Putin Makes Military a Top Priority: Cutting Edge New Technology Has Transformed the Russian Army
On Friday in Sochi, the series of annual meetings that President Putin was having with the commanders and heads of the military-industrial complex came to an end. So, what type of weapons will be delivered to our army in the near future?
Over to Alexander Balitsky.
Four days of intense high-profile meetings on defense matters ranging from the implementation of the Defense Order to the improvement of even new types of weapons. The entire defense ministry gathered with leaders of major defense plants and design bureaus at President Putin's residence in Sochi.
Before each meeting, Shoigu and his deputies carefully studied the presented documents. What's in the files is a military secret. But judging by the number of invitees from the civilian sector, it was clear that President Putin would begin by addressing the work of military factories and perspective models.
President Putin: "Among the priorities is the continuation of the development of advanced weapons systems that are to exceed their best foreign analogs. We are waiting for a breakthrough from the Design Bureau and Research Institute in innovative, non-standard and efficient technological and engineering solutions that will, in particular, allow reductions in the time and cost of developing and introducing new weapons and, of course, an improvement of their quality".
It is these innovative and breakthrough solutions that have already allowed the commissioning of ultra-modern weapons, which many first learned about from President Putin's recent address.
The same systems equipped with the Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile, which is in every sense invulnerable, and its impact impossible to resist. The Sarmat will join the troops in two year's time. And the next combat alert will see the Avangard systems being set up. These are able to approach targets while hidden in the atmosphere and at the hypersonic speed of 12,000 miles per hour easily "punching" their analogue, the American anti-ballistic missile defense system. But even if the external appearance of the Avangard is still classified, the modern Kinjal was already displayed at the Victory Parade. High-precision aviation missile systems equipped with aeroballistic missiles were mounted on the MiG-31K fighters that flew over the Red Square. Covered with a special material, the Kinjal is almost undetectable on radar and is guaranteed to overcome any of the existing defensive systems.
President Putin: "I would like to once again thank our colleagues: our scientists, designers, engineers and other workers. These unique prototypes of weapons and equipment, created from their labor and talent, have for years, and perhaps even decades, been well ahead of their foreign analogues and many expensive foreign systems are now prospectless and already morally obsolete".
This year, the Russian Armed Forces should receive more than 500 modern tanks, armored vehicles and self-propelled artillery systems, while 14 of the rocket regiments will receive the newest Yars to replace their Topols. The aviation component of the "nuclear triad" will be supplemented by the modernized missile carriers Tu-95MS and Tu-160 armed with modern long-range cruise missiles. In total, the aerospace troops will receive almost 160 units of equipment: which will include new strategic & tactical aircraft, as well as modern attack helicopters.
The stratosphere is a promising direction for the Army. The latest S-500 system will easily be able to work with targets at such enormous heights. But before that, the anti-aircraft missile units shall continue being rearmed with the S-400 systems. And President Putin's unconditional priority is to equip the ships with Kalibrs. As for what the Russian Kalibr is, the whole world already knows from video footage. Its effectiveness has already been proved in the Syrian operative.
President Putin: "The attacks with cruise missiles, as well as the effective work of the maritime aviation inflicted serious damage on the terrorists. Still on this point, in connection with the continuing threat of attacks by international terrorists in Syria, in the Mediterranean Sea, our ships armed with Kalibr cruise missiles will be on constant military watch".
This statement, of course, did not go unnoticed in the West where, the same evening, American and British media ran it in their headlines. The next task is to strengthen the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces and the multi-purpose naval formations.
President Putin: “The high combat readiness and effectiveness of the Naval forces is the most important factor in the nation's military and economic security maintaining strategic parity, and, all in all a significant tool for ensuring our national interests. And, of course, as always, it is us raising our flag in the key areas of global waters.
This flag is increasingly being flown in the waters of the North Atlantic, the Asia-Pacific region and, of course, in the Mediterranean. As a result of this extensive dialogue which has been classified as "SECRET", a whole list of presidential instructions has already been drawn up. And although the Armed Forces, according to President Putin, have already changed they have become more efficient and, most importantly, a technological breakthrough has been achieved, the task at hand is to stay ahead of the curve.
Alexandr Balitsky, Konstantin Rodin, Vesti News of the Week.