Russia To Re-Equip Forces by 2015

The Russian Army will be provided with at least 30% new armaments by 2015, according to President Dmitry Medvedev.

Medvedev said that the share of new arms in permanent-readiness units and formations should reach 30% by 2015, according to Itar Tass news agency.

"The ratio of manpower and equipping costs in the future should be 30 to 70," he said.

"First of all it is necessary to invest in the modernisation of the armed forces and replace obsolete machinery with new arms, including digital and modern effective communication systems, by 2012."

Russia plans to invest about R1,000bn ($31.7bn) in serial production of new arms in the next three years, according to deputy head of the Military Industrial Commission Vladislav Putilin.

As per the investment plan, the Russian Government will purchase over 30 Iskander missiles, 48 combat planes, six unmanned aircraft, over 60 helicopters, 14 ships, 300 tanks and 52,000 vehicles.

During the next three years, Russia will adopt a total of 400 new systems and pieces of hardware, while 1,500 research and developmental works will be carried out under government defence contracts of which 487 samples of hardware and arms will go for testing.