MOSCOW. Jan 27 (Interfax-AVN) - The current defense budget allows Russia to support only 500,000-man strong Armed Forces, fully equipped in compliance with contemporary requirements, a high-ranking military official told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"The current defense budget, which amounts to 3.1% of the GDP, allows Russia to support only 500,000-man strong Armed Forces, fully equipped with contemporary materiel and arms, with servicemen provided with sufficient European-standard money allowances and social security," he said.
According to the official, a defense budget of 3.1% of the GDP is what most developed countries earmark for their defense needs, but then again, everything depends on the amount of the GDP proper.
Russian officials, including Defense Ministry representatives, have repeatedly admitted that the state budget assets allocated were not enough to solve all problems, facing the Defense Ministry, and in particular the Armed Forces. Nevertheless, they state that the financial situation, pertaining to strengthening Russia's defense, is improving.
For instance, Colonel General Vladislav Putilin, director of the Defense and Security Programs Economics Department of the Economic Development Ministry, emphasized in an interview with Interfax-AVN that the Defense Ministry would earmark 37% more assets for procuring arms and materiel in 2005 y-o-y 2004.
According to the Defense Ministry, the overall strength of the Russian Armed Forces totals 1.207 million servicemen and 876,000 civil servants as of January 1, 2005.