MOSCOW. Nov 26 (Interfax-AVN) - About 70% of Russian servicemen, including commissioned and non-commissioned officers, will have signed military contracts by 2007, Colonel General Vasily Smirnov, head of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate and deputy chief of staff, said during a government hour at the Federation Council.
"At the present time a total of 130,000 enlisted volunteers serve in the Russian Armed Forces, which equals almost 50% of the total strength, should commissioned and non-commissioned officers be taken into consideration," Smirnov said.
He also said that in 2004-2007 80 military units will embrace the all-volunteer force concept, with 72 of them in the Armed Forces, five in the Interior Ministry Forces, and three in the Border Guard Forces of the Russian Federal Security Service.
Smirnov also reported that the government planned to earmark RUB79.1bn (USD2.66bn) to carry out the special federal program, aimed at introducing the contract manning system.
He emphasized that a few laws, designed to establish a more refined mechanism for introducing the all-volunteer force to the Russian Armed Forces and other militarized units, had to be adopted.
"First and foremost, I mean federal laws, allowing CIS nationals to sign up for voluntary service in the Russian Armed Forces, as well as introducing amends to the law on the status of servicemen and the Russian Housing Code," Smirnov said.