THE ART OF A RAW DEAL: RUSSIA’S STRATEGIC NUCLEAR FORCES TO BE 90 PERCENT ARMED WITH MODERN WEAPONRY BY 2020

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russia plans to arm its strategic nuclear forces with modern weaponry by 90% and its Strategic Missile Force by 62% by late 2020, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Tuesday.

Large-scale work is currently underway to arm Russia’s Strategic Missile Force with modern missile systems while the Navy is receiving new nuclear-powered submarines with ballistic and cruise missiles and strategic bombers Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS are being actively modernized, the defense minister said.

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“This will allow us to bring the provision of the strategic nuclear forces with modern weaponry to 90% as a whole and that of the Strategic Missile Force to 62%,” Shoigu said.

“I’m confident that this will discourage any potential aggressor to encroach on the security of our country,” Shoigu said at the opening of 2nd All-Russian youth forum: “International Military and Political, Military and Economic Cooperation and Modern Trends” at Moscow’s MGIMO Institute.

Combat capabilities of Russian aviation

The combat capabilities of Russian aviation will grow by 50% by the end of 2020 with the advent of new generation aircraft, Shoigu said.

He recalled that by the end of 2020 the ground forces would have no less than 70% of advanced military hardware.

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“First and foremost, there will be tanks and armored personnel carriers based on the Armata and Kurganets platforms, as well as self-propelled artillery pieces Koalitsiya SV. The Aerospace Force will have fifth generation planes, which will increase the combat capabilities of our aviation by 50% percent,” Shoigu said.

Earlier, Shoigu said combat planes of the future were expected to enhance by 50% the capability of Russia’s Aerospace Force to destroy cruise missiles.

After 2018 the Russian armed forces are to receive the fifth generation fighter T-50, which performed the first flight in 2010. The first batch of five planes are due to be delivered this year.

Russian precision weapons’ strike potential

Shoigu also said that the Russian precision weapons’ strike potential will increase fourfold by 2021.

“The strike potential of our precision weaponry will increase fourfold by 2021, which will help ensure Russia’s security along the entire perimeter of our borders,” the minister said.

“No doubt, general-purpose forces, to the development of which we pay very close attention, will continue playing an important role in ensuring the state’s military security,” Shoigu said.

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