In the Nearest Prospect Russia Will Remain Face to Face with Its Nuclear Forces

Within framework of formation of new a image of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation reinforcement of nuclear forces is possible, chief of Joint Staff of Armed Forces of the Russian Federation General Nikolay Makarov informed today the journalists on the results of visiting session of three committees of the State Duma.

"We want to create compact equipped mobile forces which will solve questions of all spectrum of military safety", - he said. "As to the nuclear forces there can appear threats which can be prevented only by threat of their application, therefore within the framework of formation of a new image of the Russian army increasing of their role is possible", - chief of the Joint Staff emphasized.

- Actually it's recognition of the fact that without strategic nuclear forces Russia is not capable to resist to external threat, using forces of army, aviation and fleet, - editor-in-chief of FORUM.msk Anatoly Baranov considers. - Wretchedness of such doctrine of military construction, certainly, is clear to the generals of the Joint Staff but from obviously nothing depends on them. After resigning of the contracts NSC, when Obama insists on reduction of a number of warheads of all parties up to 1000 units, the factor of nuclear restraint becomes already unimportant without reinforcement by means of conventional armaments. The Russian army suffers shortage of them.

Head of the Joint Staff Nikolay Makarov specified also new terms of army reform. At a meeting with deputies of the State Duma general declared that crisis didn't bring in changes into the plans of reorganization of Armed Forces. However the members of parliament present assert that a number of stages of the reform are in doubt and will be reconsidered.

On Monday military heads discussed reform of Armed Forces with deputies of profile committees of the State Duma. After visiting session in Ministry of Defence chief of Joint Staff of Armed Forces General Nikolay Makarov informed that it's planned to be carried out within the nearest three-four years. He asserted thus that financial and economic crisis didn't bring in serious corrective amendments into the plans of reorganization of army and fleet.

Meanwhile in the initial plan of Ministry of Defence reduction of more than 250 thousand officer posts was supposed, that is liquidation of institute of ensigns and replacement of many military posts by civil experts will take place within 2009.

The source of "Interfax" already in January asserted that "in view of today's economic and first of all financial realities the basic stages of transformations planned by the beginning of the year in the army and fleet, most likely, will be reconsidered".

Transfer of control system over armies from four-link one (district - army - division - regiment) to three-link (district - operative command - brigade) should become one more key part of the reform of army. This plan also can be reconsidered.

- I've just visited Sevastopol where the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation is based, - Anatoly Baranov informed. - Well, the question of reduction of posts of shipboard personnel by one third is being already discussed. In fact there are no superfluous people today on fleet and if to reduce the third of the team of the ship, it will already cease to be a fighting unit, it even can cease to be a floating. It's also impossible to reduce the number of ships - their quantity is minimal, only three ships of the first rank and one diesel submarine. Remove just one unit and fleet will already cease to be fleet. That is the problem of withdrawal of the Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol by 2017 will be solved ahead of schedule - there will be nothing's left to withdraw from the city and there's no necessity to build new base to such "subfleet". But if Russia will not have fleet on Black Sea, if there will be no North Caucasian military district and there will be some not clear how and whom organized brigades, how than Russia is going to keep its south? Whether they are going to struggle with insurgents in the mountains and the Georgian special troops by means of strategic aviation as in South Ossetia? Whether they will be frightened with nuclear threat?

"I have such a feeling that 15 thousand people composing mobile forces of CSTO about whom Medvedev spoke - that is all future mobile part of our army, - Anatoly Baranov supposes. - Well, some units of Air Forces, fleet, sea infantry - that's all. The rest - strategic nuclear forces and numerous internal armies of Ministry of Internal Affairs. Such configuration of armed forces of the future Russia. Actually such configuration frightens me because neither more nor less than liquidation of the state is being looked through in it".

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