LONDON, October 20 (AVN) - This year's Military Balance reference book has been presented in London paying serious attention to the issues of Russian military reform, a source in the International Institute for Strategic Studies told the Military News Agency.
According to expert estimation, after 10 years of decline, absence of attention from the political elite the Russian Armed Forces have found a follower of a radical military reform in President Vladimir Putin. Although overall changes are complicated by the continuing war in Chechnya that is not only exhausting the economic and military resource of the country, but also is gradually loosing public support.
Apart from that the foreign researchers note that the Russian military reform is not only braked by limit of economic resources but also by the lack of professional officers who can realise the strategy of radical Armed Forces reform.
The experts note the steps of Vladimir Putin towards forming a new crew for implementing his plans of the reform. It is the strengthening of the role of the Security Council headed by Sergei Ivanov in developing the programme of the military reform and monitoring its realisation. Thus the responsibility for the reform is laid off from the General Staff to the political structure that includes representatives of different ministries and departments and that reports to the president.
The experts are also analysing the recent open confrontation between RF Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev and Chief-of-Staff Anatoly Kvashnin.