Russia last week completed its major “Stability – 2008” rehearsal with the launch of three intercontinental ballistic launches. The rehearsal came, perhaps not coincidently, at the same time as Russian Defence Minister Anatolii Serdyukov announced his grand plans for the reorganization of the Armed Forces. The Russian Armed Forces are to be trimmed significantly, with the professionalization of manpower, a sharp decrease in the number of officers and generals, as well as with the acquisition of new hardware.
Many foreign analysts are however not alarmed by the increased military training activity level, nor by the reorganization of the forces. On the contrary, many see the investments as part of an overdue modernization and that Russia now is developing a force that can actually defend the nation’s interests.
According to President Dmitrii Medvedev Russia will be year 2020 construct new types of warships and an unspecified air and space defense system. Military spending is to be increased by 26 percent in 2009, bringing it to 1.3 trillion RUB, its highest level since the collapse of the Soviet Union — but still a small fraction of American as well as European military spending.
Also the Pentagon appears to be relatively relaxed on the Russian military developments. When asked to assess what seemed to be a Russian resurgence, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have provided a sanguine response, the International Herald Tribute reports. The Russian military fell to third world standards from neglect and budget cuts in the turbulent years when Boris Yeltsin was president, they say. The new Kremlin leadership is working to create a force that can actually defend the nation’s interests, the newspaper writes.
Russia’s growing economy and it increased activity level in global politics is quite naturally followed by more military spending and modernization. Instead of being alarmed by the stronger Russian military, Western politicians and officials should rather work to step up security and military cooperation with a more well-functioning and organized Russia.
BarentsObserver editorial, 20 October 2008
