SEVEROMORSK. July 7 (Interfax-AVN) - Submarines will become the first professional units in the Northern Fleet, after which the marines will also become all-volunteer, Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Gennady Suchkov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"We plan the whole submarine fleet will be professional by 2005. Now there are conscripts on the submarines. In 2004 they should either become professionals to stay to serve on the submarines or be transferred to surface ships or to other units," Suchkov said.
As to the marines, the admiral noted, "these units will become professional a little later, about 2006."
"As a whole, the Northern Fleet has begun to transit to volunteer service. For that we have got into contact with regional commissioners' offices and regional governors, especially those patronizing the units and ships of the fleet," the admiral said.
With its Project 941 Akula (Typhoon), Project 667 BDRM Delphin (Delta-4) and Project 667 BDR Kalmar (Delta-3) SSBNs, the fleet operates the most powerful submarine force in the Russian Navy.