MOSCOW. July 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Civilian control over the Armed Forces should be the main component of the military reform in Russia, Vladimir Dvorkin, head of the Center of Strategic Nuclear Forces Problems, said on Tuesday.
"The program of partial transition to professional service is an important, but very small element of the military reform, because establishment of civilian control over the Armed Forces should be the essence of the changes. In addition, principles of army and defense industry restructuring or upgrade should be elaborated and priorities set," Dvorkin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The program of transition to professional service recently approved by the government is only an element of the military reform, he stressed.
According to Dvorkin, the program contains no rationalization of its deadlines. "Why is the deadline set at 2008? Why is only a part of troops switched over to professional service, and why before 2008 again? Why cannot it be done earlier? There is no rationalization. I consider the program unfounded, because it is absolutely irrational to delay the issue until 2008," he said.
The work should be done "within two years, maybe even earlier, but no way later," the expert noted.
Speaking about the body that should work out military policy, Dvorkin mentioned the Security Council, but argued that it does not exercise its functions. "In the U.S., the National Security Council is doing the job. Our Security Council should elaborate and submit to the president the development program for the Armed Forces and the entire military policy, because military policy is not the army alone, but also the entire defense industry. I cannot say that the Security Council is elaborating the policy in full and on the required quality level," he stressed.