Over the past few days, Dmitry Medvedev has managed to show himself from various angles. First, he decided, as they say, to give the presidency to Vladimir Putin without a fight, explaining that Putin's rating is "somewhat higher." Secondly, Medvedev publicly sharply criticized Finance Minister Kudrin for his unwillingness to follow the tandem course. Thirdly, Dmitry Medvedev said that he would continue to actively contribute to the reform of the Russian army, providing this process with any economic and moral support. At the same time, the President said that Russia is not at all a "banana republic" that can afford to leave the army without confident financial assistance. According to Medvedev, Russia is a large nuclear-armed country that must fund its armed forces at the highest level.
It was the issues of economic support for the Russian army that became the stumbling block between the incumbent president and the already former finance minister. Kudrin stubbornly did not understand where he would take 20 trillion rubles from over the next 9 years to finance army modernization, or did not want to understand this. Meanwhile, it is not the first time that Medvedev has declared that the army needs not only modern expensive military equipment, but also an increase in the material content of servicemen. It is planned to raise the minimum level of pay for junior commanders to 30-35 thousand rubles over the next few years. This amount, in the opinion of the President of Russia, should become a guarantee of the arrival of competent specialists who are ready to perform a variety of military and technical tasks into the army.
In this regard, a number of analysts, including the political scientist Mikhail Leontyev, are somewhat skeptical that it is precisely the increase in material incentives for the military that can solve many of the problems of the Russian army. Leontyev, in particular, declares that never before have people who just want to make good money have gone into the army. According to him, the army has a completely different principle, which has nothing to do with the "business" system. The main distinguishing feature of the Russian army is a strict hierarchical ladder, the ascent of which was the main incentive for the domestic serviceman.
In addition to allocating colossal funds for the material support of military personnel, Dmitry Medvedev says that the state is ready to finance the development of various military-industrial sectors. In particular, after visiting the final stage of the Center-2011 exercises, the President said that Russia is in dire need of the development of unmanned military aviation. Recently, our country purchased "drones" from Israel, but, despite the fact that they have high technical performance, these aircraft are unacceptable for Russia. This is due to the fact that, firstly, Israeli UAVs are unlikely to be able to conduct reconnaissance from the air in the event of extremely low temperatures, which our country is famous for, and, secondly, Medvedev simply does not see any prospects for such purchases. The President says that the equipment, which can only be serviced by foreign suppliers and manufacturers in one person, can at least not add a level of security for our state.
Today, high-ranking military personnel understand that the allocation of funds for the development of Russian military unmanned aircraft is more than justified. As NATO military actions show, "drones" allow avoiding numerous casualties among the civilian population, as well as among the personnel of the belligerent army. The main thing is that the funds allocated for the development of this industry go really to the benefit of the army, and not "to the left".
Based on the results of the Center-2011 exercise, the President spoke positively about what he saw, but recalled how, after the operation in South Ossetia, one of the servicemen told him about the weak technical component of communications. Considerable funds are already being allocated for the means of communication, so in the near future we can expect a serious development of communication systems in the Russian army. Everyone understands that modern military operations require new communication mechanisms that can ensure high-quality interaction between various military groups.
The President also spoke about outsourcing in the army. Medvedev, like many State Duma deputies, believes that outsourcing will in no way harm the Russian military. In his opinion, servicemen should be relieved of a number of chores, and should be engaged in raising the level of combat training and mastering new weapons. As a result, serious funds are already being sent to the army in order to provide military units with high-quality services for their economic maintenance from private companies. At the same time, as high-ranking officials assure, one should not think that private individuals will gain access to "military secrets" by cleaning the barracks or servicing military equipment in the vehicle fleet.
It is not at all about resorting to external assistance in those military units whose activities are associated with the "secret" stamp.
In general, the policy of the current President of the Russian Federation is a clear and unequivocal support for the Russian army. At the same time, judging by recent events, no figure can act as an obstacle to the implementation of a large-scale reform of the armed forces.
