VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
“The formation of powerful and effective armed forces is our absolute priority. This is an absolute priority for our state and our national task for many years ahead, at least a decade. In this respect, everything is important – new equipment, modern principles of recruiting and manning and decent social guarantees for army personnel.”
“Not only the defence industry, but the entire Russian economy should be engaged in retrofitting the Army and Navy. Significant resources allocated to state defence programmes should promote qualitative economic growth in our country, stimulate demand for innovations and create tens of thousands of new and modern jobs.”
“In the process of building our defence policy and modernising the Armed Forces, we should keep up with the latest trends in the military sphere. To fall behind these trends means becoming vulnerable and putting at risk our country and the lives of our soldiers and officers. We cannot afford repeating the tragedy of 1941, when a lack of readiness of the state and the Army for war led to the vast loss of human lives.”
“Our goal is to build an Army and a defence industry that will strengthen, not deplete, our national economy, and that is capable of securing Russia’s sovereignty, the respect of its partners and lasting peace.”
“The activities of defence industry enterprises should concentrate on the mass production of high-quality weapons with the highest performance characteristics to meet both current and projected defence challenges. Moreover, it is only the latest weapons and military equipment that will enable Russia to strengthen and expand its foothold in the world arms markets, where the winner is the one who can offer the most advanced designs.”
“In order to really improve this country’s defence capability, we need the world’s best state-of-the-art military equipment, not spending billions and trillions of roubles. It is unacceptable for the army to become a market for morale-sapping obsolescent weapons, technologies and research and development, especially if it is being paid for out of the public purse. That is why we have made our defence plants and design bureaus comply with stringent requirements, have been encouraging competition and investing heavily in the modernisation of the defence industry, advanced technologies and training of specialists.”
“The defence industry, our pride, boasts powerful intellectual and scientific capabilities. But we must also be honest in speaking about the problems that have built up. Russia’s defence research centres and production facilities have been slow to modernise over the last 30 years. In the coming decade, we need to close this gap. We must regain the technological lead in the entire spectrum of modern military technologies. I would like to stress once again that we will put the task of re-equipping the armed forces firmly in the hands of Russia's defence industry and scientific infrastructure.”
“Military Police will be introduced to oversee discipline among the personnel. Public, veteran, religious and human rights organisations should be actively involved in the education of the servicemen and the protection of their rights and interests and for forming a healthy moral environment.”
“Serious changes are planned for military strength acquisition. Currently, 220,000 officers and 186,000 soldiers and sergeants serve under contract. An annual increase of 50,000 service personnel is expected within the next five years. They will serve as sergeants, sergeant majors and military equipment specialists.”
“The rationale behind these changes clearly shows that our objective is to create a fully professional army. At the same time, we need to be aware of the fact that a professional army is expensive. If we continue manning the armed forces with contract personnel and conscripts, we will be compromising between this objective and our national capabilities.”
“The goal for the next decade will be to equip our armed forces with advanced armaments, which have better visibility, higher precision, and faster response times than similar systems used by any potential enemy.”
“We have begun a large-scale programme to re-equip the Army and Navy and other national security forces. Our number one priorities are nuclear forces, aerospace defence, military communications, intelligence and control, electronic warfare, drones, unmanned missile systems, modern transport aviation, individual combat protection gear, precision weapons and defence capabilities against such weapons.”
“We must restore the lost authority of our military institutions and integrate them into the system of military education, just as we are doing in the civilian sector of the economy. Military science must have a decisive influence on the formulation of the goals of the defence industry. Competent procurement mechanisms and the Defence Ministry departments responsible for military orders must ensure the efficient development of technical specifications for the design and production stages, as well as the specifications of weapons and military equipment.”
“Therefore we will maintain the conscript army, a considerable part of it, for now, but it is necessary – especially for high-tech aspects of the Armed Forces, such as aviation, missile defence, the navy, missile equipment in general – to gradually transition to a volunteer military. It is an expensive army, but we need good experts, including graduates not only from military but also from civilian institutes.”
“We are in the midst of changes in the Armed Forces. We want our weaponry and training level to be up to current challenges, so that our military personnel could use modern methods of warfare, if, God forbid, it happens. They are constantly changing in connection with the development of military equipment.”
“First, we should make the most profitable use of the existing stockpiles because old weapons and ammunition contain rare metals and other valuable raw materials that must be competently used. <…>Secondly, and this is particularly important, it is necessary to ensure safe storage and utilisation of old weapons in order to avoid environmental risks, any emergencies, let alone human casualties.”
“First of all, we need to ensure that there are no disruptions in the implementation of long-term running contracts, because any delay in supplies is unacceptable. Secondly, defence-industry companies need to have a clear idea of the requirements that their products must meet, and of how the funding of contracts is going to be arranged. Thirdly, we should ensure efficient spending, trying to avoid extravagant expenditures and overblown estimates. All expenditures should be meticulously justified.”
“Some 750 billion roubles has been allocated this year for the purchase and upgrading of arms and military hardware, as well as for defence-related R&D. This is one and a half times as much as last year. In 2012, we are planning to increase this amount to 880 billion roubles. Never before has the rearmament of Russia’s Army and Navy been financed so liberally.”
“Our main stake, of course, is on Russian enterprises. Our shipbuilding industry should be prepared for the serial production of advanced models of equipment and armaments that conform with all modern requirements and objectives of the Russian Navy. We need the best available equipment at prices that are cost-effective.”
“I am confident that the implementation of this armaments programme, which is unprecedented in terms of its objectives and its allocated resources, will help us carry out a full-scale retrofitting of the Army and the Navy, fundamentally renovate the Naval infrastructure, create strategic Naval nuclear forces comprising fourth-generation submarines, purchase modern surface ships and conduct upgrades and repairs of the existing equipment.”
“And finally all kinds of social benefits. Indeed, the Ministry of Defence proposed and jointly with the Ministry of Finance they did a very meticulous work not to abolish benefits but to put them in order. Well, it sounds like a threat, of course. But what does it mean, putting in order? <…> The amount of benefits does decrease a little in monetary terms <…>, but the salary will increase by 150-200%. For example, a captain, a battalion commander, will see his salary increase from its current 17,600 roubles a month to 66,000 roubles a month. That is a substantial difference.”
“We will index all incomes of servicemen and military pensioners according to inflation, and inflation will not eat up these incomes. We have taken such decision, I think it is even reflected in the law. If it is reflected in the law, any government will have to fulfill it, so the first threat, inflation, is countered with this.”
“The nature of the military and law enforcement service is such that people that have the right to retire are often still fairly young and active – they are in their prime, so to speak. Our task is to help them to get on their feet as civilians, to find a job, and not just any job, but an interesting job with good pay that is in line with their training.”
“As I said, the amount of military pensions should be determined by the recipient’s service record and by his or her contribution to the enhancement of Russia’s capabilities, defence or otherwise. Both military allowances and pensions will be raised starting on January 1, 2012, as part of a welfare reform in the armed forces. I’d like to emphasise that the reform will apply to all military pensioners, regardless of their institutional affiliation. <…> The planned raise will be a considerable one – no less than 50%. Necessary funds have been earmarked in the federal budgets for 2012 and subsequent years. Modern-day Russia has never seen such a large-scale military pension raise before.”
“One of our priorities is to establish a strong basis for innovation in the defence industry. For this reason, we intend to spend some 20% of the funding on research and development.”
“If we want to produce the advanced weapons needed in modern combat operations and ensure that this high level is maintained in the long term, we must consider a modernisation of the defence industry as a whole. We can rely on our strong foundation and our personnel. The weapons produced in our country must be advanced and fully appropriate for our long-term objectives.”
“The industry must be upgraded to produce advanced equipment and weapons that meet the demands of the armed forces in terms of quality and, of course, the price. The Federal Targeted Programme for Russian Defence Industry Development to 2020 is a key instrument to achieve these objectives.”
“In the next five to ten years we must almost completely re-equip our army and navy. We will involve not only our defence enterprises but also our civilian industrial and engineering companies in this effort. I see the increased State Defence Order (SDO) to be a major instrument for upgrading our industrial defence complex and the rest of the national economy.”
“As you know, in addition to the approved armament programme, there is a ‘trillion programme’ – not one trillion but three trillion [roubles] have been invested in the upgrade of the defence industry in order to ensure the security and sovereignty of our motherland for years to come. In the next ten years, we will almost completely re-equip our armed forces. The defence industry received full support from the government in difficult economic times, and it was absolutely the correct decision for the long-term interests of our country.”
“We have so much to show you. This is the first time the forum is displaying pre-production samples of nearly every type of military equipment, not only ground-based weapons. Some of the latest equipment that is very interesting from the technical point of view is on display here. <…> This equipment is a source of pride for Russia and visible proof of our defence industry’s enormous potential – in terms of research, personnel and production.”
“Domestic production is a distinct priority in the supply of weapons to the Russian armed forces. At the same time, this equipment must be cutting edge, advanced and affordable. I would like to stress that it must be affordable for the customer and for the Ministry of Defence, which means it must be affordable for the government.”
“In 2011, an unprecedented amount of funding was allocated towards the purchase and modernisation of equipment, arms, research and development in defence. In modern Russia, we have never set aside this kind of money before: 750 billion roubles in one year! <…>The government expects that this huge sum will be used efficiently in order to improve the performance of the organisations involved in the defence industry and state procurement.”
“We should primarily concentrate on the needs of our armed forces. I mean, it is not the fact that a company exists that is important. It is important that this company produces goods and services that meet modern standards – in the civilian sectors. In the defence sector, it is important that companies supply equipment that would meet the armed forces’ needs and help the country feel confident in the event of any conflict – local or international.”
"Our goal is to execute a comprehensive modernisation of the armed forces. Rather than just equipping a select group of individuals, we need to build a truly efficient and integrated military – in the army, in the navy, and in the air force".
“We need to modernise the defence industry; introduce new technology; attract efficient managers, engineers, and workers; and create strong production facilities that can manufacture quality machinery and equipment on the contract schedule and at a fair and economically justified price.”
“In the Navy, arms are to be renewed and strengthened; a strategic marine nuclear squad is to be formed from fourth-generation nuclear subs; modern surface vessels are to be purchased; and the operational hardware is to be repaired and upgraded. To be able to cope with the challenges of enhancing the country's defence capacity, the Navy must be developed in a level fashion, including the development of strategic nuclear forces alongside general-purpose naval forces.”
“We intend to buy only new, state-of-the-art equipment and not what was designed twenty or even thirty years ago. For this purpose, we made a full inventory of the military industrial complex and specified basic requirements for military production. Of course, we should draft our rearmament plans with regard to the current economic situation and our budget. So, the Ministry of Defence and other state clients of the rearmament programme were asked to prepare detailed calculations and justification for the amount of necessary budget spending for 2011 and the following years.”
“An analysis of the current trends shows that, along with high-precision weapons, aviation, anti-aircraft defence and reconnaissance systems, the world's leading countries are focusing on increasing the capabilities of each individual soldier. Forward-looking combat systems are being developed for infantry. Personal armour is being made more reliable, while small arms ammunition, sights, and detection and reconnaissance systems are becoming more sophisticated. All of this is crucial, especially in special operations, including counterterrorism. I would like to emphasise that our defence industry is currently capable of developing and manufacturing a full range of small arms and close combat weapons”.
"Our main objective must be the radical modernisation of defence production facilities. New Armed Forces are impossible without a new defence industry. We must do everything in our power to eliminate the dangerous disparity between the technological capacity of defence companies and the needs of the Armed Forces, increasing both production quality and volume."
“Fundamental changes are taking place in terms of our armed forces' equipment. During 2008-2009, long-term contracts were concluded for the supply of 130 warplanes. In the current year 2010, 27 aircraft, more than 50 helicopters and five battalions of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems will be purchased by the army. As you see, we are talking about high-volume supplies. Altogether, as laid down in the state armaments programme for the next 10 years, troops are to take delivery of over 1,500 new fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and something like 200 surface-to-air missile systems. As a result, no less than 80% of the air force's aviation equipment will be up-to-date and no less than 75% of its air defence systems will be new, which means a several-fold rise in our armed forces' combat capabilities.”
“The unification of systems currently used remains a pressing task. At the same time, further efforts should be made to improve their combat performance. Careful attention must be paid to the development and mass production of aircraft engines, and to improving the quality of structural materials and electronic chips.”
“The Armed Forces should be equipped with at least 30% modern weaponry by 2015 and at least 70% by 2020. To implement this task, we need to stipulate the relevant allocations. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development have completed calculations, and today we will analyse them. I would like to add that we will not permit excessive or inefficient spending.”
“In accordance with the plan for the development and reform of the Armed Forces, the focus will be on the nuclear deterrence forces and aerospace defence. As I have said, we should supply these forces with cutting-edge communications, control, command and reconnaissance systems, and also complete the fifth-generation aircraft programme and the provision of new warships for the Navy.”
“Trade in arms and special equipment is both a business and an important foreign policy tool. Our approach to trade is carefully weighed. All our work in this area fully meets the obligations Russia has assumed under international agreements. So we should continue our work in the same vein.”
“We increased our sales from $3.7 billion in 2000 to $8.6 billion last year. This means that by engaging in foreign economic trade we have preserved a large number of jobs and contributed considerable resources to the defence sector and, therefore, to its modernisation and development. Today we are cooperating with 85 countries round the world. I hope this is not all that our weapon makers are capable of. We are capable of moving further, to new and promising markets.”
"It is not by pure chance that we have made the development of command, communications and reconnaissance systems one of the priorities of our defence programme, with considerable budget appropriations planned for these purposes. I would like to stress that we need to modernise existing units and systems fundamentally. We must admit that they have become obsolete, with their technological and technical conditions often leaving much to be desired. This is why our short-term objective is to provide the armed forces with new-generation equipment, making a big step forward. I want you to be guided by this objective".
“The state provided significant support to defence companies during the challenging economic situation. As for Energomash, we decided to allocate two billion roubles from the budget to boost the association's share capital. <…> We will increase this allocation to 2.25 billion roubles for the construction of the block of flats. Experts estimate that the cost of building the block of flats will amount to 240 to 250 million roubles.”
"We are trying to consolidate the required assets. Today I signed another executive order, this time allocating 6.5 billion roubles to increase Oboronprom's charter capital so that it can acquire controlling interests in the assets of our leading companies, which in this case means companies in the helicopter and motor industries. Another 2.5 billion roubles have been allocated for them for the same purpose next year. I am referring to the companies in Ufa, Lyubertsy and St Petersburg."
"We should develop long-term re-equipment programmes and adjust them to the objectives of the Armed Forces. And within these programmes, the defence industry should approve plans for modernisation, technological development, research and design, and the serial production of military equipment for the Armed Forces."
"We have held several meetings to discuss the situation in the defence industry lately. We will continue to work on this issue. But it is clear for now that we should not only increase funding. Funding is, of course, very important, but it cannot not solve all the problems. We must significantly increase the quality of the hardware we produce, improve production chains and provide personnel for the defence industry."
