Defense spending

The Wars of the Future: Russian Defense Ministry's New Modernization Plan

Behind closed doors, battles are taking place over the future of Russia’s military. During this year’s Victory Day parade on May 9, Russia’s armed forces showed off the latest and greatest the Russian defense industry has to offer. The next few months will determine how much of that equipment the armed forces will actually receive.

Delayed for two years owing to economic and budgetary volatility, the next phase of the State Armament Program (GPV), covering 2018-2025, is due to be finalized and signed by September. The coming review will determine not just what Russian armed forces get next year, but the weapons and systems they will fight with into the 2030s.

The first battle—over budget—has already been fought out between the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense. The former suggested 12 trillion rubles for the eight-year program; the latter demanded 22 trillion. The number the two have apparently settled on is 17 trillion. Clearly, the two ministries met in the middle, but much of the spending is backloaded, or provisional, and will no doubt be reviewed several years in.