The Hindu : Russian army to go professional

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 24, 2002

International

International

Russian army to go professional

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW NOV. 23. The Russian Government has approved a blueprint to overhaul the bulky and under funded Russian army into a mobile and well-equipped force capable of tackling new threats and challenges. Under a plan drafted by the Defence Ministry, the long-delayed restructuring of the Russian military from a conscript to a fully professional army will begin in 2004.

The first phase of the reform, to be completed by 2008, will involve transforming 92 units drawn from the ground forces, airborne troops and marines with a total strength of 166,000 men to an all-volunteer core of the armed forces, capable of deploying and engaging in combat on short notice.

``These units will form the foundation of a new, professional army,'' the Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, told reporters after a Government meeting on military reform this week. He could not, however, give a deadline for ending the draft because of a shortage of funds.

A pilot project launched earlier this year to transfer one airborne division from conscript to contract soldiers has been stalled over a lack of volunteers willing to serve for a salary of Roubles 4000 ($130) a month.

The Russian Defence Minister said the armed forces, which currently number slightly more than 1.1 million, a drop of 14 percent this year, will be reduced further, but gave no specific figures.

The conscript army has been blamed for massive hazing, desertions, killings and numerous losses in Chechnya.

A leaner and more mobile army would be more efficient against new threats faced by Russia from separatism, international terrorism and political instability in the former Soviet republics. The reformed armed forces would be able to spend more on weaponry.

At present, 70 per cent of the military budget goes on pay and other current spending, leaving only 30 per cent for weapons.

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