Russian Defense Ministry Discloses Rearmament Plans

Russia’s Defense Ministry has disclosed details of the timing of its plan to increase the share of modern weapons in the armed forces to 70 percent by 2020.

The new document reveals that the proportion of modern submarines should be 47 percent by the end of 2014. That figure is due to grow to 51 percent in 2015, before reaching the target of 70 percent by 2020.

Plans have also been revealed for new destroyers that would replace the Project 956 Sarych (Sovremenny class) destroyers that are currently being decommissioned from the navy. Development of the new destroyers is expected to be complete by late 2018, and their serial production is to start from 2019.

The proportion of new military aircraft will increase to 56 percent by 2017, while modern helicopters will comprise 76 percent of the fleet by the same date.

In 2015, the Defense Ministry also plans to complete the development of a new tank.