Russian Defense spending will increase to 1.1 trillion rubles, or 8% said Sergey Ivanov - Vice Prime-Minister.

That is $365 billion USD, the United States of America spends $685 billion or 53% more per year than Russia does.

Russia is also starting to purchase military equipment from other countries, like France, and Israel. This will eliminate a monopoly that the Russian manufacturers have had for a very long time.
The Russian president Medvedev said “Russia would listen to the USA once the USA listened to Russia and he recently met with President Obama in New York city. I think the new missile defense plans will also be considered a threat by Russian leaders, the recent joy by Russian leaders may indeed be very short lived.

The following is from US Defense Secretary Robert Gates:

“In the first phase, to be completed by 2011, we will deploy proven, sea-based SM-3 interceptor missiles - weapons that are growing in capability - in the areas where we see the greatest threat to Europe,” Gates wrote in his essay.

“The second phase, which will become operational around 2015, will involve putting upgraded SM-3s on the ground in Southern and Central Europe. All told, every phase of this plan will include scores of SM-3 missiles, as opposed to the old plan of just 10 ground-based interceptors. This will be a far more effective defense should an enemy fire many missiles simultaneously - the kind of attack most likely to occur as Iran continues to build and deploy numerous short- and medium-range weapons,” he continued.

So we will see how this new plan plays out and how Russian leaders recact to it of the next several months. I think this will be a never ending story that will go on for a very long time.

Popularity: 2% [?]