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Russia to modernise armed forces

MOSCOW: Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered a massive upgrade of the armed forces that unmistakably targets the U.S. as Russia’s potential enemy.

He gave military commanders till December to come up with a plan for across-the-board modernisation of the country’s nuclear and conventional forces till 2020 in the light of the recent war with the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

“It is of paramount importance today to make a realistic assessment of the military-political situation in the world and have a clear understanding of potential threats,” said Mr. Medvedev. He added that the war with Georgia, which he earlier described as “Russia’s 9/11,” had lent greater urgency to such a review.

He did not spell out the potential threats to the country’s security, but the sheer scale of the planned overhaul of the military left no doubt that Mr. Medvedev had the West in mind. Russia accused the U.S. and NATO of arming and training the Georgian Army and encouraging Tbilisi to attack South Ossetia last month.

“By 2020 we must have guaranteed nuclear deterrent for various military and political contingencies, and equip troops with new armaments and reconnaissance means,” Mr. Medvedev told top military commanders on Friday after watching the final phase of Russia’s biggest war games since the end of the Cold War.

The Stability-2008 nation-wide manoeuvres involved 47,000 troops and 7,300 pieces of heavy war gear, including aircraft, ships and nuclear missiles.

“We must achieve supremacy in air power, in high-precision land- and sea-strike capability, as well as in fast troop deployment,” said Mr. Medvedev.

He called for building an integrated air and space defence system and large-scale construction of advanced warships, primarily nuclear submarines armed with cruise missiles and multi-purpose submarines.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced a 27-per cent hike in defence spending next year, to $53 billion.

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