‘Open part’ of Russian military development plan published on official website

[plan published in Russian at http://mil.ru/mod_activity_plan.htm]

(Interfax – Moscow, June 27, 2013) The Russian Defense Ministry has completed eight of the 18 targets that were set in the five manifesto presidential decrees of 7 May 2012, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu has said.

“These decrees determine the main priorities in the development of the Armed Forces, military-industrial complex, military service and public administration. Some of the objectives set in them are already complete – eight of the 18,” Shoygu told the Russian Defense Ministry collegium at a meeting.

The Ministry of Defense Action Plan to 2020 has been drawn up in order to implement the rest in accordance with the presidential instructions, Shoygu said.

It includes annual specifics across the spectrum the ministry is responsible for, Shoygu said.

Provision is made for all of the military’s structures, inclusive of the brigade level, to be involved in the execution of these plans, Shoygu noted.

“What is especially important is that the implementation of the action plan will allow us by 2017 to equip the forces with modern arms and military hardware to the level of at least 30 per cent,” Shoygu said.

For the first time, it has been possible to synchronize and link the delivery of modern weapons and military hardware to the forces with the training of personnel and putting appropriate infrastructure in place.

Shoygu went on to say that the supreme commander-in-chief had “set another important task – to give civil society the opportunity to monitor the implementation of the plan”. “A special section is available on the official website of the Ministry of Defense from today. This will allow the open part of the plan to be discussed publicly, as well as feedback to be given,” Shoygu said.