MOSCOW. Sept 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the draft federal budget for 2005 fully reflects the needs of the Russian Armed Forces, for the first time in recent years.
"In 2005, 60% of the military budget will go to the maintenance of the troops and 40% to their development," Ivanov told the cadets of the Higher Joint-Arms Command College in Moscow on the occasion of the beginning of the academic year.
In 2001 this ratio was 70% to 30%.
"This will help enhance the quality of the army and the navy, and supply new equipment and armaments to the troops. Next year, we are planning to complete a large number of research and development programs and prepare about 300 new and upgraded armament systems," the defense minister said.
"The Armed Forces' defense capability will be boosted through establishing permanent-readiness units, where present-day cadets are to serve," Ivanov noted.
"Implementation of the Federal Purpose-Oriented Program of Manning the Armed Forces on a Volunteer Basis, which has been launched recently, will make it possible to increase the share of contracted servicemen to 70 percent by already 2008. This will be a real contribution to the development of a true contracted army," the minister said.