Russian Military Reform

A step forward... but no mention of ending conscription...

Interesting! Restore Army Air Force and Air Defense

"In accordance with the plan of activities of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation until 2020 to August 1, the control of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Air Force Command and Air Defense Air Force, members of the four military districts will be reorganized according to the 6 th, 14 th, 11 th and 4 th Army Air Force and Air Defense, "- a spokesman said.

Acheron wrote:

GarryB wrote:A step forward... but no mention of ending conscription...

I hope conscription in some form will always be present in the ranks of the Russian army. Large and trained mobilization pool is one of the most effective means of preventing wars of aggression against one's country. If the proverbial shit hits the fan, having millions of men on hand who have basic training in personal weapons and tactics and who can be readily assigned to reinforce or form divisions/brigades is invaluable.

Exactly, but we had here a guy who advertized that russia must stop conscripts and become a small "professional army" with 500.000 men to be "effecient". He did not want to understand that for Russia or any country that is bigger than some western european countries needs a lot of manpower to keep any aggression away and half a million won't cut it ever.

If the present plans are realized for the 1,000,000 staff RFAF, only 230,000 of those would be conscripts.

Russian Army: Contract Soldiers Outnumber Conscripts First Time in History

Professional soldiers now outnumber their conscript counterparts in the Russian Army, for the first time in Russian history, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told Russian media on Tuesday.

Speaking at a military recruitment center in St. Petersburg, Shoigu explained that this past Saturday, the 300,000th professional soldier signed up for the Russian Army. According to the Defense Ministry, the new record figure is nearly 24,000 soldiers more than the current 276,000 serving as conscripts.

Talking to St. Petersburg resident Pavel Sidorov, who became the 300,000th contract soldier to join the military, General Shoigu noted that "the Russian Army now has more troops from the contract service than from conscription. Gradually, this figure will only increase. We hope that ultimately, the army will become fully professionalized. Good luck to you!"

General Shoigu handed Sidorov a black naval infantry beret, along with an all-season set of field uniforms.

By the end of 2015, the Russian Armed Forces expect to increase the number of soldiers serving under contract to 352,000. By 2020, the Russian Army hopes to raise the number further, to half-a-million. Professionals are already set to replace conscripts in all positions of command authority from the sergeant level by the end of the year, with the government also pushing hard to replace conscripts in the submarine and surface fleets. Most of the country's battalions standing on permanent readiness, as well as special purpose units, are already comprised entirely of professionals.

The Defense Ministry has high hopes for a number of initiatives aimed at attracting educated, quality personnel. This includes a program inviting recent graduates from post-secondary institutions for two years of service as contract soldiers, in the place of 12 months of compulsory service as conscripts. The government also has several programs aimed at enticing servicemen for long term service, offering special subsidized military mortgages for professional soldiers and their families after three years of service.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/20150428/1021491573.html#ixzz3Ydza57jG

TR1 wrote:http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1282949.html

The armed forces is roughly composed of 776,000 personnel.

that is the number of all branches?

TR1 wrote:

George1 wrote:

TR1 wrote:http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1282949.html

The armed forces is roughly composed of 776,000 personnel.

that is the number of all branches?

Only the MOD, but yeah all the main branches within the MOD.

The officer total is closer to 220,000 plus the cadets in the military schools and Warrant Officers.

Putin prioritizes task to keep pace of Armed Forces modernization

The share of modern weapons should reach 32% and 33% in the Army and the Air Force, correspondingly, 40% in the Airborne Troops and over 50% in the Navy and the Aerospace Defense Forces

SOCHI, May 12. /TASS/. A priority task for Russia is to keep pace of its Armed Forces modernization, President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on the development of the defense sector on Tuesday.

"In general, proper fulfillment of my instructions given to the Defense Ministry and specialized departments of the defense and industrial sector has resulted in the build-up of the pace of the army and navy rearmament," Putin said.

"Now the priority task is to keep this pace, promptly resolving the issues referred to joint competences and strictly fulfilling the confirmed schedules and deadlines of deliveries," the Russian president said.

The Russian Armed Forces should reach the planned parameters of their rearmament with modern weaponry by the end of summer, Putin said.

"Their share [of modern weapons] should reach 32% and 33% in the Army and the Air Force, correspondingly, 40% in the Airborne Troops and over 50% in the Navy and the Aerospace Defense Forces," the Russian president said.

Russian air defense systems in demand on global arms market

According to Putin, certain success has been achieved over two years of the armed force development and the discussion of the state defense order fulfilment progress with the military commanders and representatives of the defense industry enterprises. "Optimization of the Russian army’s structure and composition, as well as the weapons systems was launched last year," Putin said. "We have been working on several spheres making progress in each."

According to the president, the newly created modified samples of weapons, military and special equipment will reduce the number of their types. "This means cost cutting for the whole rearmament program," Putin said. "This will also help us cut the costs not only for the maintenance, but also production, and implementation of the concept for the development of the Armed Forces’ automated command and control system will make it possible on a phased basis to improve troops’ control efficiency."

The Russian leader said that this system is designed for the period until 2020.


State defense contract targets are being met

According to the president, practically all of state defense contract targets are being met as expected and the work is rhythmical.

"Practically all state defense contracts are being implemented as expected," Putin said at a conference reviewing progress in the development of the defence-industrial complex. On April 17, the unified military products acceptance day, we were able to see that this work is rhythmical and there is nothing like year-end ‘all hands’ job’," Putin said.

Putin cited statistics indicating that in January-April 2015 the manufacturers had already delivered more than one-third of the expected number of planes and helicopters, drones and air defense systems. Russia’s armour and artillery were being upgraded actively. The Russian armed forces was receiving advanced strategic missile complexes, surface ships and submarines.


Russian Northern Fleet-based troops enhance Arctic security

Vladimir Putin also noted that the body of troops based on the Northern Fleet has enhanced security in the Arctic.

"The formation of the Northern Fleet Strategic Command has enhanced security in the Arctic, promoting modernization of military infrastructure in this region important for Russia," the president said.

The Arctic Joint Strategic Command was launched on December 1, 2014. It was formed on the basis of the Northern Fleet. A Russian Defence Ministry source told TASS previously that a self-sufficient troops group would be formed in the region by 2018. It will comprise, in particular, an air force and antiaircraft defence army the creation of which was announced by Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. In addition, two separate motorised infantry brigades are being formed. The new command, based on the Northern Fleet and headquartered at Severomorsk, will acquire military, naval surface and strategic nuclear subsurface, air force and aerospace defence units, assets, and bases transferred from Russia's Western, Central, and Southern (but not Eastern) Military Districts, with which it will, importantly, be on a par. The creation of the new command was ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 24 November. The Northern Fleet will be absorbed in its entirety into the command, together with substantial elements of the 1st Air Force and Air Defence Command.

The new Training Center that the Germans had been building in Mulino has opened for business without their help.
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redstar.ru%2F&sandbox=1

bmpd reporting the creation soon of the 1st Tank Army to go with the other planned changes to the Western Command and the 20th Army.
http://bmpd.livejournal.com/1324525.html