in the picture above.
It's been a few years since I've seen it displayed.
What do you think, will the fifty new bombers be Tu-164 Blackjack strategic bombers,the new Su-34 tactical bombers, a combination of both, or an entirely new design?
I bet that Putin (Or his sucessor) restores communism and publically says to the Russian people the the collapse of the USSR was a mistake and that he is restoring it.
Reversed engineered B-2 Stealth, or something they can stick plasma stealth to...
Only on certain occasions do they display the sickle and hammer in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Everywhere else, it can be seen flying side by side with the tricolor.
Like the ancient Chinese curse says, "We live in interesting times".
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