Summary: Russia’s Armed Forces - The Road to a New Quality and a New Appearance
Sergej Iwanow
The Russian armed forces have gone through difficult times and are currently being reformed on the basis of geopolitical needs and the principles of defense requirements. Over the last few years a legal basis has been established, that attributes a key role to the army and the navy in guaranteeing national security.
The restructuring of the armed forces has led to increased effectiveness of the command and control systems. What hurt, however, was the reduction from 2.75 million (1993) to currently 1 mio. service personnel. The adaptation of Russia’s military policy to global realities facilitated substantial reductions in the nuclear weapons potential as well as conventional weapons, without infringing on national security.
Russia takes three kinds of threats into account that are to be neutralized by the Russian armed forces - external, internal, and cross-boarder threats. The first category includes, in particular the threats caused by proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The second category includes a forceful change of the constitutional order or a violation of Russia’s territorial integrity as well as illicit sales of explosives and weapons, large-scale operations of organized crime and separatist activities. And finally, the cross-boarder threats include acts of international terrorism and the preparation of armed formations on Russian territory.
The Russian armed forces are ordered to contain military and military-political threats to national security, defend economic and political interests, conduct or participate in peacekeeping missions, and neutralize military threats, even under the condition that WMD’s are used.
The Russian armed forces are to be capable of carrying out tasks in two armed conflicts of each of the aforementioned types simultaneously without additional mobilization and conduct peacekeeping missions on their own or with allies. In times of crisis they have to guarantee strategic force projection and prevent an escalation by demonstrating readiness. In case of war, they are to repel an enemy attack and fulfill their tasks in two local wars.
Of main interest in the near future will be the increase of permanently ready units, putting the forces on contract basis, improving the operational capabilities, maintaining the strategic deterrence potential, and improving social care, in particular creating additional living quarters for military personnel. There will also have to be reforms in officer and non-commissioned officer training, so that the Russian armed forces will be able to fulfill their tasks in the future, according to the superpower status of their country.
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