Russia to cut army to one million
Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:20pm BST By Dmitry Solovyov
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday it would cut its army by over 10 percent by 2013, accelerating a drive to create a more effective, mobile force with a slimmed down officer corps.
Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, clearly sensitive to any discontent within the forces' leadership, tempered his announcement with promises of bonuses for officers and steps to ease the pain of those leaving.
However, a military analyst said the plans were not as radical as they might seem, the numbers cited by Serdyukov constituting a "laughable" understatement of the size of the armed forces. Secrecy surrounded the size of the army as well as other military such as the border guard and interior troops.
Vladimir Putin, who stepped down as president in May, saw a rebuilding of the military as central to restoration of central power in Russia and revival of an international image tarnished by post-Soviet decline.
The armed forces, celebrated as the soul of the nation in Soviet days, had sunk into disarray, with ships confined to port and aircraft grounded by fuel shortages and lacking spare parts. Living conditions were often squalid and discipline poor.
Critics say reforms are progressing too slowly for a country facing separatist rebellion in the south and the advance of NATO influence on Russia's borders.
"We propose to have an army of 1 million within four or five years, that is by 2013," Russian media quoted Serdyukov as telling reporters after meeting President Dmitry Medvedev.
Russian officials had earlier put the number of Russian army servicemen at 1.13 million at the end of 2007. Serdyukov said the Defence Ministry had earlier planned to reduce the army to 1 million by 2016.
The Russian army is notoriously 'top heavy'. RIA news agency quoted Russian army headquarters chief Vasily Smirnov as saying officers made up 30 percent of Russian army servicemen, while in major foreign armies officers accounted for 16 percent.
"We have offered to conduct this (reduction) at an accelerated rate, understanding that material incentives should be significantly increased," Serdyukov said.
"LAUGHABLE"
A defence analyst dismissed the changes proposed by Serdyukov as "laughable".
"On the one hand, the logic behind all this appears to be correct -- it's better to have a smaller army but of a better quality," Pavel Felgenhauer told Reuters.
"It's not as radical as Serdyukov wants to present it... These statements mean nothing, because they do not take into account the real state of things, with real numbers," he said. "Everything is kept in secret, no one knows the true figures."
Felgenhauer said those serving in other military or paramilitary forces were far more numerous than the army itself. These included interior ministry troops, border guards and the emergencies ministry.
The budget will allot 25 billion roubles (540 billion pounds) as material incentives for officers next year, Serdyukov said, adding this would grow to 33 billion roubles in 2010 and 42 billion roubles in 2011.
"These are incentives for the 30,000 best officers who will be selected during military exercises each year," he said.
Putin, now prime minister, proposed introducing such incentives last month. He said the cash would be spent mostly on members of the nuclear and air defence forces -- the central pillars of Russia's national security.
(Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL2353632220080623?sp=true
Provost
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States 1924-1929
