Structural transformations of the RF Armed Forces, providing for the creation of four United Strategic Commands and a single system of material and technical support, are aimed primarily at improving the management structure of the Armed Forces.
The number of command links in the RF Armed Forces is reduced to three - the United Strategic Commands, Operational Commands, and brigades. This is a positive factor, since the success of any operation depends on the effective command and control of troops in the theater of operations.
The main headquarters of the branches of the Armed Forces - the Air Force, the Navy and the Ground Forces - will remain in the new structure of the Russian army, but some of their former functions, as well as the corresponding forces and assets, are transferred to the operational subordination of the Joint Strategic Commands. This is also in line with the new realities, since in the forecasted large-scale military conflicts all means of attack will be used, including the land, naval and aviation components. It is necessary to respond to these theater challenges with adequate means on land, at sea and in the air as soon as possible. Moreover, the option is not excluded that the hostilities will have to be conducted simultaneously in several theaters of operations. In this case, the creation of the United Strategic Commands is all the more justified.
The second most important issue to be resolved for the Russian army to meet the new challenges and threats of the 21st century is equipping it with modern weapons and military equipment.
Currently, the state armament program for the period 2011-2020 has entered the final stage of approval. Initially, the amount of funding for the state program was discussed within the amount allocated by the Ministry of Finance of 13 trillion rubles. According to available data, at the moment it has been decided to allocate for the GPV 2011-2020. one and a half times the amount, that is, 19-20 trillion rubles.
In accordance with the GPV 2011-2020. for the RF Armed Forces within 10 years, more than 500 new aircraft of various types, 1000 helicopters and about 200 new air defense systems should be delivered. In the field of air defense, in the future, it is necessary to create a unified aerospace defense system, combining the capabilities of air defense and missile defense. In the field of military aviation, in addition to work on the fifth generation fighter (PAK FA), work should begin on a promising long-range aviation complex (PAK DA). Work will continue on the advanced AWACS complex.
State armament program for the period 2011-2020 will be considered by the government in sync with the development program of the defense industry of the Russian Federation for 2011-2020. The defense industry development program is extremely important and is interconnected with the GPV 2011-2020.
The bulk of military products for the Russian army will be purchased from domestic manufacturers. For those types of weapons and military equipment, where the Russian defense industry cannot yet offer modern competitive products, it is planned to purchase weapons from leading Western manufacturers, and this will mainly be carried out in the form of organizing a joint venture in Russia with the transfer of appropriate technologies.
In terms of modernization of weapons, the Ministry of Defense has to solve very large-scale tasks, since in the past 20 years the army has received only a few samples of modern weapons. In this regard, even within the maximum amount of financing of the GPV 2011-2020.in the amount of 19-20 trillion rubles, there will not be enough funds for an equivalent modernization of weapons of all types and branches of the armed forces. Therefore, priority programs for the rearmament of the Russian army until 2020 must be determined.
To maintain parity, first of all, it is necessary to develop and modernize the strategic nuclear deterrent forces within the limits determined by the new START treaty.
The second priority is precision weapons. It should be noted that the arsenals of precision weapons in non-nuclear weapons in the United States have reached enormous proportions and are constantly being improved.
The third priority is the automated command and control systems (ACS) of troops. It is necessary to create, on the basis of specific ACS, a unified control system to ensure the possibility of conducting network-centric combat operations. ACS should have an open architecture, which will allow increasing its capabilities in any direction.
The fourth priority is all types of aviation technology. This segment largely determines the military potential of each specific state. Military transport aviation should become a special development priority in the military AT segment, since, taking into account the staffing of 1 million servicemen, the RF Armed Forces cannot keep equal groupings in all strategic directions.
It is also necessary as soon as possible to reduce the lag behind the leading Western countries in the development of UAVs, individual sets of weapons for military personnel, and individual models of naval and armored vehicles. France (VMT and military equipment), Germany and Italy (VMT and armored vehicles), Israel (UAV) can become potential partners of the Russian Federation in these programs.
An assessment of what the Russian army will be like at the turn of 2020 can be most clearly demonstrated by the example of aviation technology.
Summarizing the data available in the open press, it can be assumed that in the GPV-2011-2020. the following purchases of military AT will be included:
- An-124 "Ruslan" (20 units, data of the RF Ministry of Defense);
- An-70 (50 units, an estimate based on requests from the command of the Airborne Forces and VTA);
- Il-476 (50 units, data of the RF Ministry of Defense);
- Il-112V (the program is in question);
- Su-35S (48 units ordered with delivery until 2015, it is possible to purchase an additional batch in case of a delay in the PAK FA program);
- Su-27SM (12 units ordered with delivery in 2010-2011, the possibility of purchasing an additional batch in the event of a delay in the PAK FA program is not excluded);
- Su-30MK2 (4 units ordered with delivery in 2010-2011, the possibility of purchasing an additional batch in the event of a delay in the PAK FA program is not excluded);
- PAK FA (60 units, initial batch - 10 units, planned order for the supply of production vehicles - 50 units);
- Su-34 (32 units ordered with delivery until 2012, predicted new order - 60-80 vehicles);
- Su-25UBM / Su-25TM (initial batch of 10 units, an order for an additional batch is possible, estimated at least 20 vehicles);
- MiG-35 (30 units - expected initial order under the GPV 2010-2020);
- MiG-29SMT / MiG-29UB (20-30 units - estimated data, before the start of purchases of serial MiG-35);
- MiG-29K / KUB (initial order - 26 units, additional order is forecasted in the amount of up to 22 units);
- Yak-130UBS (the contract for the supply of 12 units will be completed in 2010, the expected volume of the order for 2011-2020 is up to 120 units);
- A new AWACS aircraft (state tests are scheduled for 2014, the initial delivery volume until 2020 is projected at 2-3 units);
- Be-200PS (8-10 units, estimated data, in search and rescue version).
In general, the above calculation (from 500 to 600 vehicles) will coincide with the announced plans under the SAP 2011-2020. for the supply of new aircraft for the RF Armed Forces.
