Russian President Vows to Upgrade Nukes

[unhappycamper]

Russian President Vows to Upgrade Nukes
March 17, 2009
Associated Press

MOSCOW - President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that upgrading Russia's nuclear forces was the top priority in an ambitious military modernization plan that he pledged to pursue despite the nation's financial problems.

Russia must upgrade its arsenals and combat readiness to fend off threats posed by NATO's expansion, international terrorism and local conflicts, Medvedev said at a meeting with the military's top brass.

"All that requires a modernization of our armed forces," Medvedev said. "We now have all the necessary conditions for that despite the current financial difficulties."

Russia's windfall oil wealth over the last decade allowed the Kremlin to nearly quadruple its defense spending and start upgrading aging arsenals. The financial crisis has raised doubts about the government's ability to meet the military modernization goals, but the government has pledged that weapons orders won't be cut.

Military officials have said the government budgeted 1.5 trillion rubles ($43 billion) for weapons purchases this year, about 25 percent of it to be spent on upgrading the nation's aging, Soviet-era nuclear force.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/March-2009/russian-president-vows-to-upgrade-nukes.html?col=1186032310810