Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Washington Times
June 24, 2008
Pg. 19
Seeks to trim large officer corps
By Dmitry Solovyov, Reuters News Agency
MOSCOW--Russia said on Monday it would cut its army by more than 10 percent by 2013, accelerating a drive to create a more effective, mobile force with a slimmed down officer corps.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, 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.
"We propose to have an army of 1 million within four or five years, that is by 2013," Russian media quoted Mr. 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. Mr. Serdyukov said the Defense Ministry had earlier planned to reduce the army to 1 million by 2016.
A military analyst said the plans were not as radical as they might seem, with the numbers cited by Mr. Serdyukov constituting a "laughable" understatement of the size of the armed forces. Secrecy surrounds the size of the army as well as other military branches such as the border guard and interior troops.
The Russian army is notoriously top heavy.
The RIA news agency quoted Russian army headquarters chief Vasily Smirnov as saying officers made up 30 percent of the Russian army, while in major foreign armies officers account for 16 percent.
"We have offered to conduct this [reduction] at an accelerated rate, understanding that material incentives should be significantly increased," Mr. Serdyukov said.
A defense analyst dismissed the changes proposed by Mr. 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," analyst 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."
June 24, 2008
Pg. 19
Seeks to trim large officer corps
By Dmitry Solovyov, Reuters News Agency
MOSCOW--Russia said on Monday it would cut its army by more than 10 percent by 2013, accelerating a drive to create a more effective, mobile force with a slimmed down officer corps.
Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, 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.
"We propose to have an army of 1 million within four or five years, that is by 2013," Russian media quoted Mr. 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. Mr. Serdyukov said the Defense Ministry had earlier planned to reduce the army to 1 million by 2016.
A military analyst said the plans were not as radical as they might seem, with the numbers cited by Mr. Serdyukov constituting a "laughable" understatement of the size of the armed forces. Secrecy surrounds the size of the army as well as other military branches such as the border guard and interior troops.
The Russian army is notoriously top heavy.
The RIA news agency quoted Russian army headquarters chief Vasily Smirnov as saying officers made up 30 percent of the Russian army, while in major foreign armies officers account for 16 percent.
"We have offered to conduct this [reduction] at an accelerated rate, understanding that material incentives should be significantly increased," Mr. Serdyukov said.
A defense analyst dismissed the changes proposed by Mr. 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," analyst 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."