Russia to overhaul air, naval defences: Medvedev
Orenburg, Russia (AFP) Sept 26, 2008 Russia will boost its air and naval defences by building more modern warships, nuclear-powered submarines and a system of air-space defences, President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday. "Construction of new types of warships is planned, primarily nuclear submarines armed with cruise missiles and multi-purpose submarines" by 2020, Medvedev said after military exercises near Orenburg in southern Russia. "A system of joint air and space defence will be created," he also told the meeting with military chiefs from across Russia, adding that plans for reforming the military by 2020 would be ready by December. "We must achieve supremacy in the air, in making high-precision strikes at land and sea targets, as well as in fast troops movements," he said. Medvedev's powerful predecessor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has already announced a 28-percent increase in Russia's military budget for next year. The plans for wide-scale military reform were unveiled a month after Russian forces fought a brief war in Georgia using sometimes outdated equipment. Referring to the conflict, Medvedev said: "A war can flare up suddenly and can be absolutely real... And local, smouldering conflicts, which are sometimes even called 'frozen,' will turn into a real military conflagration." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Analysis: China's air-sea buildup Hong Kong (UPI) Sep 26, 2008 For some time China has been constructing large-scale underground nuclear submarine facilities on its southern island province of Hainan. At the same time, the Chinese People's Liberation Army navy and air force have dramatically reinforced their military structures on the Xisha Islands -- known in the West as the Paracel Islands -- located in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. |
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