Russia approves 65 per cent defence budget increase
The Russian government has approved a 65 per cent increase in the country's defence budget over the next three years as it rushes to upgrade its ageing Soviet-era military machine.
The annual budget will rise from the equivalent of £26 billion this year to
around £43 billion in 2013 with much of the money earmarked for major
hardware and equipment upgrades in the army, navy and air force.
The spending boost is part of an ambitious £276 billion rearmament programme
to re-equip Russia's
conventional forces between now and 2020.
Vladimir Popovkin, Russia's first deputy defence minister, said earlier this
month that the overall programme budget is also being reassessed and could
be boosted to 425 billion pounds in the near future.
Though Russia fought and won a short war against Georgia in 2008, the conflict
exposed how low-tech much of Russia's military machine remained. It has
struggled to manufacture its own unmanned drones, does not possess
state-of-the art battlefields communications systems, and much of its armour
and navy is obsolete.
Analysts forecast the Kremlin will target spending in the next three years on
the navy, the air force and on the space sector. The navy is waiting for a
new batch of nuclear submarines and a new sea-launched ballistic missile,
while much of Russia's Black Sea Fleet needs overhauling.
At the same time, the Kremlin is in the final stages of negotiating to buy two
state-of-the-art helicopter carriers from France that are expected to cost
around £322 million each.
In time, Russia hopes to start manufacturing the same class of ship at its own shipyards. The Russian air force is also due for a major upgrade with up to 120 new fighters and bombers expected to be purchased in the next few years.
Though Russian defence spending remains well below US levels, its drive to rearm is certain to worry countries such as Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that remain sceptical about Russia's foreign policy aims.
In time, Russia hopes to start manufacturing the same class of ship at its own shipyards. The Russian air force is also due for a major upgrade with up to 120 new fighters and bombers expected to be purchased in the next few years.
Though Russian defence spending remains well below US levels, its drive to rearm is certain to worry countries such as Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that remain sceptical about Russia's foreign policy aims.
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