Published: 12/12/1997

In the middle of this year, newly-appointed Russian defence minister Igor Sergeyev submitted to President Yeltsin a rough programme for Russian Armed Forces re-structuring up to the year 2005. Based on this, the President signed on 16 July a decree "About high-priority measures on reforming the Armed Forces and improving their structure". This programme calls for creation of a modern military power, highly-mobile and compact. It would have three major forces instead of the five now. Currently, the Russian Armed Forces consist of the Land Forces (SV), Navy (VMF), Strategic Missile Force (RVSN), Air Force (VVS) and Air Defence Force (PVO). Moreover, there are two "smaller forces", being the Paratroops Force (VDV) and Space Forces (VKS). As a first step in decreasing the number of forces, it is planned - by the end of this year - to unite the Strategic Missile Force with the Space Forces and hand over the Space Defence Troops from the Air Defence Force to the Strategic Missile Force. The next step planned for next year is to unite the Air Force with the Air Defence Force. In the future (by 2005) the Air Force would merge with the Strategic Missile Force. In 1991, the last year of the USSR, the Soviet Air Force consisted of 20 air armies, 38 divisions and 211 regiments with over 10,000 combat aircraft in the inventory. Russia, being the biggest republic in the former USSR, inherited roughly 6,000 aircraft. Today, the Russian Air Force has less than 4,500 combat aircraft. VVS commander Gen Piotr Deinekin says that in comparison with the Soviet Air Force of 1991 the number of servicemen in the Russian Air Force of 1997 is three times lower. Deinekin says that the Aviation of Air Defence Force, which consists of interceptors tasked with protection of the home territory, will remain independent in the Air Force structure. According to Deinekin, a new structure of the Air Force will allow it to achieve better co-ordination of actions between SAM units and fighter aviation. Furthermore, it would allow it to make better use of front-line aviation (and the MiG-29-series fighters in particular) in acting against both aerial and ground targets. In an interviewwith Izbestiya newspaper, Igor Sergeyev admitted difficulties with uniting the Air Force and Air Defence Force. Trying to overcome these, Sergeyev appointed himself chairman of the uniting commission, in order to act as a referee between Piotr Deinekin and PVO commander Victor Prudnikov. What form a proposed merger of the Air Force and the Strategic Missile Force would take remains uncertain. After the drastic cuts in the number of strategic missiles, as a direct result of US/Soviet and US/Russian disarmament agreements, the RVSN has become the most modern and compact component in the Russian Armed Forces, remaining the most powerful in terms of destruction capability. Newly-appointed RVSN head, Col Gen Vladimir Yakovlev, says that to be more controllable, the Force is being cut by a further 10-15%. Simultaneously, RVSN is being re-armed with new types of missiles (the Topol-M single-warhead solid-propellant ballistic missiles on wheeled self-propelled launchers) and fire control systems. Ex-commander of RVSN, Igor Sergeyev believes that the proposed integration of RVSN and VKS into one structure will increase their combat effectiveness by 20%. "United, these are like an ancient warrior with the sword in one hand, shield in the other and one head to control both of them", he said. In financial terms, Sergeyev continues, the integration would allow us to save Rbs1.115bn of budgetary money by optimisation of the command, logistics and personnel training structure. According to this year's decision of President Yeltsin, the defence budget must not exceed 3.5% of Russia's gross national product (GNP). To match the financial abilities of the country, the overall number of servicemen in the Armed Forces is to be reduced to 1.2 million by the turn of the century. (DF1297.4) (VK)  

Article ID: 109