The Russian armed forces will receive new digital communications systems worth $10bn by 2012, chief of the Russian general staff Nikolai Makarov has said.

“It is necessary to have a technical base for resolving military tasks. It is communication that must be turned digital. We are currently working on it. We should resolve these tasks by 2012,” he said.

One of the main projects in the modernisation of the armed forces is creating a new tactical control system, according to RIA Novosti.

The armed forces digital communication programme is part of the Russian Defence Ministry’s draft arms procurement programme until 2020.