ID :
21537
Sat, 09/27/2008 - 16:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/21537
The shortlink copeid
Russia to upgrade nuclear deterrent by 2020
Vinay Shukla
Moscow, Sept 27 (PTI) With the recent five-day Georgia
war highlighting its aging arsenal, Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev has ordered to upgrade the former Communist country's
nuclear deterrent and equip the armed forces with latest
weapons by year 2020.
"A system of guaranteed nuclear deterrent for various
military and political circumstances must be in place by
2020," Medvedev Friday told top military commanders in the
course of a major military drill close on Russia's border with
Central Asia.
Medvedev underscored that Russia would modernise its
nuclear force and military on a priority basis in view of the
August conflict with Georgia.
"We must ensure air superiority, precision strikes at
land and sea targets, timely deployment of troops. We are
planning to launch large-scale production of warships,
primarily, nuclear submarines with cruise missiles and
multi-purpose attack submarines," Medvedev said.
"We will also build an air and space defence network," he
added.
Addressing the military top brass at Donguz firing ground
in Orenburg region in the course of Centre-2008 drill part of
the massive Stability-2008 wargames to protect the industrial
assets of the central Russia, Medvedev ordered to prepare an
action plan by December.
The move comes after widespread criticism of Russia's
military campaign in Georgia last month when the army failed
to deploy its smart weapons.
The new military doctrine aims to transform the armed
forces into a mobile and effective military force. Their
structures will be 'optimized' through the use of combined
arms units performing similar tasks.
The government daily 'Rossiskaya Gazeta' recently wrote
that although the Russian arsenals were full of Krasnopol
laser-guided precision shells, the army lacked personnel
trained to use them in actual combat in Georgia.
Also, instead of deploying modern fighter-bombers like
Su-27 and MiG-29s, the air force pressed into action vintage
Su-24 bombers good only for daylight carpet bombing and
causing collateral damage.
Under the modernisation programme, the Russian armed
forces will be further cut to one million personnel by 2013,
but the transition from conscription to a fully professional
army will not happen at least until 2030.
Moscow, Sept 27 (PTI) With the recent five-day Georgia
war highlighting its aging arsenal, Russian President Dmitry
Medvedev has ordered to upgrade the former Communist country's
nuclear deterrent and equip the armed forces with latest
weapons by year 2020.
"A system of guaranteed nuclear deterrent for various
military and political circumstances must be in place by
2020," Medvedev Friday told top military commanders in the
course of a major military drill close on Russia's border with
Central Asia.
Medvedev underscored that Russia would modernise its
nuclear force and military on a priority basis in view of the
August conflict with Georgia.
"We must ensure air superiority, precision strikes at
land and sea targets, timely deployment of troops. We are
planning to launch large-scale production of warships,
primarily, nuclear submarines with cruise missiles and
multi-purpose attack submarines," Medvedev said.
"We will also build an air and space defence network," he
added.
Addressing the military top brass at Donguz firing ground
in Orenburg region in the course of Centre-2008 drill part of
the massive Stability-2008 wargames to protect the industrial
assets of the central Russia, Medvedev ordered to prepare an
action plan by December.
The move comes after widespread criticism of Russia's
military campaign in Georgia last month when the army failed
to deploy its smart weapons.
The new military doctrine aims to transform the armed
forces into a mobile and effective military force. Their
structures will be 'optimized' through the use of combined
arms units performing similar tasks.
The government daily 'Rossiskaya Gazeta' recently wrote
that although the Russian arsenals were full of Krasnopol
laser-guided precision shells, the army lacked personnel
trained to use them in actual combat in Georgia.
Also, instead of deploying modern fighter-bombers like
Su-27 and MiG-29s, the air force pressed into action vintage
Su-24 bombers good only for daylight carpet bombing and
causing collateral damage.
Under the modernisation programme, the Russian armed
forces will be further cut to one million personnel by 2013,
but the transition from conscription to a fully professional
army will not happen at least until 2030.
