Russia adds naval and air force hardware as Putin orders creation of reserve army

Chicago Chronicle Sunday 19th July, 2015

russia adds naval and air force hardware as putin orders creation of reserve army

• Putin orders development of 5,000-strong reserve force

• Part of broader US $356-billion military upgrade program

• Putin aims to thoroughly modernize military by 2020

MOSCOW, Russia - Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a new reserve armed force to be created to improve training and military readiness at a time of increased tensions with the West over Ukraine.

The new reserve force has been in discussion for several years and was first ordered by Putin in 2012 shortly after his re-election as President, with the latest decree published late on Friday.

The new force will be distinct from Russia's existing military reserves as the part-time personnel will be paid a monthly sum and train regularly.

Russia already has several million military reservists consisting of ex-servicemen, but they undertake little training as the number of times they can be called up is restricted.

Russian Defence Ministry officials have previously suggested that the new reserve force would consist of around 5,000 men to begin initially, a small figure in a country with around 750,000 frontline troops.

The creation of the new reserve force had been delayed by a lack of financing, according to Russian media reports, which said Putin had ordered the government to "find financing" for the new force from the existing defense ministry budget.

This order comes amid an ongoing effort by Putin to modernize Russia's military by 2020. The Russian Air Force recently received new orders of upgraded Su-34 bombers and Su-35S fighters. The aircraft shipments were a direct result of Russian President Vladimir Putin's plan to overhaul the Russian military by the end of the decade.

The Russian Air Force reportedly will receive a total of 126 new aircraft in 2015 and the Russian Navy is investing in two new submarines, one of which is being described by the head of Russia's state-owned shipbuilding corporation as a "carrier killer".

The second submarine will be designed to protect Russian ballistic submarines from enemy attack. The Navy's building program is part of Putin's broader US $356-billion military upgrade program, intended to run through 2020.

 

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