Friday, February 25, 2011

BBC News - Russia plans $650bn defence spend up to 2020

BBC News - Russia plans $650bn defence spend up to 2020: "Eight nuclear submarines, 600 jets and 1,000 helicopters feature in plans to renew Russia's military by 2020, priced at 19tn roubles (£400bn; $650bn).
One hundred warships are also due to be bought in, including two helicopter carriers, in addition to two already being purchased from France.
The submarines will carry the Bulava missile, despite recent test failures.
Analysts say the ambitious programme only makes sense if the military upgrades its training and recruitment.
A painful drive to streamline the armed forces is already under way, with up to 200,000 officers losing their jobs and nine out of every 10 army units disbanded, the Associated Press news agency notes.
If the renewal is a success, it will leave Russia less reliant on the nuclear arsenal it inherited from the USSR."
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NATO Missile Defense for Europe





NATO has agreed to provide ballistic missile defense or BMD for all of Europe. This NATO BMD will protect NATO (European and American) military forces in Europe. It will also – for the very first time – protect the civilian population throughout Europe from ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction launched from the Middle East.
Much of this NATO missile defense for Europe – known as the European Phased Adaptive Approach – will actually be provided by the United States armed forces. This will include seaborne AEGIS missile defense on board US Navy ships in the Mediterranean, as well as land based radars and interceptor missiles.
This e-book describes how NATO missile defense for Europe will be organized and implemented.