MOSCOW. April 18 (Interfax-AVN) - The manning problem will be the most acute for the Russian Armed Forces from 2005 to 2011, Colonel General Vladislav Putilin, chief of the Armed Forces main mobilization department and deputy chief-of-staff, told a news conference on Thursday.
The period will be noteworthy for a 40-percent decrease in the manning contingent. It will be the lowest point in the demographic decline when the Armed Forces will be manned by only 50 percent," Putilin said.
The problem might be solved if gradual transition to professional army is launched and the so-called mixed manning pattern is adopted.
According to Putilin, professional servicemen are to amount to 100 percent of personnel in permanent readiness and special units, Navy, Air Force, air defense and missile troops. "The transition will cost RUB176bn (USD5.64bn)," Putilin said adding that a serviceman's salary should exceed RUB5,500 (USD176.34) per month.
The deputy chief-of-staff praised the forthcoming adoption of the law on alternative civil service. According to him, those who opt for alternative service might occupy vacant posts in the defense industry enterprises and at Defense Ministry installations. At the same time, the term of such service should be twice longer than that of military service.