Defense budget amount puts Russia alongside with NATO members

Published: Aug 26, 2005
Source: english.pravda.ru



Russia's defense budget in 2006 will give first priority to the development of the national Air Force and the Anti-Aircraft Defense. Russia's Minister for Defense, Sergei Ivanov, told reporters after he returned to Moscow from China that the real defense budget of Russia was gaining about ten percent during the recent five years, although the state budget of Russia did not become militarized.

"Judging upon the capacity of our defense budget, Russia stands alongside with NATO states. However, we need to maintain balance between the spending on military machines and the social support, or there will be no one to work on those machines otherwise," the minister said. "The priority in the defense budget 2006 will be given to Air Force and the Anti-Aircraft Defense," Sergei Ivanov said. The minister added that about ten percent of the budget will be spent on space technologies, particularly on the completion of the deployment of the Global Navigation Satellite System known as GLONASS.

The minister criticized certain enterprises of the Russian defense complex and cast doubts on their abilities to produce the defense technology, which Russia needed. "We need cheaper and better technologies," Ivanov said.continue..